That doesn't make sense. Our regulations don't create a wage differential relative to another country. And if the regulations did have an impact, it would be to lower our wages relative to another country, not increase them. If the value of the U.S. dollar is "being pushed down" by regulations, then fixing the regulations would cause the dollar to rise and the wage differential would increase even more. Which would result in even more off-shoring.
the money printing is a symptom of all that as well as a contributing cause the higher the debt rises.
No the money printing didn't really start until 2008 with the banking crisis. Before that the FED didn't own much treasuries. The money printing is in response to the high unemployment. By law the FED is to focus on full employment, a stable dollar and low interest rates.
"all that raising tariffs will do is create a trade war in which the USA is already critically hobbled;"
What do you mean we are hobbled? We export 1/4 of the trade goods we import. A trade war is going to hurt China a lot more than it's going to hurt the U.S. And in case you haven't noticed, we are already in a trade war. We just aren't fighting back.
"nobody will reinvest in the USA, and nobody can make anyone do it."
You have it backwards. Nobody wants to invest here now, because it's only a matter of time before a competitor off-shores and drives the American business out of business. We have the largest consumer market. If we raise the import tariffs, so that American businesses have an advantage or at least an equal footing, then American businesses will be a great investment.
We have the largest consumer market now. But if we don't act to protect the industries that made us wealthy in the first place, we won't have one much longer. 24% of Americans are unemployed and aren't consuming much any more, no matter how cheap the imports are. That number will rise, until we are all out of funds, and the great American consumer market will be a thing of the past.
How can we have “the largest consumer market” when the consumerism is driven by borrowing and a sizable chunk of the consumers are unemployed or on welfare (or both)? How can the money used to buy all that “stuff” really be worth anything?
What, pray tell, will induce businesses to reinvest in the USA with the (leftist) regulations, taxation and welfare state intact after tariffs go up? And did you understand what I meant by “hobbled”?
Like you pointed out, we are in a cold trade war with Red China. Making it heat up will not hurt China one iota (they have plenty of alternate markets, including themselves), because we are too dependent on their manufacturing base and nobody will magically make our manufacturing base reappear upon said trade war heating up—because of the conditions that made the manufacturing flee in the first place remaining in place.