No, it’s not the government’s business to push me to buy from domestic rather than foreign companies through tariffs. Furthermore, tariffs we impose will be met by tariffs by other countries on our exporters, resulting in little or no net gain in jobs here.
Of course that is the government’s business. America pursued an aggressive policy of tariffs to build up domestic industry from the founding until a few decades ago.
There is no right to buy foreign goods. That’s a ridiculous idea and a good example of the kind of selfish, anti-patriotic nonsense that has infected modern conservatism and rendered it impotent.
If you have a problem with that, take it up with Ben Franklin and George Washington.
If imports didn't dwarf our exports, you might have an argument. But with a trade deficit as large as ours, there will be a net gain even if a trade war erupts.
China for example doesn't let the dollars flow back to buy trade goods for it's people. It uses it to buy our equities and our stock. Effectively causing us to liquidate ownership of America in exchange for their cheap imports.
Finally, the U.S. taxes on domestic producers are in excess of 10%. But the tariffs are on foreign producers are on average 1%. Is it government's job to provide a tax incentive to American companies to offshore?
If imports didn't dwarf our exports, you might have an argument. But with a trade deficit as large as ours, there will be a net gain even if a trade war erupts.
China for example doesn't let the dollars flow back to buy trade goods for it's people. It uses it to buy our equities and our stock. Effectively causing us to liquidate ownership of America in exchange for their cheap imports.
Finally, the U.S. taxes on domestic producers are in excess of 10%. But the tariffs are on foreign producers are on average 1%. Is it government's job to provide a tax incentive to American companies to offshore?