Does protectionism work?

[fncceo]

Protectionism is 99% effective ...

 

[frigidweirdo]

I don't believe that pure protectionism is beneficial for America. I also don't believe that President Trump is an advocate for protectionism. He is putting a spotlight on gross trade imbalances that have existed for decades particularly with China. That is not protectionism, it is having the guts to confront the issue in order to improve America's trade position.

The problem for me is that the US has been screwing other countries over for a long time, like in Latin America, then complain when other countries compete and do better than America.

Germany does better in things because it has the education system to produce workers who can make these things. The US doesn't. Then the US complains that it's unfair and then wants protectionism.

Surely actually trying to fix the problems that cause the imbalance in the first place might help.

But the US is still the richest country in the world, even with the trade imbalance. So....

I'm not so sure how rich the US is with a debt rocketing toward 21 Trillion. I agree that the US has in some ways taken advantage of Latin American countries, but those countries still benefit economically in other ways. El Salvador for instance gets 1/5th of it's GDP from money shipped from the US by El Salvadorans living and working in the US.

Yes, the Latin American countries have benefited "somewhat", but then the US benefits from trading with other countries, even if they make more money.

But then again the US fucked the Bolivians over by forcing them, through the World Bank, to privatize their industries, like water. So, all the profits left the country and 25% of La Paz, the capital, was left with no clean water. Apparently this benefited Bolivia. I don't see how.

The US can cry and moan at losing some money, but I'm fucked if I'm going to feel sorry for a country that will strip other countries bare, and pick and choose their leaders too.

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

I don't believe that pure protectionism is beneficial for America. I also don't believe that President Trump is an advocate for protectionism. He is putting a spotlight on gross trade imbalances that have existed for decades particularly with China. That is not protectionism, it is having the guts to confront the issue in order to improve America's trade position.

The problem for me is that the US has been screwing other countries over for a long time, like in Latin America, then complain when other countries compete and do better than America.

Germany does better in things because it has the education system to produce workers who can make these things. The US doesn't. Then the US complains that it's unfair and then wants protectionism.

Surely actually trying to fix the problems that cause the imbalance in the first place might help.

But the US is still the richest country in the world, even with the trade imbalance. So....

I'm not so sure how rich the US is with a debt rocketing toward 21 Trillion. I agree that the US has in some ways taken advantage of Latin American countries, but those countries still benefit economically in other ways. El Salvador for instance gets 1/5th of it's GDP from money shipped from the US by El Salvadorans living and working in the US.

I'm not so sure how rich the US is with a debt rocketing toward 21 Trillion.

Pretty rich.

The Fed - Chart: Balance Sheet of Households and Nonprofit Organizations, 1952 - 2017

 

[dblack]

The bizarre world of the blind partisan right: free marketeers supporting Trump’s reckless, anti-free market protectionism for no other reason than their president is a Republican.

Republican's gave up on principle when they lined up behind Trump.