The last successfull attempt was Rome and it didn’t end well. I am a software engineer, my job is almost as at risk as any blue collar factory worker and yet. I believe like Rich that in many ways tariffs are a bad thing. They inhibit the most effective use of capital. There are reasons however why tariffs are not always bad. For one thing there are lots of issues which the market cannot address. For instance while it maybe much cheaper to produce food overseas, its a strategically bad idea.
The challenge in our present system is only to protect enough of those industries that would be required to sustain us through either a major war, or total economic collapse.
So while subsiziding detroit doesn’t seem like such a great idea, subsidizing food production does. Yes its inefficient, but that is not always bad. We just need to decide when it is and is not in our interest as a nation.
(Way off topic of housing but important as an economic fundamental)
