“And “no” the role of government is not to create jobs.”
I’m not talking about “Government Jobs” paid for by taxpayers. You jumped to a conclusion there.
I’m saying government should create opportunities for Americans to have jobs, not some theoretical notion of “optimal allocation of resources”.
Government can create those opportunities in a number of ways: tax incentives, free public education, property rights, etc and yes tariffs to prevent corporations from sending jobs overseas.
“Optimal allocation of resources produces the optimal employment.” ==> Maybe the optimal employment in foreign countries you mean.
If you want more jobs get the governments off the backs of industry. None of their programs work but the administrators are off the streets.
And no, I did not jump to conclusions.
The ideal of free trade would led to maximum employment here as well as in the rest of the world. But we don’t have, and never had, free trade.
The problem is government meddling not free trade. It is a goal.