I thought we had covered this. Suppose you think: (a) saving environment through green energy is very important, so we need to use it as much as possible, and (b) solar power is an efficient and valuable technology.
Then why-O-why would you put tariffs on cheap solar panels?
Answer: This is not an environmental policy at all. It is an industrial policy (thinly) disguised as an environmental policy. We have decided that US corporations need to receive lots of extra dollars from consumers, and from taxpayers, so they will have enough cash to contribute to the Obama reelection campaign.
Now, I happen not to believe (a) works very well, and I know for a fact that (b) is false. But I am trying to accept the premises of the other side: EVEN IF you believe those two things, this policy makes no sense.
Nod to Anonyman
4 comments:
Industrial policy, indeed. However, given the real goal of appearing "tough" with China, maybe we should accept a (small) tariff on a product that we do not really need or want. We could do much worse here.
Not sure why we think that the Chinese export subsidies are "illegal," whereas ours are fine. Or why the Administration supports the Ex-Im Bank in general.
Or, to paraphrase Matthew 6:24, "No policy can serve two masters: for either it will hate green, and love jobs; or else it will hold to jobs, and despise green."
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