America is one of two nations in the world capable of a self-contained economy. The other is France. Trade is nice (says he who shaved this morning with a German double edge razor fitted with Japanese blade), but not essential for these two countries. The jig is up and the secret is out.
While they may not have been especially good at it and were draconian being communist and all, I’d add Soviet Russia to that list because they plodded on in isolation for what, 70 years? South Africa too, they continued with massive worldwide boycotts over apartheid for how long?
I think you are only going half way with this thought. I agree with you about the trade cutback, but we need trade not to necessarily keep ourselves in products, but to keep ourselves in control. Other countries that are not even close to being able to self-sustain themselves like we are close to, literally, need our business.
We are the demand because they only have that to supply. If we don’t buy it, they don’t eat. If they don’t eat, they have to go looking for food next door. And those people can’t spare it either. So our buying becomes a need to stop wars, not live high on the hog. And this thread is based upon what is really happening.
So the raising of products like oil, for instance, suddenly becomes a tool for control of politics and not money. Trump is teaching us that we have been lied to and positioned through the media to take the hit for being the elite country for years. So Trump’s going one way and the past liberal administrations, especially Obama, have tried not to get us there, but to bring us down to the level of others. This way the liberals can be the big fish in the little pond and not a large fish in the ocean. I kinda like the approach of us not going down to them but trying to bring them up to us. Everybody wins and only those that choose to lose will. So it stretches far beyond make America great as we can make the world better as we get great again. And it’s long overdue.
rwood
France? I have heard that before. It is remarkable isn’t it that a Texas sized country in the midst of Europe is relatively blessed with resources save for at least OIL. Do they also have iron, bauxite and other essential minerals? I have not looked. I have never heard of them being a power house of coal either. In the food department they seem to be OK.
You shave on Saturday? That is dedication.