While we talk about how a trade war is also harmful to Americans, how do Americans feel about it?
There are 335 million of them, so I didn’t get around to everyone over the weekend, but I did talk to three of my more politically engaged and conservative friends in the U.S., in three different states, and I thought you might find it interesting from their viewpoint.
I am not trying to prop up President Donald Trump. I think his move is stupid, vindictive and deranged. We have a free trade agreement and he should honour it.
Dan Proft is a talk show host in Chicago. He wrote, “I’m a free trader so generally not a fan of tariffs. Good economics is looking at everything through the eyes of the consumer.
But that’s not the world we live in. And so, Trump inflicting punishment on voters who chose Marxist, open-border governments in Canada and Mexico — to leverage better government in Canada (Poilievre) and better border policies in both countries — doesn’t bother me that much.
American consumers might suffer some short-term pain, but Canadians and Mexicans will feel exponentially more of it. It’s too bad pain, rather than reason, is the only thing most of the West seems to respond to anymore.”
Walt in Kansas writes to me, “Frankly, as I understand it, Canada has tariffs on U.S. products and the yearly deficits have been significantly in favour of Canada. In addition, Trudeau has been abusing Canadians with high taxes and now a carbon tax under the guise of ‘climate change’ BS.
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The U.S. tariffs are a negotiation piece to get things fairer on both sides.
Get Poilievre in and Lefties out and things should improve dramatically.
At some point, there will be an agreement that is fairer to both sides. But the U.S. has been subsidizing much of the world and we are over 30 trillion in debt. It cannot continue.
If Canada can shut the power off to Detroit and elsewhere, so be it! These Democrat states and cities must learn the hard way to be less dependent on foreign countries and its citizens must learn the true consequences of voting for the Left.
In the meantime, the U.S. has its advantages over Canada and vice versa. Time to work out a deal beneficial to both sides!”
Susan in North Carolina wrote, “In theory free trade sounds great when there is a level playing field. But it appears that eventually one country can be taken advantage of
“And, in America’s view, that is what has happened. After four years of utter dismal decline in America and a full-blown leftist war against Trump, we miraculously have him back in office.
:Old-fashioned diplomacy between nations, where we just talked and implored, does not work. Mostly because America always gives in, because we are nice like that, yet held to be guilty for everything!
“The U.S. now has an America First trade attitude that beats every country, that needs us, (and they ALL do) into submission on a bevvy of sticky matters. And I am good with that.”
OK, that’s three conservative Americans who support Trump and represent many others who do.
You don’t have to agree with them, but it’s what we are dealing with.
What you and I think of Trump is irrelevant. Can we deal with that?