On Import Tariffs and Our Foreign Trade Stockholm Syndrome ~
In terms of trade retaliation, I’m old enough to remember a time when the only harm the Chinese could have inflicted on the U.S. would have been to impose an embargo on their then chief export -— paper and bamboo cocktail parasols. But look how we fear them now! Like it or not, we’re engaged in a multi-front war to restore America’s autonomy and exceptionalism.
From my perspective, the proposed import tariff issue is divided into two distinct camps. The analogy I’ll use is that America, in the name of “free trade,” finds itself standing on an increasingly wobbly, three-legged stool with a noose around her neck. One camp, the Trump camp, is urging that we attempt to remove the noose and run the risk of slipping and hanging ourselves, but better that than continuing to be held hostage.
The other camp, the defenders of absurd trade inequities (Stockholm Syndrome) is urging that we hold our breath and remain perfectly still, knowing that the stool will eventually collapse, but praying that it won’t collapse today, This issue has polarized American opinion and discourse because one option is risky and scary, while the other is foreseeably suicidal.
The U.S. hasn’t posted a foreign trade surplus since 1975, and is currently running an annual trade deficit of more than $800 Billion per year. Frankly, we’ve gotten so accustomed to getting screwed by our foreign trading partners that one camp would rather do nothing at all, than to disturb this false sense of trade stability. The other camp would rather reverse course, while we’re still able.
One thing is for sure, trading commodities with foreign governments (ex. China) that subsidize production costs in order to dump below cost products on the world market is NOT “free trade.” We are sacrificing long-term national economic independence, internal production capacity, security and indeed sovereignty in exchange for strategically leveraged near-term price point savings, without considering its true overall impact.
This is exactly what the no borders, globalist oligarchs want us to keep doing because it so diffuses and cripples America’s internal economic and production might that it leaves us vulnerable to world crises. What country in their right mind would cede production of strategic metals like steel and aluminum to a known hostile government, while turning its own industrial production of the same strategic metals, along with its workforce, into a “Rust Belt?” We did.
So, we have a choice. We can either decide to throw off the yoke of foreign economic tyranny now, and run the risk of trade retaliation that might make us temporarily uncomfortable, or do nothing at all while awaiting the inevitable outcome of complete economic subservience to foreign governments. As for me, I’d rather take the risk now, while we still have the ability to spool-up our near-dead, but proven industrial production superiority -— prices be damned.
MAGA
Very thoughtful and well stated. Thanks for a great analysis.
And fireworks.
Amen
“As for me, I’d rather take the risk now, while we still have the ability to spool-up our near-dead, but proven industrial production superiority -— prices be damned.”
Me too.
This absolute best time for an existential war is when you still have a chance of winning.
Excellent!!! It’s so clear to those of us who “get it”. I don’t know when Americans turned into such pansies. DJT is the only one with the stones to stand up to the WORLD...and he’s stands alone - unbowed, unapologetic, unwavering - with the GOP, the Dems, the media, academia and the progressives against him. He shows how the rest of the GOP are dithering cowards and total globalists.
Hands down, the most insightful, MOST logical argument on the thread.
MAGA!
Yeah, what you said and, buy American for crying out loud!
What ever we still can, buy American.