Comparative advantages and all that

You don't *have* to live self-reliant, but the ability to be does not have any ill effect.

You'll end up getting more stuff as a result

Peacetime self-reliance is just a negative overall

The USA has no need to trade with the outside world.

@Summī Imperator, 呪い殿 Are you a Jew

They can grow basically any kind of produce, if they managed resources and recycled properly they could theoretically, and I think practically shutter the borders and trade.

Sure, but it's a better idea to trade economically

Having an absolute advantage in everything doesn't mean you'll have a comparative advantage

It's literally impossible to have a comparative advantage in everything

I mean, it's pretty basic economics ngl

Well, if the USA just closed itself off, how much harm would actually come to them as opposed to their trading partners?

Probably very little.

Quite a bit.

The US would, overall, have less goods.

They'd have fewer goods of what kind?

Depends

the production capacity is limited...

They can grow any sort of produce, they could make manufactories, and they have a ridiculous amount of land.

Limited labor/time, still

There are 300000000 people there.

I mean, still doesn't matter

The labour crisis is a sham.

Absolute advantage =/= comparative advantage

I'm just asking why do they *need* it, not why it is nice to have.

https://youtu.be/NI9TLDIPVcs?t=5m14s

We need it to ensure the highest quality of life possible

Why?

Should that come at the expense of some others?

"some others"?

Like the people who used to run factories, and farms?

They'd benefit from having said goods?

Before they started to import those goods.

even if you're being inefficient, you'll still get those goods

you still need to produce goods

Yes, but their quality of life went down, because they no longer have the job they did.

That's not really the case

I mean

the US is primarily involved in service industries

So we wouldn't be affected that much

as generally goods are outsourced

but even then we're already involved in international trade

just like every nation

But like, who do we focus on?

those no longer having their job would look for work at another firm, though

Do we try to improve the life of the urban centres more, and neglect the rural areas?

Do we try to make everyone happy by stretching our resources?

how about we try to help everyone?

This has nothing to do with trade, though

That's going to put a lot of strain on the institute that you make to do that.

Trade still increases the quantity of all resources.

I say focus on those in poverty first...

Well the resources are always there.

Trade doesn't increase those resources magically.

and just build up, gradually using governmental aid to support the lowest economic classes

It does, though

It makes them more available.

Yes... It makes it possible for the nation to use said resources

But the USA already has those resources.

We're not in a post-scarcity economy.

(yet)

Why do they *need* to get from from another?

The impact is the same.

For the country that provides those resources, there is an impact.

Whether good, or bad.

Usually good

assuming it's an acceptable, non-exploitative trade

which is probably going to occur unless there's corruption or some form of implicit threat

or, y'know

explicit

but we're mostly past gunboat diplomacy

I'm just asking if it is fine to sacrifice some people's quality of life to benefit many more.

it's not really

I've never said I am against trade, or whatnot.

"sacrificing quality of life"

I mean, unless you beat your laborers to produce more for trade

then sure, that's fucked

Well again, a factory worker that loses his job so the city can buy cheaper trinkets.

Our economy is already specialized for international trade anyways

so it's not like I'm proposing any change

You sacrifice the factory to get cheaper goods.

and obviously, the change should be gradual

No...

You'd be changing the product of said factory

But many places do not.

instead of making their own trinkets, maybe they make something they have a comparative advantage at

Because generally there is nothing that you can make that you can't get from China.

well, yeah

we're talking about comparative advantage

not just... "trade everything"

So, the factory ends up a casualty of the system. What happens to the people that lose their employment, or the town that was built around the factory?

Not a casualty...

It'd end up producing another good

But just because they produce a good

It does not mean people will buy it.

saying you're changing goods to focus on another type of production, or, put simply, to specialize, doesn't mean you're not utilizing that industrial capacity

I mean, it's under the implication that a trade deal is in place

You need a buyer before you start production.

eh, not always...

Well what the hell are you going to do with your products?