Dear Editor:
I’d like to offer my two-cents worth concerning the recent spate over tariffs, comments and commentaries found recently in Farm and Dairy.
An old proverb says “The borrower is slave to the lender.” Taking that another direction: It’s mighty easy to become dependent upon the government.
Once we take the carrot some politician dangles in front our nose to buy our vote, we easily become dependent on that carrot. Oh, and by the way, that carrot is ours or our neighbor’s in the first place. I hope we get the point here.
As long as we keep expecting government to bail us out, it will keep getting bigger. At this point, our government is the largest employer in the United States. That is unsustainable. A lot of people, including me who voted for Trump, realize that.
Trump’s administration might be overzealous, but the issue is now in the forefront. Hopefully, we get this wake-up call and reduce the size and scope of the government.
As far as tariffs go, they are okay as a negotiating tool in trade deals, but they are not an end-all to a better economy, for this reason: The number one rule of money is It will always go where it is treated the best.
Due to our affluence in this country, it will be very hard to compete with labor costs, especially in the Asian countries, tariffs or not. This kicks in the number one rule of money.
To end, “a good citizen does everything in his power not to become a burden on his fellow citizen” — Teddy Roosevelt. That includes government.
Gordon Meeder
Midland, Pennsylvania
