Critics, including Vice President Harris, have argued that President Trump’s proposed tariffs will raise the cost of goods and services for American consumers. However, the discussion often misses a crucial point: why tariffs might be
necessary in the first place. Our economy, shaped by decades of outsourcing, environmental regulations, and open trade policies, has shifted in ways that may make tariffs not just a cost, but a benefit.
While tariffs might raise costs, this is a symptom of a larger issue: we live in what could be called a 'shell game' economy, where underlying economic policies have shifted production overseas, leaving Americans with fewer job opportunities.
The Clean Air Act of the 1970’s combined with the opening of China and lower tariffs on imported goods, resulted in most of our manufacturing leaving the US and going to countries with no pollution regulations or labor laws. This was made possible because after World War II, the United States took responsibility of patrolling the seas. This was the beginning of globalism.
As manufacturers sought cheaper labor and fewer regulations overseas, American factories began closing. This led to widespread unemployment, putting pressure on federal and state governments to expand social programs to support those affected by job losses.
With fewer manufacturing jobs available, the focus shifted toward higher education as a means of securing a stable career. This demand for degrees, coupled with the availability of federal student loans, allowed colleges to increase tuition costs, knowing that students could access financial aid.
As education costs rose and production continued to shift overseas, the U.S. economy became increasingly reliant on services rather than manufacturing. At the same time, federal subsidies have propped up markets that may no longer be competitive, further distancing us from a product-based economy.
If you are for reducing greenhouse emissions, you are in favor of tariffs because it will reduce the benefit of transporting goods and services across the ocean on oil burning ships.
If you are for unions, you are for tariffs because it will reduce the benefit of producing products in countries without regulations that protect the worker and ensure a proper wage.
If you want economically disadvantaged people to have an opportunity to make a living wage, you are for tariffs because it will reduce the benefit of offshoring labor.
If you want global security, you are for tariffs because it will reduce the revenue potential of adversarial countries.
If you are concerned with human rights, you are for tariffs because it will help ensure products and services are produced in our country under our laws and with our labor.
Tariffs, often criticized as protectionist, can serve as a tool to rebuild American industry, reduce emissions, and promote human rights. By rethinking their role in our economy, we might find that tariffs protect not just our businesses, but also our values.
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