Would Americans elect a protectionist president?

dems would call it racism. and the idea of protecting the country is anathema to them.

reps could, easily. Considering history and the the Founders wanted little to do with other countries other than trade, they could easily find support.
 
In economics, protectionism is the economic policy of restraining trade between states (countries) through methods such as tariffs on imported goods, restrictive quotas, and a variety of other government regulations designed to allow (according to proponents) fair competition between imports and goods and services.

I personally don't have a problem with free trade. But free trade must also be fair trade or it kills American jobs and keeps wages low. Do you want to kill jobs and keep wages low so you can buy cheap Chinese shit? If so, then keep on doing what we're doing! If not, you have to start looking at ways to force China to trade fairly and one of those tools is the threat of tariffs on their imports. That is not protectionism, it's utilizing a tool in the toolbox to get what you want. Fair trade.

Now you may ask, why can't we just let this go and embrace free trade and be happy and everyone get along? Well... it's because we are a free market capitalist system and we're trading with partners who are not free market capitalists. The Chinese are Communists, they don't have Constitutional rights, collective bargaining, labor unions, minimum wage mandates, employer-provided health care, family leave, child labor laws, etc., etc., etc. We have those things and our free market capitalists have to factor those costs into everything they do.

So, we are already trading with one hand tied behind our back with a Communist country. ADD to that, the fact that China devalues it's currency so that our trade dollars are no longer equivalent and we're getting royally screwed. They don't care, they're Commies... they can throw a yuan and a bowl of rice to their peasants and keep on trucking. We can't do that and we can't compete fairly. We have to restore some basic common sense to our trade deals with China and with others. Unless you just LIKE to watch jobs disappear and wages stagnate.
 
dems would call it racism. and the idea of protecting the country is anathema to them.

reps could, easily. Considering history and the the Founders wanted little to do with other countries other than trade, they could easily find support.







You don't know what the word means, do you?
 
But free trade must also be fair trade or it kills American jobs

of course that's stupid and liberal. If a competitor in Ohio or China has lower prices its a good thing. Capitalism encourages lower prices not higher prices. Now do you understand?
 
ADD to that, the fact that China devalues it's currency so that our trade dollars are no longer equivalent and we're getting royally screwed.

of course that's misconception among illiterates. All countries value their currencies as they please. If we or any country could get rich by revaluing currency we obviously would. I hope I don't have to explain further?
 
ADD to that, the fact that China devalues it's currency so that our trade dollars are no longer equivalent and we're getting royally screwed.

of course that's misconception among illiterates. All countries value their currencies as they please. If we or any country could get rich by revaluing currency we obviously would. I hope I don't have to explain further?

Currency value means more to us than China. If we devalue the dollar it hurts Americans in their buying power, it doesn't bother Chinese citizens who have no buying power because everything is supplied by their Communist government.

Okay, so you agree to sell me your home for Boss dollars which equal US dollars when we make the deal... let's say, $100k Boss dollars. Then, I pay you $100k Boss dollars and you hand over your house keys... when you go to the bank to exchange the Boss dollars into US dollars, you discover I have devalued my currency so it is only worth a penny. I've essentially bought your house for $1000 by devaluing my currency.

THAT is what is happening with our trade with China.

But free trade must also be fair trade or it kills American jobs

of course that's stupid and liberal. If a competitor in Ohio or China has lower prices its a good thing. Capitalism encourages lower prices not higher prices. Now do you understand?

Lower prices is a good thing for consumers. Free market capitalism encourages lower prices in order to attract consumers. However, China is not free market capitalists, they are Communists. They can offer cheaper products because they can work their people like slaves and not pay them. Ohio can't do that.
 
THAT is what is happening with our trade with China.

how totally stupid!! Economists on both sides all over the world support free trade because it is free and only engaged in when it makes buyer and seller richer!!
 
THAT is what is happening with our trade with China.

how totally stupid!! Economists on both sides all over the world support free trade because it is free and therefore only engaged in when it makes buyer and seller richer!!

that's the rule and it applies no matter where the govt sets the exchange rate and no matter how much money they print or burn. Now do you understand?
 
Last edited:
. They can offer cheaper products .

dear when someone offers you are cheaper product you say thank God, buy it, and enjoy a higher standard of living. Are you so slow that you want them to offer us higher prices??????????
 
The only people in China buying cars are the ruling class elite. However, China has over a billion people so that's a lot of elites.

20 million people a year and increasing as opposed to none 30 years ago when that many were starving to death a year!!

they have eliminated 40% of the poverty on earth over night and yet you stupidly claim they are not getting rich from free trade??
 
THAT is what is happening with our trade with China.

how totally stupid!! Economists on both sides all over the world support free trade because it is free and therefore only engaged in when it makes buyer and seller richer!!

that's the rule and it applies no matter where the govt sets the exchange rate and no matter how much money they print or burn. Now do you understand?

I understand you're an idiot who is probably benefiting from trade with China.
 
. They can offer cheaper products .

dear when someone offers you are cheaper product you say thank God, buy it, and enjoy a higher standard of living. Are you so slow that you want them to offer us higher prices??????????

Again, I have no problem with free trade as long as it's fair trade. I would rather pay $50 for a keyboard than $15 if it means 1,200 people in the US keep their jobs making keyboards. But then, I always TRY to buy American-made products when possible... it's getting harder and harder to do.
 
I would rather pay $50 for a keyboard than $15 if it means 1,200 people in the US keep their jobs making keyboards..

how stupid, if the objective was to keep jobs then each state would make interstate trade illegal!!. the objective is to keep only the jobs the produce world class products so your country stays world class. Over your head?
 
ADD to that, the fact that China devalues it's currency so that our trade dollars are no longer equivalent and we're getting royally screwed.

of course that's misconception among illiterates. All countries value their currencies as they please. If we or any country could get rich by revaluing currency we obviously would. I hope I don't have to explain further?

Currency value means more to us than China. If we devalue the dollar it hurts Americans in their buying power, it doesn't bother Chinese citizens who have no buying power because everything is supplied by their Communist government.

Okay, so you agree to sell me your home for Boss dollars which equal US dollars when we make the deal... let's say, $100k Boss dollars. Then, I pay you $100k Boss dollars and you hand over your house keys... when you go to the bank to exchange the Boss dollars into US dollars, you discover I have devalued my currency so it is only worth a penny. I've essentially bought your house for $1000 by devaluing my currency.

THAT is what is happening with our trade with China.

But free trade must also be fair trade or it kills American jobs

of course that's stupid and liberal. If a competitor in Ohio or China has lower prices its a good thing. Capitalism encourages lower prices not higher prices. Now do you understand?

Lower prices is a good thing for consumers. Free market capitalism encourages lower prices in order to attract consumers. However, China is not free market capitalists, they are Communists. They can offer cheaper products because they can work their people like slaves and not pay them. Ohio can't do that.




Did you come here in a time machine from 30 years ago? Welcome to the future!
 

Forum List

Back
Top