[Willie Green]

(HINT: His point was not that you are wrong in thinking that NX is a negative number.)

I don't need any hints to understand Toddsterpatriot.
Stage 1 is viewing trade statistics from an American's POV.
Stage 2 is where he engages in paradigm shifting to the detriment of American national interests.
Yes, it is true that I refuse to go along with such convoluted logic.

[Toddsterpatriot]

Yes, it is true that I refuse to go along with such convoluted logic.

Willie, why don't you explain your "logic" about how low steel prices are bad for our economy. We could all use a laugh.

[On the Road to Serfdom]

It is not convoluted logic. "Paradigm shifting"? You seem to be just throwing words around without a coherent point.

There is a one-to-one relationship between the trade deficit and net foreign job-creating investment in our country. As long as our country is a safe attractive place to invest foreigners will want US dollars for the purpose of investing here. This drives up the value of the dollar resulting in our goods costing more to foreigners resulting in a trade deficit.

If foreigners suddenly wanted to invest their savings in other places then the value of the dollar would fall, our exports would be cheap for foreigners to buy, and we would start running a trade surplus. Then you could be comforted by seeing a "+" in front of our NX number. This would NOT be good for our economy.