Quote:
Originally posted by Memnoch:
The problem though, Chewy, is that these days so much business is done globally - to keep certain things in-house when it's economically inefficient for them to do so will ultimately be to America's disadvantge. I read an article in the Boston Globe the other day about how the vast majority of ships used to supply the US military with material and equipment (fuel, etc) is foreign owned, because American companies have withdrawn from that market because they can't compete. Apparently if these ships were all withdrawn at time of war it would leave the US Navy at a critical point.
If you go the full protectionism route you end up raising tariffs and breeding inefficiency into your domestic industry.
The solution, if you want to keep things in house, is to develop these strategically important industries in such a way that to go in house is a logical business outcome, rather than a stopgap measure.
|
Yeah, I agree. Which is why earlier in the thread I proposed congress helping U.S. shipping industry with grants or loans.
In general I would only support the stronger protectionism when it comes to resources of vital national interest which are in danger of being lost. I believe our ports and certain shipping assets qualify in this scenario.
Blocking foriegn government ownership of these assets is a stop-gap measure and a correct one to make. Now that measure needs to be augmented with a long-term plan for economic success.