The problem with protectionism is that you cannot take it to its logical conclusion. It's always a shitshow.
For example, you gotta
protect the shrimp people (and give them a living wage bla bla bla)
protect the car people
protect the radio people
etc.
The next thing you know everything is basically impossibly expensive because everyone is protected.
With capitalism, on the other hand, you CAN take it to its logical conclusion. Just let the consumer decide what to buy instead of worrying about every little special interest group.
Tariffs restrict choice, and no amount of mental gymnastics will ever undo that.
The consumer, who is willing to pay with their own money, will always make a more informed choice than some bureaucrat. And this doesn't even always just mean buying the cheapest thing.
One of my biggest stock holdings from 2019-2024 was Chipotle. I bought it on the idea that Chipotle was categorically different from the other fast food chains. They make fast food with real ingredients. If you put a bowl of Chipotle on the table and leave it there for 2-3 hours, it literally starts to smell like garbage (because there are no preservatives). Take a Big Mac and you can leave it on the table for a week and it won't decompose.
Try Terracore
