Name:   MartiniMan - Subject:   Hmmmmmm.... Date:   5/30/2018 11:19:35 AM (updated 5/30/2018 11:26:43 AM)

Why is not having to buy a product an interesting view of a conservative?  It is exactly the opposite.  We believe in free markets and freedom to choose and if tariffs or taxes or whatever make a product more expensive than people are willing to spend they will simply not buy it.

U.S. tariffs are not going to or at least intended to destroy U.S. industry.  The desired effect is just the opposite.  They are a misguided effort to prop up an industry and almost always fail because the affected country usually retaliates with a tariff of their own on whatever product we sell to them. And that isn't exactly a new thing as we saw with Smoot-Hawley in the 30's.  But as Trump has rightly pointed out, when you run such a huge trade deficit with a country like China they have way more to lose in a trade war than we do.  It's hard for them to do more than target specific industries that sell to China, which obviously pales in comparison to what we buy from them.  It is much easier for us to harm them more broadly.  In the end no one wins from a trade war but if Trump can leverage the threat of tariffs to level the playing field it will actually benefit the U.S. economy.

As for your view about a 25% versus 10% or 15% tariff I think you either misunderstand or I don't get your point.  The higher the tariff on other countries products the more it theoretically helps similar industries in our country.  Unfortunately because of retaliation it is usually not a net positive and the real loser is the American consumer.  Sure, put a 25% tariff on Chinese steel and it makes U.S. steel more competitive and helps that industry.  But at the same time it harms other industries that buy Chinese steel (like automakers) as well as those industries the Chinese target with tariffs of their own.  This is why I oppose tariffs but I am willing to see if this approach actually results in a net positive.  If it results in a prolonged trade war then both the U.S. and Chinese economies will suffer.  If the Chinese blink and agree to reduce their tariffs it will help our economy and at the same time help their consumers who will have access to U.S. goods at lower prices.  And they have already reduced tariffs on U.S. consumer products in response to threats of tariffs on their products.