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>> It seems to me that China just gave him some window-dressing
This form of cognitive dissonance is called "mind reading". You should look it up, unless you're a member of the negotiation team and have direct knowledge of the negotiations.Your tax dollars are going to prop up a failing company that is producing substandard products that have gotten people killed - I don't see how you could mentally position yourself to be alright with this.
The general idea of protectionism is less controversial - I think it is generally bad[1] due to the economic effects of it. But if you're in favor of protectionism you can check any claim you have to free-market economics or de-regulation for growth at the door, protectionism is basically the Ur-form of regulatory capture and state-capitalism so being pro-Boeing subsidies and then claiming that the US becoming "socialist" is terrible is just logically inconsistent.
[1] I'd leave the notable exception of when it's used to specifically stimulate economic sector growth - propping up a robotics company in TN to create a labour pool that enables other companies to grow out of the labour availability is a pretty good usage.
FTA: "“Our ultimate goal is to reach an agreement with the E.U. to end all W.T.O.-inconsistent subsidies to large civil aircraft,” Mr. Lighthizer said."
As a US citizen I don't see anything controversial about this stance.