A submission by Dr. Glenn Mollette
Let’s give the tariffs time to work. I’m as anxious as you are, as everything I have is tied to the stock market. If the stock market crashes, I’ll be working or struggling financially for the rest of my life. Let’s hope things settle down soon. I believe they will, and things will grow even bigger.
The tariffs make sense. If China charges us a 25% tariff, then it’s only fair that we charge them one in return. The same logic applies to Canada, Mexico, Vietnam, and all the other countries. If they want to charge us 40%, then it’s only fair we do the same. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
For a while, higher prices will be inevitable. Car dealerships have already seen a surge of people trying to finalize deals before all the tariffs are added to the prices.
People are worried about buying cheap products from China at Walmart or other stores. Honestly, I don’t want products from China. If China never shipped another thing to the U.S., I wouldn’t mind. Unfortunately, almost everything I own today is somehow tied to a foreign country.
When I was a kid, I had a transistor radio made in Hong Kong. I thought it was funny to own something made so far away. Over time, it became the norm. Cars, televisions, furniture, appliances, and even steel started coming from other countries. Sadly, American manufacturers moved their operations to Mexico or any country that offered cheap labor. This led to huge profits for companies, as they could ship goods back to the U.S. at low cost. The problem, however, was that those jobs were permanently lost in America. The workers who once earned $35 or $40 an hour had to find new jobs at places like Walmart or Starbucks, where they now make $10 an hour—or, today, more like $15 to $18.
People are worried today about the prices at Walmart. Unfortunately, that’s all many Americans can afford anymore: Walmart. Americans are so financially strained that we now rely on stores like Walmart and Dollar General.
In the fifties, sixties, and even seventies, people could go to a major city in their state and find good-paying manufacturing jobs. There were many opportunities. We made cars, televisions, radios, clothes, furniture, steel, and more. These workers earned enough to buy a house, own two cars, provide for their families, and retire comfortably after 30 years of work. That was the American Dream.
Today, the American Dream for many people involves applying for disability benefits and hoping they can afford to shop at Walmart. Don’t even think about buying a new car, a new house, or going on vacation because, with today’s income, it’s just not possible.
Let’s keep breathing and see how the tariffs play out. We need jobs to return to America. We need our companies to come back home. We need to buy American steel and start making things here again. If other countries choose to come to America and build their products here while hiring our people, that will be a positive step.
Maybe, in a few years, Americans will once again dare to dream.
