Protectionism is a pipe dream.
If I'm the CEO of Apple or Wal-Mart I like my cheap labor from China just fine and dandy. And I have a lot more say than "joe nobody auto-plant worker". I have billions of dollars at my disposal and can buy influence via lobbyists all day long.
Doesn't matter if its a democrat of republican in the White House, I can buy influence either way.
Harsh, but that's the reality.
This is what capitalism wanted anyway ... they won the Cold War and wanted to spread McDonalds to evey corner of the globe. Well they got it, now we have one basically unified global economy. You can't cry about it now that someone else (China) is doing it better or others (India, Russia) are getting their piece of the pie. Tough sh*t.
Fact is plenty of Americans like the system just fine -- they are the CEOs and corporate big wigs of companies. Cheap labor from China and Mexico works great for them. You willing to work for $5-$10 a day? No? Well tough luck, because millions in China are. Drop all the regulations you want, why in the world should I pay you $15/hour? Because you're an American? Hah. I have profit projections to meet.
