For example, if you ask Ben "OK, of course in general you're right that all policy has unintended consequences, what would YOU do as president to counteract the fact that other countries have been doing this to us for years?
Secondly, (And Ben probably knows this,) Trump's tariffs are not intended as 'policy.' They are essentially a threat (negotiating position.) He is saying "If you really want to keep this bad behavior up, I promise my behavior will be far worse than yours."
It's the same as his Tweet months ago to Un -> My button is way bigger than yours.
So -> I like Ben, usually he has OK logic, and he's one of the main ones out there fighting the idea war for us, but he's simplistic and he 100% misses the point here if he tries to apply it to Trump's tariffs, because the tariffs are not policy, they are missiles.
Yes, Ben, duh, policy has unintended consequences and this is a good introductory class on that. However, this is the wrong example and it makes you look dumb, which you're not.
I am old enough to remember World War II, and it would be folly in the extreme to ignore how important it was that American production of these key metals was twice that of Germany & Japan combined. (I will certainly never disparage the heroism of our young men in uniform; but the inexhaustible supply of military hardware on our side was the key to final success.}