Q: Why is it so hard for some Americans to understand that making foreign countries pay to access our markets is a win for the US worker? Is it partisan blindness or just a lack of basic economic understanding?

A:

The US democracy is a popular culture. Politicians keep performing to get applause. The more fans for his or her performance, the more likely he or she will be elected again. Do you need to understand economics to enjoy a performance? No! It will make the popular culture dull.

The politicians can get elected by pleasing everyone. If you experience difficulty in your life, politicians will blame nobody because blaming someone will lose votes. So for every American problem is none of America’s fault. It is the fault of China. It is the fault of other countries. Politicians vow to fight for their constituency. Trump puts tariffs and says, you see, I can make other country pain. I am fighting for you.

When the capitalist outsources manufacturing to China, you cannot blame Wall Street. Instead, you blame China steal your jobs and IPs. That’s political convenience. China has no voice in Congress. If you blame Wall Street, you will get no political funding.

Putting tariffs on China makes American feeling strong and privileged. Trump shows Americans how he can hit China. Hit Canada for the manufacturing jobs. Hit Europe for the NATO defence budget. Using tariffs to hit every other country give American the feeling of superiority. See how powerful the US is by ignoring all the international laws. When life is difficult, Americans need vanity. Trump used tariffs in his first term. It worked, not by solving problems, but by winning votes. Americans love Trump. They love a strong man. And Trump is strong enough that he is willing to impose tariffs on even allies.

To vote for their next president, Americans do not need to understand economics. Americans just need someone who can appease their psychic satisfaction. American democracy is the same as the Super Bowl. What the politicians need are fans to get elected. Americans are proud of their democracy. They are excited about campaigns. They are fans of this or that politician. Election is an expensive game. Candidates are the players of the game, and every American is a spectator. Americans are divided between being fans of Democrats or Republicans. They are excited and enjoy the whole election entertainment. They are consumers of the US democracy. You cannot request a consumer to understand economics to shop for what he or she wants.