> All of those have taken a major hit during the current recession.
Every one takes a major hit during a recession.
> And when is a “handy man” a six figure income.
A handy man that charges $55 per hour can make over $100,000. A handy man that becomes a general contractor can make significantly more than $100,000. Can every handy man charge $55 per hour or become a general contractor? No. But in a free society every handy man has that opportunity.
> C’mon, you just threw that in there to fill out the list, didn’t ya?
Actually, I could make the list much larger. Since you appear to be so fond of manufacturing lets talk about car, aircraft and military sectors. All of these will be harmed by an increased price on steel caused by protectionism.
I’ve never seen a handy man who charged $55 an hour. Frankly, a handy man who drove up in a Mercedes would scare me.
I recognize that a significant portion of America’s manufacturing base is gone and ain’t coming back.
As for “protectionism,” I don’t believe that’s what we’re talking about when we view recent events. I think we’re talking about the first stage of negotiations.