[1rudeboy]

It's simple to see what would happen our government stayed within its budget.

[DannyTN]

The budget deficit is a result of the trade deficit.

And the trade deficit does have to do with trade barriers, or more accurately the lack of trade barriers. We lowered the tariffs in the 1960s and that resulted in a flood of cheap imports that drove American businesses out of business, or drove them to off-shore their products.

The result is that Chinese are employed and Americans are not. That drives the budget deficit deficit because now we have to support 100 million Americans on food stamps, medicaid and other support programs. And we no longer get income tax revenues from those Americans working. And states and local communities no longer get sales tax revenues because those Americans no longer have much to spend.

[Mase]

The trade deficit today, as in 1985, has very little to do with foreign trade barriers, currency manipulation, or “unfair” trade practices.

Let's isolate this line from the link so the outrage of the FR protectionists can run rampant without having to hurt their brains by reading the entire article.

And let me be the first to say bring back American jobs now!

[Moltke]

But when they use those dollars to buy U.S. Treasury securities, the United States winds up with a trade deficit. Americans may benefit from those purchases

The ones that benefit are those on benefits (he quipped).