It would also involve support for science research and reasonable immigration, plus widespread acceptance for moderately higher consumer prices. People should have a real conversation about what it means to make clothing in the US instead of in Bangladesh (just for example). While the "zero sum game" is generally considered to be a sign of ignorance when discussing economics, in the short term the number of available workers is a zero sum game, and unemployment is relatively low right now.

One thing it means is local polluting. We'll have to turn of EPA regs for some industries, or re-engineer to how-to, if they return home.

The methods used 30 years ago won't work.

In a way it de-NIMBYizes Americans, forcing them to face the environmental costs of their consumer behaviours. The re-engineering part is the opportunity I see in all this. How do you make manufacturing cleaner and more worker-friendly (or even better: don’t even require human labour).

> A sober approach to promoting the redevelopment of production industry in America would likely involve some tariffs and could make a lot of sense.

If American production was optimal, or even economically feasible, it would already be in place. Take, for example, textiles.

Why would an American business go through the hassle of getting a foreign company to make textile products, get them shipped across vast oceans, taking weeks if not months to do so, only to have them in stores in relatively close proximity?

We all wear clothes and purchase them regularly. So why are they not now largely made in the US?

I think people are downvoting you because it sounds like you're advocating textiles be produced in the US (I know you're not).

> I think people are downvoting you because it sounds like you're advocating textiles be produced in the US (I know you're not).

Probably.

Sometimes exploring the implications of an ill thought position leads to an unpopular conclusion. If the worst result is a few people hit a down arrow and others contemplate the exploration, so be it.

There are many worse things in life.

There is nothing rational or sober about wanting manufacturing back.

Factories are bad for the environment and provide shitty jobs.

People who downvote the above comment: please provide an actual response.

The comment isn't wrong about factories. Factories are far less productive than providing services (e.g. software), and per comparative advantage the US should be importing manufactured stuff and exporting highly labor-efficient services.

If the US expands its manufacturing without it being profitable to do so (profitable without state subsidies, I mean), that will be bad for the economy , because it will drive up the cost of labor for other stuff without an accompanying flow of profit into the economy to stimulate the demand to match said higher costs.