Trump proposes 35% import tariff on products made by US companies abroad

[The_Doctor]

I have no problem with nations using their lower cost of living as a way to entice manufacturers with cheaper labor. It's when you combine that cheap labor, with an authoritarian government, and you deny the workers the ability to vote for their representatives, and deny them the ability to ensure a safe workplace with reasonable working hours, or to keep their environment from being destroyed, that I have a problem.

By keeping workers in a country like that from improving their own conditions, you essentially have a thumb on the scale preventing the balancing out between trade partners that the "free traders" say is supposed to ultimately happen.

Cutting them off or threatening them won't weaken the authoritarian regimes though. All it does is make them crack down. The only way that might not hold is if they're internally weak (e.g China might be a little structurally weaker right now).

Do I think its in our best interests to have democratic nations with representative governments? Yes. So I agree with the United States being aggressive towards China in terms of enforcing democratic norms.

When I say I don't care about human rights I mean in terms of as long as they're democracies I don't care about the local laws. I'd say that democratic traditions and rule of law should be present. I don't see democratic rights as human rights as much as structural foundations that are essential but I suppose they're human rights in some sense.  

I think our engagement with China has made some progress in terms of property rights (which I find absolutely essential).

[KingSweden]

Prices would go up but there would be more jobs as well. It is a tradeoff that people will have to decide on. Although really they already did decide as they could have simply refused to buy products made abroad and opt for Amerocan made goods only but they like their cheap crap. Americans voted.with their wallets and they said they dont give a crap about manufacturing jobs.

That's why the government needs to raise prices on foreign crap made in countries that fall below our standards. Just as some people would drive dangerously fast if there were no speed limits, or some people wouldn't wear their seat belts without a law, sometimes the government has to act in a way to protect people from their own stupidity.

For the sake of argument, how do you determine which meet our standards? Japan and SK are a different beast thank SE Asian sweatshops

[RINO Tom]

This is so stupid, but what do we expect from him on this issue?

On a more disturbing note, did SilentCal just literally say, "I don't care about human RIGHTS, just our economy"?!  A $15 minimum wage isn't a right, increased entitlements isn't a right ... a right is much, much more basic and important than that, and he openly says he doesn't care if they're being violated across the world?  That's messed up.

[The_Doctor]

Defined as if you're working in 20 cent conditions as long as your nation is democratic and bans slavery and the usual bad things? Pretty much. Slavery, child trafficking, child labor are all bad things and should be banned. You working 15 hour days in a sweatshop in Asia doesn't bother me as much.

[Shadows]

Trump hasn't got the balls to impose any tariffs. He can only crib & at best give more tax breaks & beg!

He is an "All talk No action" politician" !

[mencken]

Classic Art of the Deal. He proposes an outlandish starting offer to get the biggest offenders of outsourcing to the negotiating table. They then reach a compromise to keep most production in the United States in exchange for a modest easening of their domestic tax/regulatory burden.

The Carrier deal made me more convinced of this optimistic interpretation of events.

[Meclazine for Israel]

At least Apple will pay more tax.

This is long overdue.

[Hindsight was 2020]

Here's a better a better idea instead of punishing us all for jobs that are not coming back you work with green jobs and minds like Elon to replace the jobs lost in the rust belt? Oh wait Donald has ties to the oil industry never mind

[Make My Bank Account Great Again]

It would interesting to see what would happen if Trump decided to lower corporate tax rates to near zero while simultaneous imposing his proposed 35% tariff plan.

[mvd10]

This is a terrible idea but there is no way Ryan and McConnell will let this happen. I still don't think Trump will turn the GOP into an American version of the FN/FPÖ. How many senators, governors and representatives are actual populists (pro-Russia, protectionist and opposed to entitlement reforms)?