1. Q: is it "statist" for a country to be subsidizing their agricultural industries?
A. Statist: "political system in which the state has substantial centralized control over social and economic affairs." So the short answer is NO, not in this case. Trump subsidized a limited number of products that were affected by his "trade war", specifically soy beans. Trump did not exert undue influence over the vast number of US agricultural products unaffected by the "Trade War".
2. The poll on economics and trade was intended to show the difference between the prior decades of "free US trade" and the current Trump team of Navarro and Lightheiser ensuring "free and fair trade". They are at least trying to level the trade playing field. One of my friends sells Harley MCs. He had a sale to Germany, but it was cancelled since there was a 100% tariff on US MCs. The US does not have any tariffs on MCs. Check the Ag industry again, China is buying US rice. The trade deal is not done yet, so stay tuned, don't draw conclusions yet.
3. Agreed. Both parties suck when it comes to managing money.
4. Agreed. Kudlow and his tax cuts never pay for themselves. Its a sugar high or "bubble" that always adds to the Debt. Lets hope that the 2020 Budget brings sanity back to Fed spending and tax policies.
5. Don't blame tariffs for stupid Fed policy. The Fed raised rates too fast and made a big dip in the markets. Lets hope they get a clue before raising rates again.
1. Outside of the 12 billion dollar bonus we gave farmers, we give them more than 20 billion dollars a year in subsidies. According to you other countries doing this to their industries is bad, yet you have never complained about it happening in the US. So, is it bad or not?
2. You are the one that was drawing conclusions with your poll, not me. Also, China is the worlds largest importer of rice, by far. Them buying it from us is nothing ground breaking or even all that helpful.
5. The trade issues are weighing on the market far more than the Feds. They rise and fall right now with even a rumor of progress or stalling.
1. The issue is trade fairness. If the "trade war" injures certain US crops, should the government make them whole or not? The issue here is foreign subsidies for steel and aluminum and dumping them into the US injuring US steel producers. Do US farm subsidies injure any foreign farmers? No, because other countries use tariffs to protect theirs, such as Canada adding 100% tariffs on US milk.
China has a $500b trade surplus with the US. The US is currently negotiating a trade agreement that is more fair/balanced, and is using tariffs to level the playing field. Is China stealing US intellectual property bad or good? China uses currency manipulation, is that bad or good? China subsidizes steel production and dumping it into the US, is that bad or good? All tariffs and government subsidies are viewed from the effect they have on your own country. There is no absolute good or bad.
2. The poll I was trying to take was the US trade posture before Trump, which was "free trade" and Wall Street can move as many factories overseas as they want, and the Feds would not impose any tariffs. The US manufacturing sector was vanishing. Compared to the current Trump team of Navarro and Lightheiser trying to use tariffs to advantage to make better trade agreements and protect US manufacturing jobs.
5. The trade agreements are a work-in-progress, at least Trump is negotiating instead of capitulating. It will take time to repatriate overseas money, put it to work, and create more jobs. How long does it take to plan, design, build, and start-up a new manufacturing facility like the Foxconn plant in WI, or the Amazon HQ2 "Crystal City" in VA?