[eru]

Almost anything can be painted as a strategic assets..

[actionfromafar]

Yes, but in car-centric US it's not too far-fetched to paint cars as a strategic asset. But maybe my thinking is too simplistic?

[NewJazz]

What is strategic about a fleet of passenger vehicles? If anything our car dependent cities are more of a liability than an asset.

[actionfromafar]

If there is a trade war and you can neither import cars, nor produce them anymore, you are in a pickle.

[eru]

Why would you want to be in a trade war, yet alone with the whole world? The US has many friends, there's more than just China.

Also, you suggest that a trade war is bad, because you might no longer be able to buy stuff from other people. But then you suggest that the right way to prepare for a trade war is to pretend that you are already in one, ie do to yourself what the enemy would want to do to you in a trade war? (That being limiting your ability to buy from the rest of the world?)