Not commenting so much on the economics of it, but the messaging. Trump et al get away with saying mfg will benefit from tariffs like it’s a law of nature. Why isn’t anyone saying anything other than tariffs are dumb? They are dumb, but a simple effective counter message would be helpful to dems.
Bringing mfg back to the US would make products even more expensive. Our labor costs a lot. They built plants in China & elsewhere to lower US mfg costs to increase their profit margin. If things were made here, we'd REALLY be complaining about prices.
Part of why they are trying to kill unions.
If every time JD said “oh we gotta tariff to bring back factories” Dems said “that’s dumb we should just do X” collectively, consistently, everywhere, and always.
With answer in hand they could explain finer points of free-trade. Be more aggressive w/ re-training efforts. “Learn to code” is condescending but optimistic “You can re-train we’ll help” is better. Essentially, MAGA is saying “back to the factories with you and your kids you fucking idiots”
I understand comparative advantage, specialization, and export oriented industrialization. But it’s a tough sale to people. I feel dems need a simple message to push back with. Even if it’s just messaging.
If you listen to Ron Insanna (spelling?) of CNBC, he was on MSNBC the other day explaining exactly that. But magas only watch Fox & no one there will explain it.
Gotcha. I don’t watch much news. Just still struggling with how such economically ignorant policy/ messaging is winning the day esp in the podosphere. I wish dems could elbow into spaces with good simple messaging. I.e. there are other ways to incentivize dom. Mfg. w/o isolating ourselves. It’s mad
Comments
Part of why they are trying to kill unions.