A free idea for the government
One of the biggest problems facing America today is rampant unemployment. I don't know what jobs plan President Obama is going to present next week, but I think it is safe to say, it is probably going to be underwhelming. On the other hand, the Republican plans are appalling, so we're stuck in the middle of two mostly useless camps.
So, we the people need to come up with good ideas that the government can steal, since their own suck so badly. I have one.
A lot of American companies over the past thirty or so years have moved a lot of jobs, and many manufacturing jobs, to less developed countries. I think we should apply a large tariff to any imports done by American companies who want to sell in the US. Ford wants to make a car in Mexico? Fine, but there's a thirty-percent tariff on top of it.
If these companies don't want to make their products in America, we should let them go where they like, it's only fair. But if they want to take money out of the pockets of American workers, we should make them pay for it.
A lot of people say that free trade creates jobs. And you know, it does. When we export products to other countries. We get to grab some of other countries' wealth when we do so. But when American companies think it is good business to take money from Americans and send it to other countries... I think we can make them pay for it.
And this would create jobs in the US- once it is too expensive to import these goods the manufacturing will have to come back - Americans just spend way too much money for these needs to go unfulfilled.
So, what are your thoughts on spurring job growth?