3 ms·

So soon have we forgotten about 2006-2008 and 2018-2020? The most difficult part about all this is that no one on Capitol Hill was talking about bringing manufa

So soon have we forgotten about 2006-2008 and 2018-2020? The most difficult part about all this is that no one on Capitol Hill was talking about bringing manufacturing back to the US before Trump and he was laughed at by every Democrat in Congress for wanting to do so. Then, suddenly, once they gain power, the Democrats want to bring back manufacturing.

mcculley 3y ago
I don't remember Trump pushing any kind of new manufacturing. He was pandering to existing domestic manufacturers with the dumb tariffs.
- mgkimsal 3y ago
  Oh, he talked about it, a lot, but the only effort I ever noticed was, as you say, tariffs. Tariffs seems punitive, and when there's no other option to purchase, you import and pay the tariff anyway. The Biden push for requiring federal purchases to have more 'made in USA' components seems a combination of stupidly simple, long overdue, and easy to understand. Govt requiring more stuff made in the US - and giving some tax cuts to help spur it - seems like it's a basic way to ignite manufacturing stateside.
  - mcculley 3y ago
    > you import and pay the tariff anyway Yes, I recently wrote about my own frustration with this: https://enki.org/2023/08/01/steel-prices/ https://enki.org/2023/08/01/steel-prices/
Guvante 3y ago
> During President Obama's 2012 reelection campaign, he told voters that manufacturing jobs would be a crucial part of the American economy's resurgence. His administration set a goal to “create 1 million new manufacturing jobs by the end of 2016.” Why pretend that Trump was the first person to talk about creating manufacturing jobs when it has been a hot political topic since the first time jobs started disappearing in the US?
mgkimsal 3y ago
> he was laughed at by every Democrat in Congress for wanting to do so No, he was laughed at because he's sort of a buffoon, and steel tariffs just raised the cost of everything for people using steel; it didn't have any big impact on 'steel jobs'. It didn't create big demand for more US-made steel. That said, IIRC, they're still in place, and current admin should remove them (perhaps gradual removal over 2 years?) He did nothing meaningful to spur US-based manufacturing, despite talking a big game. But that was basically Trump all over. (attempting to not get too political here)
- phone8675309 3y ago
  I don't think that's fully fair - George W Bush really ramped up the weapons manufacturing sector in the US by invading two sovereign countries on false pretenses and killing many civilians through sanctions, regular bombings, and drone strikes.

mcculley 3y ago

I don't remember Trump pushing any kind of new manufacturing. He was pandering to existing domestic manufacturers with the dumb tariffs.

mgkimsal 3y ago
Oh, he talked about it, a lot, but the only effort I ever noticed was, as you say, tariffs. Tariffs seems punitive, and when there's no other option to purchase, you import and pay the tariff anyway. The Biden push for requiring federal purchases to have more 'made in USA' components seems a combination of stupidly simple, long overdue, and easy to understand. Govt requiring more stuff made in the US - and giving some tax cuts to help spur it - seems like it's a basic way to ignite manufacturing stateside.
- mcculley 3y ago
  > you import and pay the tariff anyway Yes, I recently wrote about my own frustration with this: https://enki.org/2023/08/01/steel-prices/ https://enki.org/2023/08/01/steel-prices/

Guvante 3y ago

> During President Obama's 2012 reelection campaign, he told voters that manufacturing jobs would be a crucial part of the American economy's resurgence. His administration set a goal to “create 1 million new manufacturing jobs by the end of 2016.” Why pretend that Trump was the first person to talk about creating manufacturing jobs when it has been a hot political topic since the first time jobs started disappearing in the US?

mgkimsal 3y ago

> he was laughed at by every Democrat in Congress for wanting to do so No, he was laughed at because he's sort of a buffoon, and steel tariffs just raised the cost of everything for people using steel; it didn't have any big impact on 'steel jobs'. It didn't create big demand for more US-made steel. That said, IIRC, they're still in place, and current admin should remove them (perhaps gradual removal over 2 years?) He did nothing meaningful to spur US-based manufacturing, despite talking a big game. But that was basically Trump all over. (attempting to not get too political here)

phone8675309 3y ago
I don't think that's fully fair - George W Bush really ramped up the weapons manufacturing sector in the US by invading two sovereign countries on false pretenses and killing many civilians through sanctions, regular bombings, and drone strikes.