tariffs

It was French king Louis XIV (1638-1715) who famously declared, “L’etat c’est moi” (“I am the state”). This week, it was clearer than usual that this is an attitude apparently shared by Donald Trump, president of the United States. 

Generations of Americans have taken the ideal of free trade for granted – until the Trump administration, led by the self-described “tariff man,” turned on it and replaced it with a mercantilist strategy.

President Trump’s trusted economic advisor and one-time pick for the Federal Reserve Board, Stephen Moore, spoke at The Heartland Institute’s Breitbart Freedom Center.

The prospect that the US president would conclude that tariffs cause growth has always been the downside of good economic numbers.

Donny Kendal and John Nothdurft present episode #150 of the In The Tank Podcast. Today’s podcast features work from the Texas Public Policy Foundation, Reason, the Yankee Institute for Public Policy, and the Mississippi Center for Public Policy.

Donny Kendal and John Nothdurft are joined by Justin Haskins in episode #144 of the In The Tank Podcast. Today’s podcast features work from The Heritage Foundation, the Cato Institute, the Manhattan Institute, and the Tax Foundation.

President Trump fired the opening salvo in a trade war—reminiscent of the 1930s trade war from the Smoot-Hawley Act, which prolonged the Great Depression—when he announced he will impose tariffs of 25% and 10% on imported steel and aluminum.

Trade wars are dangerous and harmful policies for governments to pursue.

Instead of setting up conditions to “make America great again,” the trade and economic policies proposed by President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence threaten to increase the government’s power over U.S. workers, which would make economic prosperity more difficult for many to achieve.

Trump’s choice of Lighthizer is excellent personnel – to finally deliver us the vastly improved Chinese IP policy candidate Trump promised.

We less government types have loathed the Farm Bill – since there was a Farm Bill. Because we loathe government inanity – and the Farm Bill is full of it.

Let’s end the perpetual re-run.

Why have prices fallen so low? Because government subsidies created a glut – and the market is flooded. This government money warps and distorts the marketplace – as otherwise productively-directed time and effort is instead spent chasing the government coin. Producers produce not what the marketplace needs – but for what the government pays.