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I get why people might feel this impulse, but they should realize that it follows the same logic as tariffs. You do not gain by closing yourself off from the wo

by t_mann 2y ago

I get why people might feel this impulse, but they should realize that it follows the same logic as tariffs. You do not gain by closing yourself off from the world. Having the choice among the best products in the world is prosperity. Whether you restrain yourself by choice or by force, it's the same zero-sum mindset. Free trade, with some exceptions for fledgling industries, is one of the rare cases that makes everyone better off. Unfortunately, even the simplest explanation [0] is a bit unintuitive, which may explain why trade restrictions are one of the few things popular among parts of the left and the right. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparative_advantage https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparative_advantage

baxtr 2y ago
For me this is not about retaliation but about being self reliant.
- t_mann 2y ago
  What you should really aim for is companies that can win in the market. "Found European" instead of "Buy European" if you will. Right now might be a good time to try and reverse some of the brain drain into US tech.
fsloth 2y ago
This is not about value signaling. It’s a reaction to the fact that US is willing to shutdown US service offerings and hardware owned by counter parties for political arm twisting. US products are great. But suddenly they look just as risky as Chinese offerings for any critical infrastructure.
rndmio 2y ago
I think you're ignoring the externalities of supporting a business/country that is doing things you don't agree with. If ACo can sell me widget cheaper than BCo because they dump the polluting manufacturing waste in a local river it's perfectly rational to decide not to deal with them. The intent is to make them change their behavior by impacting their business. Should we ignore the effects of our purchases just because we can get something cheaper or better?
AlecSchueler 2y ago
We still have free trade, we're just choosing to exercise our freedom as consumers.

by t_mann 2y ago

baxtr 2y ago

For me this is not about retaliation but about being self reliant.

t_mann 2y ago
What you should really aim for is companies that can win in the market. "Found European" instead of "Buy European" if you will. Right now might be a good time to try and reverse some of the brain drain into US tech.

fsloth 2y ago

This is not about value signaling. It’s a reaction to the fact that US is willing to shutdown US service offerings and hardware owned by counter parties for political arm twisting. US products are great. But suddenly they look just as risky as Chinese offerings for any critical infrastructure.

rndmio 2y ago

I think you're ignoring the externalities of supporting a business/country that is doing things you don't agree with. If ACo can sell me widget cheaper than BCo because they dump the polluting manufacturing waste in a local river it's perfectly rational to decide not to deal with them. The intent is to make them change their behavior by impacting their business. Should we ignore the effects of our purchases just because we can get something cheaper or better?

AlecSchueler 2y ago

We still have free trade, we're just choosing to exercise our freedom as consumers.