[The Old Hoosier]

We benefit from it, though -- through lower prices, plus consider how many Americans invest in foreign countries and are actually pocketing the proceeds, which in turn create higher-skilled jobs for more Americans.

Wealth is not a global zero-sum game.

[Just another Joe]

We benefit from it, though -- through lower prices, plus consider how many Americans invest in foreign countries and are actually pocketing the proceeds, which in turn create higher-skilled jobs for more Americans.

I agree with your first statement to a degree. I believe we are coming down to the break even line in a hurry though.

The second statement, I'm not so sure that I agree with all of that.
There may be a few that are pocketing proceeds but I'm not so sure that it in turn creates higher skilled jobs for Americans.
After all, the products we are buying are being manufactured in the other country, not America. That means the jobs will be in the other country, not America.
I'm not an isolationist. There must be give and take between countries for us to stay where we need to be.

I just think we are rapidly approaching the line where we need some countries to buy more things from us.