Tariffs, Labor, and the True Cost of “Cheap” — A Case for Protectionism in the Age of AI and Automation
There's a rising pushback against tariffs in the U.S.—a collective gasp from consumers who have grown fond of low prices and next-day delivery. The sentiment is usually the same: “Tariffs make things more expensive.” To that, my new reply is simple: “Tariffs will make the cost of things go up… if they're made in a third world country.” And that's the point... Tariffs are often misunderstood as a tool of nationalism or as a blunt instrument in economic warfare. But there's a deeper, more principled foundation to support them: tariffs are a modern rejection of exploitative labor. You could say, in today’s terms, they’re a reversion of slavery cloaked in economics. Cheap goods often come from regions where labor and treatment standards are minimal , and workers are disposable. We tell ourselves it’s progress because it's not happening here—but it’s not really progress. It’s outsourcing suffering and poor treatment of others . Consider the article published by Y...