To begin, let's focus on President Donald J. Trump’s opponents for a moment.
Some of them believe that they have uncovered or now 47th president's "Achilles heel."
Specifically, this is with respect to the president's position on tariffs.
As usual, these attacks are sanctimoniously executed, taking the president to task, while grossly underestimating the determination of many Americans to stand firm with Mr. Trump in reversing one of the most bafflingly enduring, unjustifiable, and catastrophic trade strategies in our nation's history.
We've heard about the "benefits" of "free trade" for decades.
But what genuine advantages has the American public seen as millions of jobs disappear, and ghost towns proliferate nationally?
The United States has provided unencumbered access to countries who close their doors to our products, and aggressively work to capture American jobs.
While patiently waiting decades for some supernatural globalist wand to perform its economic magic, the only thing we really see is once productive, and proud Americans pleading with bureaucrats at the welfare line.
Meanwhile, tumid politicians essentially tell us not to believe our lying eyes and offer products such as cheap toasters as our equitable recompense.
The wages of the working-class in the United States fell substantially between 1979-2013.
Now, a bit of personal history.
As a college student in an area devastated by the loss of thousands of well-paying manufacturing jobs, seemingly overnight, this writer witnessed firsthand the devastation wrought by the illogical assurances of naive, short-sighted economists whose irrational, and foolhardy advice would immiserate millions of Americans.
Ironically, one of President Trump’s detractors, Sen. Brian Shatz, D-Hawaii posted, on March 4, on Twitter/X about people not being able to afford groceries.
The senator from the Aloha State blamed tariffs.
Sen. Shatz may vociferously emphasize grandiloquent fear-mongering about things that will never happen, but this writer will never forget the sights of hungry little kids standing lines supermarket, with their parents, while they tried to comprehend what food they can actually purchase through the WIC program (Women, Infants, and Children) or the SNAP program (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program).
It's nothing to be ashamed of, at all. Many people fitting this description are well educated, highly intelligent, and hard-working.
They were gainfully employed until their businesses shut down their factories, moving some of them not just to other countries, but to countries in which mere children work.
One can never truly appreciate the steep costs of embracing such an economic nostrum, that is, until they speak with a part-time convenience store cleaner who used to repair jet engines.
Then there is the cashier about to lose her shifts.
A mother who can't afford to buy clothing for her children.
This writer will also always remember, in the most poignant of ways, the excitement of a young chemistry whiz so happy when he found "cheap stuff" his family could afford at the dollar store.
Sadly, a college education is not attainable at a dollar store.
Our chemistry prodigy ended up taking a minimum wage job, right out of high school, to help support his family.
According to one prominent study, found here, "Job loss due to international trade is positively associated with opioid overdose mortality at the county-level."
This study also found a statistically significant correlation between the increase in opioid related deaths for every 1,000 trade related jobs lost.
In just 10 years, the United States lost nearly one third of its manufacturing jobs. While manufacturing used to account for nearly 30% our Gross Domestic Product (GDP), it now comprises just roughly 12% of our GDP.
The impact on upward economic mobility in the United States has been deeply felt; in 1970 61% of Americans were part of the middle class, only 50% in 2021.
There is strong empirical evidence demonstrating the awful economic effects of widespread job losses in the manufacturing sector.
Manufacturing job losses not only hurts working-class, and middle-class families, it's crippling to scientific and industrial innovation. A persuasive and concise case for manufacturing’s importance to innovation can be found here.
As of 2023, the United States had a trade deficit of over $1 trillion.
And let's not forget, we're also vulnerable to new public-health emergencies without easy access to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), or even aspirin and penicillin.
Our national security is also imperiled if we must rely on other countries to supply us with products or components vital for our defense.
Free trade between countries is only free when rates are reciprocal, otherwise there isn’t anything remotely "free" about that concept for Americans.
In reality, it constitutes a fool’s bargain, even the cheapest of us should reject.
One can't help but be pleasantly surprised, enlightened — even amused — by the powerful position in support of the Trump tariffs taken by a group that was among the most strident supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris during campaign and election '24. . . .
. . . The United Auto Workers.
The UAW summed it up quite fittingly, "We are glad to see an American president take aggressive action on ending the free trade disaster that has dropped like a bomb on the working class."
Yes indeed, most informed Americans share the same sentiment.
Everyone should.
Nicholas Chamberas has advised good government advocacy groups, elected officials and political candidates on public policy matters. He also served as a senior adviser on several prominent New York City campaigns. He holds a degree in Political Science and a Juris Doctor. Read Nicholas Chamberas' Reports — More Here.
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