[semimojo]

I’m curious. How would you have responded if these same products from China were banned?

I'd point out that it was another case of the government meddling in the market and thereby raising costs to US consumers.

...choosing to buy a foreign tariffed good is a personal choice no one must make.

The point is that the tariff artificially raises the cost to the consumer. It makes no difference to me whether I have to pay more for a tariffed foreign washer or pay more for an otherwise uncompetitive domestic washer, the effect is the same.

The government is dictating that I pay above market in order to subsidize a favored industry.

We may all decide that this level of picking winners and losers is warranted, but we shouldn't pretend that it's something it isn't.

[ConservativeMind]

“It makes no difference to me whether I have to pay more for a tariffed foreign washer or pay more for an otherwise uncompetitive domestic washer, the effect is the same.”

I would contend this is not true for you or anyone else who pays taxes in the US.

Salaries earned in the US, regardless of the competitiveness of the worker, still pay lots of taxes, reducing the tax load you otherwise would have to pay. Also, thise workers are not idled, meaning they aren’t out collecting unemployment or committing crimes to stay afloat.

In our society, in which “tax burdens” are borne primarily by people with jobs, having an able-bodied person not working is a real, tangible cost.

[ConservativeMind]

I’d say income earners easily pay at least 10% of their income on their portion of the burden of idled US citizens. This is noticed in insurance premiums, criminal justice costs, medical costs, welfare costs, food costs, etc.

A product “at the same price” from either our country or another is inherently more costly to your life if bought from a foreign country without a tariff in place to compensate.