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It seems to be more a matter of irony than sarcasm.

If you believe that the U.S. can compete, and that it can make good products (as I do -- once you effect a regime change, at the ballot box); then you have nothing to fear from free trade & a lot to gain.

OTOH, if you think that the U.S. can compete, and that it can only make crappy products; then, by all means, seek comfort in protectionism. After all, the government would then control trade; so what could go wrong? (That last sentence was sarcasm.)

Yes, I’ve heard to old line trotted out for 18 years now. We have nothing to fear from free trade.

We have now gifted China with the keys to the kingdom through technology transfers, and an income stream that has combined to jump them four or five decades in one and a half.

Simply brilliant.

The products I see from overseas are generally trash. I’m taking back a product today that is so ill designed that it’s essentially worthless to me.

A broad spectrum of problems have cropped up, from pharmaceuticals to hard merchandise. Retail outlets are having to facilitate returns at a rate they’ve never seen before. Raw material problems have crept in. Technology transfers have taken place. We even allowed a Chinese concern to enter our nation and dismantle and move some aircraft manufacturing tool and dye (sp?) operations.

Some trade is okay. Just opening up the whole thing and allowing anyone who wants to strip us bare to do it, is suicidal.

Once again, are we better off today? Hell no, not by any stretch of the imagination.