C.J. comes in just then and updates Jed on his interview schedule in advance of the Brussels signing. She works on warming him up, asking how he plans to counter the argument that free trade ultimately exports jobs, and Jed basically dismisses that concern. Yeah, nobody really cares about that anyway. Josh offers Jed some talking points, but Jed says that he's an economist himself, and doesn't need any educating. Charlie cautiously points out that Jed's comments about economics can be a little bit... "Polysyllabic?" Jed asks. "Academic," C.J. offers. "I was going to go with 'incomprehensible,'" Leo grouches. Jed, as if trying to prove their point, launches into a discussion of a concept called "creative destruction," and the eyes around the room all roll in frustration, since this is exactly what they're talking about. Josh tries to convince Jed just to go with the "better and higher-paying jobs" mantra. "Anybody have any crayons so I can color in my PhD?" Jed asks in his usual insufferable fashion. Indeed, everyone who doesn't understand a lecture on economics that's conducted on a graduate level might as well be writing in crayon. Oh, ordinary people are so tiresome, aren't they, Mr. President? If only we lived in a world flooded by people with graduate degrees, things would be so much more pleasant. And all of the people cast out of work by the trade agreement could be put to work making tasseled loafers.

Leo argues that Josh is partly right -- the country is losing "old economy" jobs in manufacturing, basically, and is now going to get by on the "new economy," which Josh says is why they want to prop up copyright enforcement. See, we're done making food and clothing and all that old-fashioned crap. Now we're going to make ideas. Which is great, because that will totally solve the problem in your average town in which the closing of a manufacturing plant throws a third of the population out of work. They can all occupy and support themselves as inventors. Shut up, Josh. C.J., who stepped out for a minute, comes back in talking about the highly symbolic tractors, and Jed huffs that globalization is "unstoppable." Hey, like tractors! Well, tractors with big cannons on the sides, maybe. Jed starts throwing a blustering hissy about whether we should have banned ATMs to protect bank tellers and so forth, and Josh cringes, exiting while reinforcing the idea that Jed needs to stop acting like everyone who is reluctant to relinquish his or her career is a backward pain in the ass, and just stick to the idea that there will be better, higher-paying jobs as a result of free trade.