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Well they did put tariffs on imported solar panels, which was intended to (and to some degree did in fact) encourage local production, but there was a lot of op

Well they did put tariffs on imported solar panels, which was intended to (and to some degree did in fact) encourage local production, but there was a lot of opposition. There's a saying: "Only Nixon could go to China", from the fact that only a president renowned for vehement anti-communism could open relations with communist China. The Democrats, at least since Bill Clinton's administration, have been very pro-free trade, after 2016 the Republicans were ready to do this sort of thing, but the Democrats were still pro-globalization. It's because the Democrats were the second party to swing against the idea that all trade is good no matter what the country or industry, that they were able to get stuff passed better. It should also be said that covid closing of borders, post-covid supply chain problems, and Russia's invasion of Ukraine all swayed opinions as well.

westurner 3y ago
Did the solar industry ask for such trade protectionism instead of free trade? Are industries with tariff subsidies competitive at international price points? Given domestic subsidy, will they be efficient enough to compete in international markets? How do non- free-trade, non- fair-trade agreements affect other trade agreements? Trade Protectionism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protectionism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protectionism
- rossdavidh 3y ago
  Yeah, I am a protectionist, for sure. Especially for industries like power generation or semiconductors that impact many other industries, and especially if the nation is in danger of losing that industry entirely, such that the skills necessary to compete in it in the future can be lost.
  - westurner 3y ago
    Is it ever shown that the net effect of subsidy is preferable to competing at international prices? "Can’t build a decent car, can’t make a TV set or a VCR worth a f, got no steel industry left, can’t educate our young people, can’t get health care to our old people, but we can [... war euphemism]" -- George Carlin (1992) Have subsidies saved comparably inefficient [domestic manufacturing] markets, or have trade protectionist subsidies resulted in net unintended consequences when the externalities of "all you peoples' special deals" are accounted for? Are information services and financial services a viable strategy for long-term growth in GDP?

westurner 3y ago

Did the solar industry ask for such trade protectionism instead of free trade? Are industries with tariff subsidies competitive at international price points? Given domestic subsidy, will they be efficient enough to compete in international markets? How do non- free-trade, non- fair-trade agreements affect other trade agreements? Trade Protectionism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protectionism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protectionism

rossdavidh 3y ago
Yeah, I am a protectionist, for sure. Especially for industries like power generation or semiconductors that impact many other industries, and especially if the nation is in danger of losing that industry entirely, such that the skills necessary to compete in it in the future can be lost.
- westurner 3y ago
  Is it ever shown that the net effect of subsidy is preferable to competing at international prices? "Can’t build a decent car, can’t make a TV set or a VCR worth a f, got no steel industry left, can’t educate our young people, can’t get health care to our old people, but we can [... war euphemism]" -- George Carlin (1992) Have subsidies saved comparably inefficient [domestic manufacturing] markets, or have trade protectionist subsidies resulted in net unintended consequences when the externalities of "all you peoples' special deals" are accounted for? Are information services and financial services a viable strategy for long-term growth in GDP?