Recently in The Signal there have been a number of letters of opposition to our recent trade policies with China. Specifically they are all critical of the president’s imposition of tariffs on Chinese goods entering the United States. As proof all you have to do is listen to the mainstream media and their daily and relentless barrage of attacks on the president’s tariff policies to confirm what these letter writers are trying to say.
It’s curious to note the lack of concern about China’s policies toward us over the last few decades. Do they even acknowledge a problem exists? One wouldn’t know by reading their letters. China imposes massive tariffs on our goods. China manipulates their currency. China mandates that any United States firm that wants to open in China share its technology. And finally and worst of all, China has been in a cyber war with us for many years, despite us buying a half a trillion dollars a year of their goods. They steal our secrets, our data, and our technology and nothing is done about it. Along comes President Trump who says enough is enough. Too many millions of Americans have lost their jobs to our feckless China policy and it’s time for new policies. Will it hurt? Yes! Has it been hurting for the last 30 or 40 years? Yes, but you didn’t hear much about that because we live in age of “Orange man is bad” 24/7 in the news and talking about China policy isn’t a sexy ratings grabber for CNN, unlike having Michael Avenatti on 74 times.
But all of the above isn’t really the point. The point that should be addressed by these letter writers and those who comment in agreement should be the answer to a simple question. If they’re not in favor of tariffs and the president’s policies, what do they propose to do instead? This of course assumes that doing nothing isn’t their answer, but who knows, maybe it is their answer?
Anyway, I keep asking, but they never answer.
Brian Richards
Stevenson Ranch
