I don’t understand: So many here at FR extol the benefits of free trade and simultaneously deride those that define protectionism as keeping US manufacturing jobs here, not overseas.
/s
Reading the comments thus far, I wonder where ‘they’ are today?
/s/s
It’s like the Trump-bashers: JR came out supporting Trump and the Trump-bashers at FR seem AWOL (at the time I browsed comments), one trolling author in particular that also supports free trade.
Amazing.
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The problem isn't free trade, it's about bloated government, the world's highest corporate taxes and strangling regulations.
Instead of being so coy, come out with your point straight up.
Maybe because we understand basic economics and free market principles.
First, let me say that many of our free trade agreements were made by morons who know nothing about business, manufacturing, jobs or economics. Yes, we have flawed free trade agreements. But that does not mean free trade is bad, just that the people elected to expand our trade are flawed.
Keeping US manufacturing jobs here will not benefit anyone. Do you think they will not automate and reduce their need for labor? Do you think they will not invest in R&D to increase productivity?
So, the company keeps 10% of the original jobs here and now the 90% who lost their jobs due to advancements in manufacturing have nowhere else to work because foreign companies will not buy products or start operations in a place that does not trade with them.
You just want your cake and eat it too. You want the foreign nations to buy from us, but we do not buy from them.
Think about that.
If you are a conservative and you understand the constitution, why do you think we have a Commerce Clause? To prevent the states from doing what you are advocating on an international level!
Free trade has lifted more people out of poverty, has made more people wealthy and has saved more lives than all the worlds' social programs combined.
In fact, if the world would reduce their social programs and get with true free trade, more people would be free, there would be less war and mankind would advance farther and faster than ever before.
You want to protect a lazy union worker's job and think that will create prosperity.
I was at work, sorry. Manufacturing job, robots to each side of me. But hey, nothing that tariffs can’t “fix.” Of course, we’ll need more goverment jobs to administer them.