We are still mired in pronounced, prolonged supply chain shortages in nearly all sectors of our economy. If you’re wondering why – the short answer is “government.”
DC’s Uniparty – Democrats and Republicans both – has spent the last several decades making it harder and harder for domestic producers to produce domestically. Ever-higher taxes, ever-more regulations and idiotic trade policies has made the US an ever-less attractive place to do business.
We awaken from our half-century slumber – and are shocked (SHOCKED!) to find we no longer make anything. (The idiotic fact that our #1 global enemy China makes so much of our stuff is a whole other can of stupid worms.)
If we are to emerge from this government-imposed malaise – we need to be realistic in our prescriptions. Reality not being the Leftists’ bag – here I am addressing conservatives.
Conservatives are supposed to favor the real over the theoretical. We rightly mock Leftists for myopically adhering to the political theory of Collectivism (Communism, Socialism – all of the tree’s awful branches). And no amount of evidence disproving their theory – like, say, the entirety of the 20th Century – rids them of their myopic adherence.
Unfortunately, far too many conservatives are as singularly wedded to theory as the Leftists they mock for same. And like Leftists, no amount of evidence disproving these conservatives’ theories – rids them of their theories.
Well, we endeavor to persevere. Here’s some more evidence for them.
(For clarity, from here on we’ll call these ideology-over-reality conservatives Conservative, Inc.)
“Free Trade !!!” They Screeched
Like Conservative, Inc – I’m all for free trade. Unlike Conservative, Inc – I acknowledge what DC has been doing for decades ain’t free trade.
As we batter US companies with taxes and regulations – China and every other nation entice with tax and regulatory exemptions and reductions.
To make things even more unfair, China and every other nation also offer (often massive) cash subsidies to their domestic producers. More and more of whom are ex-US producers.
So foreign producers are making their stuff MUCH cheaper than US producers can make their stuff. Because they are paying less taxes, facing fewer regulations – and getting government-cash infusions.
Which allows foreign producers to sell their stuff MUCH cheaper than US producers can sell their stuff.
But wait – it gets worse.
We then impose almost no tariffs or limits upon their mass-government-subsidized stuff. Further undermining our producers. Who have to compete with real market prices – against their artificially low, fake “market prices.”
But China and everyone else impose all sorts of tariffs and limits upon our stuff. FURTHER undermining our producers. Who are severely limited in what they can export – while domestically having to contend with perpetual tidal waves of unlimited, unimpeded, government-subsidized imports.
All of which renders what we’ve pretended to be “free trade” – as un-free, unfair and fake as trade gets. And we’ve been engaged in this stupidity – for decades.
President Donald Trump introduced a bit of reality to DC. Trump reversed a lot of DC’s awful trade policies. And – shocker – the reversals worked gangbusters.
Trump Trade: DC Needs to Do Just About Everything Differently
DC Made ‘Protectionism’ a Bad Word – It Is Not
Trump’s Measly ‘Trade War’ 2019: $24 Billion in Tariffs – and a $22 Trillion Economy
Oh Look – Trump Is Right on Trade
Conservative, Inc – joining with the DC Uniparty – remains steadfastly impervious to ALL of these realities.
DC Globalists Are Already Trying to Reverse Trump’s Massively Successful Trade Policies
DC Rushes to Restore Globalist Fake ‘Free Trade’ – To the Great Detriment of We the People
Republicans Continue Their Rush to Return to ‘America Last’ Trade Ideas
With Trump Gone, Republicans Look to Weaken His China Tariffs
This is Conservative, Inc – sacrificing reality to ideology.
So is this….
“Kill the Farm Bill !!!” They Screeched
I like to eat. You?
DC’s decades of dumb policy – have not exempted the food manufacturing sector. DC has made it increasingly difficult for US farmers and ranchers to feed us.
And food is far-and-away the most important commodity in our supply chain. Before you peruse your Chinese phone or watch your Chinese TV – you gotta eat.
Like every other economic sector, we have over-taxed and over-regulated our food sector. And have allowed other nations to limit what our food producers can send them.
While allowing them to mass-export mass-subsidized food stuffs into our nation.
All of which is fake “free trade” full of fake “market prices.” With which our food producers then have to try to compete – but more and more frequently can not.
It is through this awful reality-prism – that one must look at our tiny Farm Bill.
Yes, Conservative, Inc – the Farm Bill isn’t pure theoretical free-trade or free-markets. But NOTHING about the global farm sector is.
And our Farm Bill is a rounding error – on a rounding error. It is NOTHING – when compared to all of the global assaults on food free-trade and free-markets.
Conservative, Inc getting all worked up about the Farm Bill? Is not very reality-based.
It’s like a cop watching the entirety of the Daytona 500 fly by – and then pulling you over for doing 60 in a 55. Or to get Biblical – here’s some Matthew 7:
“How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”
The planet’s peepers are filled with forests. And Conservative, Inc – is screeching about our speck.
Disappointing Farm Bill Chock-Full of Corporate Welfare
Bloated Farm Bill Misses Opportunity for Reform
Key Vote NO on the House Farm Bill
Key Vote NO on the Senate “Farm Bill”
Policy changes don’t take place in a theoretical vacuum. They take place in reality.
You can not remove one US policy or change another ignorant of – or ignoring – the whole host of other policies that exist around it. And are affected by it.
If you do? In the name of making things better – you’ll often make things MUCH worse.
We’ll close with Robert Frost:
“Don’t ever take a fence down – until you know why it was put up.”