Sure. Why not.
Once foreign grown coffee becomes extremely expensive, it would be profitable to develop ways to grow it at home.
It would create jobs in America.
And with a little luck and possibly bioengineering, our coffee might even taste as good.
If it doesn't, national independence and jobs are more important than foreign gourmet coffee beans.
How about oil? You want a tariff on Mexican oil because the cost of living is lower in Mexico? That'll teach those Mexicans to sell us oil. What will gasoline cost in your protectionist dream world?
Had we done that thirty years ago, we'd have half the population we have now because we wouldn't have enough oil to accommodate population growth from immigration.
And for any other petro shortfall, deal with it.
Develop wind power, solar power, clean coal power . . .
Or just simply conserve energy.
End runaway population growth from immigration, and remain independent of the rest of the world by not outgrowing our domestic resouces.
Meanwhile, trade with other countries is causing them to industrialize sooner and on a grander scale.
When the billions of people in developing countries start sucking up the world's oil with the money we paid them for cheap stuff--how much you think any leftover gasoline is gonna cost us?
You realize there is a difference between high prices and high profits?
It would create jobs in America.
How many American jobs are currently lost to imported coffee?
If it doesn't, national independence and jobs are more important than foreign gourmet coffee beans.
A high standard of living is important too.
End runaway population growth from immigration, and remain independent of the rest of the world by not outgrowing our domestic resouces.
There's a good way to build a strong America, cut our energy use by 50%.
You have some interesting ideas. If we wanted to live like a much poorer country your ideas would be the way to go.