Protectionism is ok as long as it protects parity in Involuntary Servitude.

I can only say Freedomforall +1.

LOL! +1 also
Me dino is now reminded of a cartoon Obama repeatedly for insanely running into a wall called "stimulus money."

LOL! +1

What some call protectionism, I call making sure American manufacturers can once again afford to "manufacture" on American soil--and cut down their transport costs.

We don't need trade deals to have trade

You know we don't need a trade agreement to have trade. So it is hard to say what pulling out of trade agreements means. The wall is a disaster.

There are some areas of trade where protectionism is in the national interest. We've neglected strategic investment, with much of our electronic components being of foreign manufacture, putting our ability to maintain military equipment in jeopardy. Building up our own steel industry is another good move.

One thing I'd like to see is a change in our shipping regulations so that we could once again have American flagged commercial ships carrying our goods. We have a real opportunity to use our 60+ years of marine nuclear propulsion to build commercial nuclear ships that have unlimited range and are non-polluting. The USS Savannah was a flawed attempt at nuclear shipping, and we could do much better today. A nuclear commercial fleet could rely on U.S. Navy submariners with nuclear experience.

he will make a mistake no and then I suppose.

I don't see renegotiating bad trade deals or pulling out of bad trade deals as protectionism. I see it as good policy. Countries have been put on notice that we will look out for our best interest just as they have been doing for years. Things are happening at break neck speed. Kind of fun so far.

Don't expect rationality, D. He voted for Oracist twice and for Hitlery in November. Want to know your enemy? It's people who are so brainwashed they have no idea how to think rationally. Repeating the same mistakes that created the problems they allegedly claim to be solving is their knee jerk reaction to anything regardless of the facts. He's been in the Gulch for nearly 3.5 years and hasn't learned anything.

"Trump would say to his protectionist redneck idiot base" please explain Do you mean the people who grow your food that are exposed to the sun on their body so you can eat? Or are they idiots because they want to grow the food to feed you?

"protectionism is more to give him a bargaining chip"
That's an awesome scenario! "It's give and take. I got the lower spending and reduced intrusiveness, but I had to give up my (false) desires for protectionism and increased borrowing." In this dream scenario, the gov't would decrease spending, reduce the deficit, reduce regulation, reduce intrusiveness, and make only token efforts to stifle trade. When economic growth returns, President Trump would say to his protectionist redneck idiot base, "look at prosperity cutting ourselves off from the world has brought! It worked!" That would be a full-on lie, but this is President Trump we're talking about, so he could sell it.

I do not think that is going to happen, but it's one of those stories investors must be telling themselves to justify ignoring the uncertainty. I really hope this scenario comes true.

He can threaten without having to get it ratified. On the other hand, I have to admit that the first few days have indicated he pretty much meant what he said.

Trump's department heads can modify and repeal regulations, and he should have no trouble getting tax cuts through Congress. Protectionism is actually his weakest bargaining chip, as any new tariffs have to be ratified by Congress and that will be a tough sell.

I'm hoping that the protectionism is more to give him a bargaining chip than to actually implement.