You’re right on that — I did not use the standard definition of “trade war.” What’s been happening has been more subtle.
I don’t know that we’ve benefited. If we trade good paying jobs for cheap goods, that’s not a benefit. Neither is it a benefit to trade very high end exports for manufacturing infrastructure.
I never believed the less than 5% unemployment. During the Clinton administration they started playing around with how unemployment is measured. Things like the birth/death model did not do anything to help the accuracy. The U-6 number seems to be more accurate.
> I don’t know that we’ve benefited. If we trade good paying jobs for cheap goods, that’s not a benefit.
How do you know what kind of jobs were created? Checking GDP, GNP, per capita stats all contradict your statement.
> I never believed the less than 5% unemployment.
Do you have any evidence to support these statements? Without data to back-up these assertions they are meaningless.