Dear john,
It was recently announced the Donald Trump - once again - has cancelled trade negotiations with Canada and retaliated with a 10% tariff increase. This comes immediately after a TV advertisement paid for by the government of Ontario that opposed his tariff policies.
The advertisement uses clips from a 1987 radio address given by President Reagan criticizing tariffs as a "nearsighted policy that would imperil U.S. jobs."
According to the Washington Post, "while the advertisement splices and mixes portions of Reagan’s radio address, using some lines out of sequence, all the quotes appear in the original address, indicating the audio is genuine."
So what does President Reagan say in the ad?
"When someone says, 'Let's impose tariffs on foreign imports,' it looks like they're doing the patriotic thing by protecting American products and jobs.
And sometimes for a short while, it works. But only for a short time. Over the long run, such trade barriers hurt every American worker and consumer.
High tariffs inevitably lead to retaliation by foreign countries and the triggering of fierce trade wars.
Then the worst happens.
Markets shrink and collapse. Businesses and industries shut down, and millions of people lose their jobs.
Throughout the world, there's a growing realization that the way to prosperity for all nations is rejecting protectionist legislation and promoting fair and free competition.
American's jobs and growth are at stake."
And thus far, Canadians have reacted with fury to Trump’s tariff policies and comments about annexing Canada, boycotting U.S. products and travel. A Pew Research Survey in July found that one-third of Canadians had a favorable view of the United States — down 20 percentage points since last year.
Trump's tariff policies have weakened our economy, eroded our reputation as a trade partner, and attacked our most important trade alliances.
