The following article by Ming Jinwei in the Guang Ming Daily News, China, is titled, "Tire Tariffs Hurt Everyone's Interests"
He predictably vigorously defended free unfettered trade, as one would expect from a country whose very success depends upon our markets to survive (Markets largely built after WWII with progressive taxation and redistributive investment in American GI's college educations, homes & businesses). I welcome his admirable defense of his country.
If only our elected officials and Wall Street power brokers shared his zeal. I respectfully disagreed in the reply below.
I must respectfully disagree on several points, Mr. Jinwei.
First of all our elected representatives have lost sight of the fact for years that "We The People" have every right to determine what role we will allow trade with other countries to play in our society.
It is a means to an end only, namely creating a just, equitable and prosperous society for the most people possible; but sadly one tool that has proven irrefutably to have played a devastating role in declining living standards for the vast majority and obscene profits for the very few.
As to your undoubtedly genuine concern for all of those American workers dependent upon the wages they earn participating in importing and distributing those goods we mostly used to manufacture ourselves; these jobs largely pay half of the wages earned by skilled manufacturing workers in small communities across America - these high paying jobs were the anchors of our villages and towns that allowed middle class workers to send their kids to college and enjoy a modicum of comfort in their retirements - no more.
Also, the actual effect of protectionist trade policies in the throes of the Great Depression have been estimated by Nobel winning economists to have been only 2-3% of GDP.
Your critique of our stimulas money being directed largely to American companies is interesting in light of China's own stimulas directive to spend it domestically - something I entirely agree with by the way. I'd venture a guess your country will be far more successful at that than mine.
There are many other groups like the Peterson Institute that have grown powerfully in America over the last forty years with two primary goals:
1) Spread disinformation and propaganda to manipulate ignorant American workers into voting against their own self interests and our Democracy.
2) Continually exploit the results for the obscene gain of the very few oligarchs allowed into the club - while they discuss ways to gain more power, money, and influence over our bought and paid for corporate servant politicians.
We hope to change that now. I'm confident our respective peoples can figure out a way to trade fairly without decimating our societies or our planet.
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