It is certainly possible to hope that the inauguration of Donald J. Trump will be greeted by a resurgence of the American spirit, from new inventions to a revival of entrepreneurial drive and the renewal of American industry and crafts. Trump may well be right that the mere threat of tariffs may reverse the flow of blue-collar jobs abroad while helping ensure the safety and integrity of vital supply chains that are essential to 21st-century industrial production.
He is certainly right that restoring competitive balance between America and its trade partners abroad, and between monopolistic corporations and small producers at home, is essential to growing and maintaining healthy communities where Americans can work and raise children, who in turn might better their communities. It is hard to argue with the idea that reforming the country’s disastrous attempts at trade and industrial policy while getting poisons out of its food, water and air are necessary steps towards a better American future.
