[mc32]

In that particular case, I think you're right.

Old technology meant steel coming out of PA was expensive. Steel should have presented a united front (labor and employers) demanding Carter and Reagan address dumping and drive for modernization --even if that meant fewer workers in the future --but at least the industry would remain.

After US announced 30% tariffs on imported solar panels, a Chinese company said they'd build a factory in the US [1].

We should demand fair reciprocal trade. None of this WTO, promises we put up with.

[1]http://money.cnn.com/2018/01/30/news/economy/jinko-solar-us-...

[kevingadd]

The panel tariffs are a problem because it's possible the negative impact on non-manufacturing (solar installations, etc) will cancel out the benefits from the tariffs :( But yes, there are definitely things the government could have done to protect local manufacturing. I'm still not sure the steel industry could've been saved. At this point I think the real failure is that the government didn't do enough to help people trapped in dying rust belt cities. Unions can't bear the blame for that.