Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

You left something out of your calculation:

When industrial production comes back to the US, the price of consumer goods will rise. Consumers will not be able to afford as much at those higher prices, so some American businesses will lose customers. People will be laid off in other sectors of the economy because of the reduced demand.

Overall, your plan would just shift jobs from other sectors of the economy into manufacturing. The average American would be able to afford less, not more. In other words, Americans would likely be poorer as a result of this policy.

There isn't some magic rule that restricting imports leads to greater prosperity. There are costs to restricting imports, and in general, those costs outweigh the benefits (especially for developed countries).




Consider applying for YC's Fall 2025 batch! Applications are open till Aug 4

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: