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President Trump’s Isolationist Economic Fence Threatens Our Economic Future
Townhall.com ^ | June 22, 2019 | Gary Shapiro

Posted on 06/22/2019 5:42:43 AM PDT by Kaslin

President Trump’s barrage of tariffs could blow up our economy in a way not seen since Congress passed the 1930 Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act. We know how that ended. It took World War II to get us out of the worst depression our nation ever faced.

The analogies between then and now are striking. Overwhelmingly, economists opposed the tariffs in 1930. Today, Peter Navarro, who serves in the White House, is the only economist I know of who thinks tariffs are a good idea. And last week he suggested we pull out of the World Trade Organization (WTO), despite the fact the U.S. helped create it and the WTO has mostly sided with the U.S. in resolving trade disagreements. Navarro wants to build an economic fence around the U.S. with unprecedented isolationism.

In 1930, trade was a tiny percentage of our GDP. Today, it represents more than 27%. Going isolationist in 2019 would gut many of our biggest companies and exporters.

Why? Because we not only have global supply networks, but when we sell globally, countries - some of them our biggest customers - retaliate.

China has already blocked U.S. agriculture exports and held American cars on Chinese docks. It is reportedly considering blocking rare earth mineral exports to the U.S. and blacklisting companies. In 1930, Congress put tariffs on thousands of products, countries retaliated with similar tariffs, and the world economy spiraled downward into a dust bowl of poverty.

As the president and his administration build an economic fence around the nation - threatening a healthy economy - congressional power erodes. President Trump’s actions isolate us from trade with the 95% of the global population that does not live in the U.S. Meanwhile, as we escalate disputes with our largest trading partners, economic warning signs pile up. The market is increasingly volatile. Investors are running for cover. Consumers are beginning to feel the tariff bite. Aggressive trade wars are hastening the end of one of the strongest economies in U.S. history

History will judge this era harshly. The next recession will not be just the “Trump Recession” - it will be all of ours to own and survive. We must change course, so tomorrow doesn’t bring a full-blown depression.

Gary Shapiro is president and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)™, the U.S. trade association representing more than 2,200 consumer technology companies, and a New York Times best-selling author. He is the author of the book, Ninja Future: Secrets to Success in the New World of Innovation. His views are his own.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: bloggers; economics; freetraitors; presidenttrump; tarrifs; tds; wto
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To: neverevergiveup

word = world!!


41 posted on 06/22/2019 8:59:56 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
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To: Kaslin
President Trump’s barrage of tariffs could blow up our economy in a way not seen since Congress passed the 1930 Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act.

This clown needs to take some lessons from the global warming cult - his baseless fear-mongering needs work.
42 posted on 06/22/2019 9:01:12 AM PDT by AnotherUnixGeek
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To: Kaslin

Gary Shapiro is a Free Traitor™.


43 posted on 06/22/2019 9:03:24 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
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To: Kaslin

I used to be a “free trader”. I’ve long ago gave that up and became an America first guy! Just what in the heck do we owe any other nation on the planet? An honest look would tell you that the rest of the world should be kissing our behinds! But hey, I’m just a proud, and thankful American. Blessed to have been born in the greatest nation in the history of this planet.


44 posted on 06/22/2019 10:42:36 AM PDT by vpintheak (Stop making stupid people famous!)
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To: stanne

No it ain’t

I went to BU school of management advanced program
(now Questrom)

Got a BSBA in “MIS” (IT) when it was a new thing
Did well enough in economics to have them suggest
I major in it

Chiquita Khruschev with a liberal arts degree
isn’t anywhere close


45 posted on 06/22/2019 10:48:33 AM PDT by Phil DiBasquette
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To: AnotherUnixGeek

It’s like the same fiction re: repealing Glass-Steagall


46 posted on 06/22/2019 10:50:20 AM PDT by Phil DiBasquette
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To: Phil DiBasquette

Right after she was elected and then started in lecturing, her Wikipedia page stated that she graduated BU with a degree in economics

That’s all.


47 posted on 06/22/2019 2:47:46 PM PDT by stanne
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To: stanne

Well then she’s a liar, you can only get a degree in economics from the BU business school,


48 posted on 06/22/2019 4:13:52 PM PDT by Phil DiBasquette
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To: Phil DiBasquette

Oh yes she is a liar


49 posted on 06/22/2019 6:16:12 PM PDT by stanne
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