WillowTree
Diamond Member
- Sep 15, 2008
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The problem is, I won't just buy an American product JUST because it's American. If I can get a product cheaper that happens to be from another country, I'm going to do it, because ultimately, I care most about my purchasing power. I want to maximize the value of my Dollar. So if we impose tariffs, and foreign goods that are typically superior to their American counterparts, such as cars, rise in price, people like me lose out. Now I have to pay MORE for a product that's still better than its crappy American counterpart.
That's taking the burden off the American companies to be more efficient, and instead passing the financial liability on to the consumer. They don't have to budget themselves better, and make more competent manufacturing and investment decisions, because they can rely on the tariffs to increase their business instead.
It's a bad policy, in my opinion. I don't blame the trade deficit on the lack of tariffs. I blame it on an increase in domestic taxes, and a lackluster attitude on the part of WAY too many corporate hierarchies.
especially true of auto, foreign made is much better.