Yes, Trump lied as usual and he probably did more harm than good.
However, you didn't really answer what we're supposed to do if our businesses are trying to participate in a market that's being manipulated by a sovereign government. If the free market is out the window, why do you insist that American business still play by free market rules?
I’m sorry that I didn’t give a fuller answer than i did. I did point out that at the time American manufacturing and manufacturing jobs were as high as they have ever been. It was the older less technological manufacturing plants of the 50’s and 60’s that were taking the hit, and those jobs were not coming back, automation was eliminating them as fast as Chinese competition.
What Trump did was employ the age-old, never-fail political technique of creating a crisis in people’s minds and convince them he was the man to solve it, if only people would willingly relinquish a tiny portion of their individual sovereignty. The idea is to point out the enormous benefit government interference will bring at the price of a barely noticeable piece of liberty. It’s a political technique that seemingly works every time.
But forget that; you want to know how on earth a society of free people utilizing the creativity and exuberance of free market practices could possibly keep up with the staid snd stodgy dreariness that defines a command economy.
A command economy requires that most if not all decisions about production and distribution of necessities are made by a handful of bureaucrats instead of the millions of consumers for whom those necessities are intended. Even if the bureaucrats are well intentioned there is no way they can know all that needs to be known to satisfy consumer demand. It is much easier to provide only one or two options and tell the public “take it or leave it.” Inventiveness is simply unthinkable. No bureaucrat is going to stick his neck out to implement changes, it is too dangerous for his continued employment. And so the economy stagnates and brings the society down with it. All we have to do is visit every socialist country in human history to know that truth.
A free market OTOH is dynamic, inventive, creative, a madhouse of products and ways of producing old ones. It offends the sensibilities of command economy types. There’s no one in control, no one directing things. No bureaucrat gumming up the works. Someone with a new idea does not need permission to give it a try. To the command economy types it looks like terrifying utter chaos! Someone do something! Put some reins on that out of control monster!
But the thing is the out of control free market is what is necessary if progress is going to be made. The free market trumps a command economy with ease. Always has snd always will because free people are better than slaves.
The notion that China under the communist regime is a serious long term threat to an America that lives under a free market is pure foolishness. The people that insist on America becoming a command economy, from Donald Trump to AOC, are not putting us in a competitive position with China. They have no confidence in free markets or free people. They are baiting the public with fear, tricking us into thinking we must be like China if we’re going to beat China. As the general in Star Wars said: It’s a trap! Don’t fall for it.
So how do we “bring manufacturing back” even thiugh it never went anywhere? Get the hell out of the way. Step back and watch inventors and entrepreneurs and financiers do their unfettered thing. Expecting the government to implement China-like policies to get the better of China is foolishness deluxe.