Most people don’t realize that it’s not just about lower costs—it’s about the infrastructure and localized supply chains that enable both scale and higher quality. These networks aren’t built in four years, or even in decades. The U.S. wants to manufacture everything domestically out of fear that China could cut them off at any time. And sure, that’s possible—especially if relations remain hostile. So why choose China to be our Enemy? Why provoke China in the first place?
It’s not just about drones, some defense components, or gear in our military arsenal that have come from China. Nor are we just talking about cars that can map everything or steel for our missiles. The real issue for most is about the products we need for our livelihood. Yes, in part the cheap stuff from Temu—but also the pricier items the U.S. simply can’t produce. Take clothing, for example—particularly silk and other high-end fabrics which require special skills to produce. America doesn’t sew, and it certainly doesn’t produce silk garments. It never really had that expertise to begin with. And now we want to do that too? Do we really want to revive clothmaking—the very first industries of the Industrial Revolution? Some say, “No, of course we don’t want that back,” but then insist it shouldn’t be made in China either. Well, here’s a reality check: there aren’t many silk clothing factories outside of China. The skills just aren’t there.
So now we won’t buy from China. What do we do? we try to bring up India as the replacement source of cheap labor to make our stuff? They still cannot make silk garments as well as the chineses. Nor can they make iphones yet. Sure, they will learn eventually after a bit of practice.
We are trying to make India our friend against China like we made China our friend against the Soviets. Trump had this fancy that he could do a reverse Nixon- Dream on. That has always been the US game. We declare who is the Enemy and we play the rest against it, and we win. It is all about WINNING. What did we win? what has he ever won?