Robert Lighthizer

We're not interested in sort of the materialism of maximizing values. optimizing prices and maximizing consumption. And that's more or less where that's... There's a combination of that. There's a combination of this financialization of America of taking profit out right away so that a few people get very rich, regardless of the effect on others.

We're not interested in sort of the materialism of maximizing values. optimizing prices and maximizing consumption. And that's more or less where that's... There's a combination of that. There's a combination of this financialization of America of taking profit out right away so that a few people get very rich, regardless of the effect on others.

We're not interested in sort of the materialism of maximizing values. optimizing prices and maximizing consumption. And that's more or less where that's... There's a combination of that. There's a combination of this financialization of America of taking profit out right away so that a few people get very rich, regardless of the effect on others.

If you think of the evolution, Tucker, it's... And we could talk, you know, from the beginning of time about trade and how it evolved. But for our purposes... You would think of it basically as America really from the early 1800s basically became wealthier and wealthier, largely behind the American system.

If you think of the evolution, Tucker, it's... And we could talk, you know, from the beginning of time about trade and how it evolved. But for our purposes... You would think of it basically as America really from the early 1800s basically became wealthier and wealthier, largely behind the American system.

If you think of the evolution, Tucker, it's... And we could talk, you know, from the beginning of time about trade and how it evolved. But for our purposes... You would think of it basically as America really from the early 1800s basically became wealthier and wealthier, largely behind the American system.

And Alexander Hamilton kind of an idea of tariffs and subsidies, subsidies in the nature of canals and roads and the like. But tariffs were a key part. By 1870, we had started to turn surpluses. By 1890, we're the richest country in the world, all right? And it kind of progresses like that. And we can talk about that back and forth. And those were almost all Republican elections.

And Alexander Hamilton kind of an idea of tariffs and subsidies, subsidies in the nature of canals and roads and the like. But tariffs were a key part. By 1870, we had started to turn surpluses. By 1890, we're the richest country in the world, all right? And it kind of progresses like that. And we can talk about that back and forth. And those were almost all Republican elections.

And Alexander Hamilton kind of an idea of tariffs and subsidies, subsidies in the nature of canals and roads and the like. But tariffs were a key part. By 1870, we had started to turn surpluses. By 1890, we're the richest country in the world, all right? And it kind of progresses like that. And we can talk about that back and forth. And those were almost all Republican elections.

presidents during that entire period only two Democrats during that entire period between Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt and basically tariffs were a key tool and there were ups and downs in that and we can talk about that if people are interested but we got to the second world war And then we had a different challenge. We had to rebuild Europe. We wanted to rebuild Japan for stability.

presidents during that entire period only two Democrats during that entire period between Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt and basically tariffs were a key tool and there were ups and downs in that and we can talk about that if people are interested but we got to the second world war And then we had a different challenge. We had to rebuild Europe. We wanted to rebuild Japan for stability.

presidents during that entire period only two Democrats during that entire period between Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt and basically tariffs were a key tool and there were ups and downs in that and we can talk about that if people are interested but we got to the second world war And then we had a different challenge. We had to rebuild Europe. We wanted to rebuild Japan for stability.

We wanted to fight communism in the Soviet Union. These were our motivations. And so at that point, we needed a new system, and they developed this new trading system. And the trading system was sort of based on the notion of we'll all reduce barriers. We'll all do better over a period of time. I would say that was – at times it was a successful idea. At times it wasn't a successful idea.

We wanted to fight communism in the Soviet Union. These were our motivations. And so at that point, we needed a new system, and they developed this new trading system. And the trading system was sort of based on the notion of we'll all reduce barriers. We'll all do better over a period of time. I would say that was – at times it was a successful idea. At times it wasn't a successful idea.

We wanted to fight communism in the Soviet Union. These were our motivations. And so at that point, we needed a new system, and they developed this new trading system. And the trading system was sort of based on the notion of we'll all reduce barriers. We'll all do better over a period of time. I would say that was – at times it was a successful idea. At times it wasn't a successful idea.

But by the time we got a few – several decades into it, we started seeing people being more and more industrial policy. And by the 1970s into the 1980s. Late 1970s, we started to see our situation get worse. We started having trade deficits. You'll recall that Nixon in 1971 put tariffs on the whole world in order to decouple from gold. We can talk about that if people are interested.

But by the time we got a few – several decades into it, we started seeing people being more and more industrial policy. And by the 1970s into the 1980s. Late 1970s, we started to see our situation get worse. We started having trade deficits. You'll recall that Nixon in 1971 put tariffs on the whole world in order to decouple from gold. We can talk about that if people are interested.

But by the time we got a few – several decades into it, we started seeing people being more and more industrial policy. And by the 1970s into the 1980s. Late 1970s, we started to see our situation get worse. We started having trade deficits. You'll recall that Nixon in 1971 put tariffs on the whole world in order to decouple from gold. We can talk about that if people are interested.

But there were a lot of things that were sort of signals, and that was kind of the peak. By the time we got to Ronald Reagan, as I say, there was already a loss of a lot of jobs. There was an unsettling among our working class people, which, as I say – Unlike a lot of places, it is us. It's 70, 65, 70 percent of it. It is us. And then and then you found yourself the Berlin Wall fell.

But there were a lot of things that were sort of signals, and that was kind of the peak. By the time we got to Ronald Reagan, as I say, there was already a loss of a lot of jobs. There was an unsettling among our working class people, which, as I say – Unlike a lot of places, it is us. It's 70, 65, 70 percent of it. It is us. And then and then you found yourself the Berlin Wall fell.