[Yoric]

> Outsourcing happens when it is cheaper to build something somewhere else. Tariffs can compensate for that.

Is that free market?

> Where are the starving people in capitalist countries?

The first example from the top of my head is Argentina.

> A large part of profit maximization (i.e. optimizing) usually means reducing the amount of material needed. Isn't that a good thing?

This very much depends on the industry. In software, for instance, it's exactly the opposite.

> The people who "rough it" in the wilderness still seem to be backpacking in hi tech equipment. I read about the kit that Lewis & Clark carried. No thanks. (Even on that "Alone" show, they bring hi tech equipment.)

No idea what you're talking about.

[WalterBright]

Is what a free market? outsourcing - yes. Tariffs - no.

Argentina is hardly a free market country - https://borgenproject.org/hunger-in-argentina/

> In software, for instance, it's exactly the opposite.

??

> No idea what you're talking about.

Watch "Alone". I think it's on Netflix. Compare it with the kit of Lewis and Clark.

[Yoric]

> > In software, for instance, it's exactly the opposite.

>

> ??

During the last 30+ years, the trend has always been to increase hardware use to save on development/thinking time. AI is the latest and most extreme version of it.

> Argentina is hardly a free market country - https://borgenproject.org/hunger-in-argentina/

Are you by any chance moving the goalposts?