[JohnnyZ]

The Great Depression came to the USA in 1929 as a result of Fedreal Reserve policies put in place to coordinate with Bank of England policies. The Smoot Hawley traifs were enacted in June 1930 after the Depression was well underway.

1. Protectionism in the 1920's.
2. Do you really think the Great Depression was unavoidable after 1929? Smoot Hawley likely turned a recession into a depression.

[harpseal]

The Actually the history of the protective tariff during the 1920's was that it decreased from 1922 onwards. learn your history before you try to lecture on it.

[harpseal]

The effects of teh Smoot Hawley tariff were relatively minor one way or the other and it actually had some positive effects. As to the Depression being inevitable after 1929 there may have been some actions that could have been taken to avoid it but they were in monetary policy and fiscal policy not tariff policy. In thew interim people who learn false lessons from non-factual history have tried to dominate the debate on trade. The Smoot-Hawley tariff did nothing to cause the Onset of the Great Depression and the fall off in US exports was easily attributable to the decrease in the business activity in most European nations that had started as early as the mid 1920's in Austria.

The above said I was not a fan of a number of provision of Smoot Hawley but argue the tariff on the basis of fact.

[harpseal]

I would also point out that the 1920's were considered boom years in the USA. That boom coincided with protectionist tariffs. Of course until Clinton the uSA maintained protectionist tariffs with a goal of free Trade with many nations. Of course until Clinton US traiffs were the bargaining chip to open up foreign markets to US goods. Nafta is not the issue but the current trade envirornment is the issue. Ryan should lay teh blame where it belongs on the Democrats who in teh name of Free trade enacted an anti-investment trade policy for the uSA.