Monday, November 12, 2018
Neocon industrial policy
Convective thought:
Trump's approach to trade starts with a correct diagnosis of the numerical facts but misplaces the blame.
He blames Germany and China for being "unfair", and casts us as the helpless victim.
First part is true, but we got the bad end of those deals because our robber barons are getting rich from the bad end. We could have defended ourselves but we didn't.
Here's the truth: Every mature nation TRIES to gain an advantage in trade, so its own workers can have better pay and more useful work. Every mature nation must DEFEND itself against other nations who are trying to gain the advantage. When all sides are playing this way, the result tends to optimize specific advantages based on resources and skills.
Since 1975, USA has failed on both counts. We have NOT tried to help our own workers by seeking an advantage in trade. We have RUINED our own workers by LETTING China and Germany have the advantage.
The problem is not China and Germany, the problem is NYC. Our robber barons have abandoned production and switched to counterfeiting and stock manipulation.
Trump's answer is NOT proper industrial policy. Proper industrial policy, as implemented by FDR, first clamps down on NYC and then creates internal and external conditions favorable to PRODUCTION OF REAL VALUE.
Instead, Trump is giving even more privileges and freedom to NYC while making warlike noises with no real effect.
Neocon war, as defined neatly by Sailer, is INVITE AND INVADE. Invite foreign migrants and start meaningless wars to create more migrants. Trump has simply extended the neocon method to industrial policy.
¶ 6:21 AM 
