Trump's Trade War

President Trump has made tariffs front and center in his economic plan to make America "great again," having declared—although the evidence does not bear this out—that tariffs are good and easy to win. Filmmaker Rick Young’s PBS-aired Frontline documentary concentrates on the ongoing tariff war between China and America. Trump has long felt that prior administrations were soft on China, allowing for predatory policies, the theft of American technology, cyber-spying, and a lack of protection for American intellectual property rights. Unlike America, China's Communist government is a state-controlled, supported, and subsidized economy, not needing to answer to citizens in free elections, while in America, conflict exists between globalists and nationalists. Experts quoted here note that Trump is "all in" on tariffs, believing that they play well with his political base. However, diplomats and economists warn of unintended consequences, arguing that trade wars can get out of control very fast. For China's President Xi, the trade war is viewed as a race for global, economic, military, and political influence, while Trump feels that economic nationalism holds the key to his re-election. China lost respect for America after the Great Recession of 2007-09, growing tired of America's lecturing (particularly on human rights), and perhaps leaders feel it's time for a little payback. While tariffs can hurt both Chinese employment and American consumers, this has shaped up as a comprehensive confrontation with no middle ground. Providing numerous facts, figures, and perspectives, the film warns that tariff wars could be the first shot in a new Cold War. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (S. Rees)