There is absolutely no political move in this country to raise import tariffs as a matter of jobs. That needs to change and I assure you that if the Democrats don't do it very soon, the Republicans WILL.
The economics profession lives in an ivory tower where they suck on a "comparative advantage" crack pipe and ignore the "absolute advantage" imposed by slave labor in overpopulated nations.
I did not create all those Chinese, Indians, and Mexicans and there is NOTHING that I can do to change the culture that did and still does cause this real problem. Both Malthus and Ricardo were correct.
Unlike most lefties here on Kos, my compassion does not obliterate my sense of justice. We Americans are being sacrificed on the alter of "free trade" and it is being "justified" on the basis of helping the poor (in other sovereignties). The reality, of course, is that "free trade" and more immigration is causing an increase in the wealth gap in this country by importing poverty while enriching the "owner class". While "free trade" may be raising the standard of living in China it is impoverishing the American "producer class".
Much is made of the "Smoot-Hawley" tariffs after the beginning of the depression. (rightardia warning!!! This wikipedia entry has been under attack by Republicans since late last year scrabbling together nits and nonsense and historical revision to support more "free trade"). But the underlying essential economic fact is that countries with a trade deficit benefit from tariffs while countries that depend on exports are the losers. In 1930 we had a trade surplus. We certainly do not have a surplus now. Even with this acknowledgment the historical economists are, at best, mixed with regard to the effects of the OUTRAGEOUS tariffs of this Act.
The Smoot-Hawley act is being ab-used by the rightarded to prevent the import tariffs needed to staunch todays bleeding of America by multinational interests. By associating tariffs with the specter of the Great Depression (WHICH WAS NOT CAUSED BY TRADE SANCTIONS), the public is again being mislead to act against its own best interests. Advocates of import tariffs are not speaking of anything approaching the 60% tariffs of Smoot-Hawley. Nor do they seek retribution and punishment for past transgressions. What is sought is middle class relief.
Import tariffs are a proper tool for the strengthening of the American economy:
A Proper Macro View
Consider a 5% import tax applied equally to all imports (oil, autos, hula hoops, and brake rotors; steel, grain, everything) and a direct refund of every penny of collected revenue in the form of a direct egalitarian "Citizen's Dividend" to every person who files Income Tax returns. At the macro level (aggregate) the people as a whole will break even. But the people who consume foreign produced goods will bear more of the burden than the people who consume a mix of goods. The people who consume no foreign goods will bear none of the burden and actually receive an increase in utility. On the producer side, the tax burden distribution will depend on whether a firm produces its goods within the sovereignty or outside the sovereignty. Firms that produce goods inside the sovereignty will increase their market share and their profits when compared to firms who offshore their production. And if the current mix of firms is tilted toward offshore production then the owners of firms will be burdened more than the consumers while the workers/employees will benefit from greater employment opportunity.
The above was taken from wikipedia directly. The proposed tariff would be applied to goods from outside the NAFTA boundary. And the funds would be accumulated in a "stimulus trust fund". Each quarter, stimulus checks would be issued from the fund much like the checks issued in early 2008.
http://books.google.com/...