DC’s long bipartisan globalist sell-out of the United States began a half century ago with President Richard Nixon’s 1972 trip to Mao’s Communist China.
Domestic manufacturing was a key component in what had at that point made US the most prosperous and powerful country in the history of the planet. Nixon’s China visit began DC’s move to end all of that.
DC pulled the plug on our economy. Millions of companies – and tens of millions of jobs – poured out. And DC did it – because they were paid to do it by the businesses looking to flee this country.
There was no Rust Belt in 1972. DC did that. What were once prosperous manufacturing regions of our nation became hollowed-out husks of destitution and despair. DC likes to act as if this just accidentally happened. Absolutely not. Their awful, globalist, America Last policies actively did it.
DC’s shift to globalist trade policy – and its perpetual expansion of domestic regulations and taxes – gave all the incentives in the world for domestic companies to become foreign companies. Millions did.
This perversely shifted the policy balance ever-further against domestic health and sanity. Domestic companies want less regulations and taxes. Foreign companies want more – because it hurts the domestic companies against which they are competing when they export their stuff here.
So you have flipped the lobbying script. You have companies lobbying DC for more government – which they ordinarily wouldn’t do. Because it damages their US competitors – and not overseas them.
Born out of this anti-America idiocy was what DC snarlingly, dismissively dubbed “protectionism.” There were at the outset some lonely voices – on the Right and Left – pointing out the incredible damage globalism was doing. And going to do.
DC dismissed these objections as nativist naïveté – Flat Earthers attempting to stand athwart DC’s realization of the inevitable globalism Utopia.
But is “protectionism” actually bad? Here is Merriam Webster’s definition of the root word “protect”:
“To cover or shield from exposure, injury, damage, or destruction.”
These nascent anti-globalists were only looking to protect their country – and its population – from globalism’s carnage. Only in sell-out DC would that be considered a bad thing.
The “protectionist” movement grew in numbers and strength over the years. Pat Buchanan – a Nixon alum – was an early advocate. Then came Ross Perot – and his NAFTA “giant sucking sound” of US jobs being sluiced south of the border.
And all along the way was then-businessman Donald Trump. Here he is in 1988 on the Oprah Winfrey Show talking about how ridiculously one-sided and America Last our trade with Japan was.
Buchanan ran for the presidency in 1992 – in large part on protectionism. Trump ran for and won the presidency in 2016 – in large part on protectionism.
Protectionism then became a part of the Trump Administration. And it worked like crazy.
Trump imposed tens of billions of dollars in tariffs – relatively minuscule in the face of a then-$20 trillion economy. Combined with his reductions of regulations and taxes – domestic production soared and the economy roared.
We went from from $20 trillion – to $22 trillion. And real wages for working class Americans rose for the first time since globalism began.
Turns out: When you implement policies that help Americans? Things get better for America.
DC couldn’t stand for that. Because their globalist paymasters wouldn’t stand for that. So they took out Trump – and the Joe Biden Administration has gone about taking away America’s Trump-delivered gains.
Except, notably, on trade. DC’s hoped-for rollbacks of Trump Trade policy – haven’t materialized.
The current DC trade discussion is all about solar panels. And China being awful – and cheating the global system – making them.
China’s Slave Labor, Coal-Fired, Mass-Subsidized Solar Panels Dominate the Planet
And Trump doing something protectionist about it. About which China tried to do something – and failed.
Trump’s Solar-Panel Tariffs Survive China’s Challenge at WTO
And China attempting to circumvent Trump trade restrictions on their slave labor solar panels. By running them through neighboring nations on their way here.
U.S. Investigates Whether China Is Skirting Solar Panel Trade Rules:
“The four countries at the heart of the investigation account for more than 80% of solar panel imports….”
Here’s the kicker: The Biden Administration is continuing the investigation. And going beyond even where the the Trump Administration did.
US Deepens China Solar Tariff Probe With Scrutiny of 8 Firms
Solar Panel Tariffs Will Test Biden’s Loyalty to Chinese & American Manufacturers
Now there’s a loyalty juxtaposition with which I am far less than confident.
Chinese Elite Have Paid Some $31 Million to Hunter and the Bidens
That being said? Team Biden perseveres – and Globalist DC is giving birth to live bovines about it.
The part of the solar panel industry that has outsourced most of its manufacturing to slave labor China – is VERY upset their slave labor solar panel parts are being held up.
Solar Trade Group Warns Commerce Probe Could Cause ‘Irreparable Damage’:
“But supporters of the department’s investigation into imported modules dismissed the Solar Energy Industries Association’s warnings as scare tactics.”
Indeed they are scare tactics. Because here’s a thought: Make your solar panel parts here.
Then you wouldn’t have to worry about your slave labor China parts being held up by Customs.
And the customs of a decent, freedom-loving society.
Globalist DC won’t like it. But We the People certainly will.