America had such great economic growth in the past is that foreign nations bought what we produced. They bought our cars, our electronics, our farm products--because they were the best value in the world. If folk in these other countries had decided to only buy stuff made in their own country, our parents wouldn't have been nearly as prosperous.
We can't tariff our way to prosperity, we can't grow economically by hunkering down and "buying American" even if the products aren't the best value. We'll grow more prosperous by producing the goods the market wants at the best price. That's how we won before, and we can't change the rules now.
Anybody remember the '80s when folks were urged to buy American cars and eschew Japanese imports as the patriotic thing to do? As it turns out, the most patriotic thing we could have done at the time is bought those great Japanese cars and help GM, Chrysler, Ford, and the UAW understand in an immediate and shocking way that quality and costs were important and that customers weren't to be taken for granted. Instead, the protective legislation and folks "buying American" helped Detroit stick their head in the sand for 30 years. Anybody been to Detroit lately?
