If we produced only 25% of what China produces for us we'd have how many more industries , technology , factories and jobs in the U.S? How does that hurt the U.S.? What are we producing now because of you free traders:DEBT, non profits that are useless and rely on government grants, government jobs that are useless and grow the debt, debt, more lawyers, most new “jobs” are people on welfare,foodstamps, social security , government jobs,disability, non profit jobs : All of which produce NOTHING but add more debt. You think that is sustainable then you are totally misinformed.
Take the consumer electronics industry which is just one industry out of many that China has stolen from the U.S. In just one product of that the ipad how many technology jobs would come back to America ? Not just the factory workers but programmers, accountants, managers, process engineers, electricians et. And then all the parts for the ipad like the chips and processors ,and the supply chains and supply chains for each part so on etc. : All have gone to china for thousands of electronic products but they could be here in the U.S. . Instead we produce environmental studies with government grants.
We [meaning our beloved government] create the debt. The Chinese [or free trade for that matter] have nothing to do with that. If you don't like the debt -- and who does? -- then work to elect a government that spends no more than it takes in through taxes.
Free trade does not create the national debt. It's ridiculous to say that it does. And if you want more manufacturing here (and actually, I do, too) then the way to encourage it is to reduce the costs of doing business in America: taxes, regulations, etc..
But to ask the same government that has created the massive debt (as well as all those social services you mentioned) to now regulate our personal economic lives by charging us more to buy products from abroad just seems crazy to me.
All you protectionists should justify your position by explaining just why an American citizen's freedom to buy and sell property should be curtailed. It's always interesting to me when a supposed conservative calls for more government power and less individual freedom.
Can't wait to hear why you do.