at #NatSec2020. Ideas of electoral China messaging are incoherent or conspicuously absent so far. Yes, wider trade policy is a mess, but w China, if not tariffs, then what? How else do we deal with a predatory trade partner?
— Mike Pilger (@mikepilger) May 10, 2019
Exactly. Tariffs are just a tool. Sometimes, they are useful and helpful, depending on your goals. Sometimes they are not. Like anything, they are not an unalloyed evil or an unqualified good. As with nearly everyone, Democrats here lack nuance and are just fighting for their (ridiculous) team goals, absent any real plan.
Free trade ideology declares that all tariffs are always bad all the time. This as noted is an ideology and does not match the actual world. Because the Dems are good little neoliberals, they must believe this whether it is true or not.