A P-I editorial claims we might just as well forget about preserving industrial lands in Seattle, and let the “free” market determine the highest-‘n-best use for the city’s commercial real estate. High-rise, high-price housing, big-box retail, office parks–bring ’em on. Manufacturing, shipping, distribution–quaint, but “so last century.”

Our comment on their comment: Trade is never really unencumbered. There’s always governments, cartels, and other movers-‘n-shakers setting directions.

In Seattle, and in the U.S., the realm of stuff-making has been out of favor among these direction-setters. (Exceptions: the sub-realms of making prescription drugs, weapons systems, and fossil fuel products.)

We have an opportunity to set ourselves some different priorities.

We can say that stuff-making is worth preserving.

We can work to keep living-wage jobs in the city.

Or we can just let the developers and their wholly-owned politicians do any darned thing they want.