> But essentially what Trump is doing is in line with everything I've described.

No. Trump's tariffs are too unfocused to accomplish any goal besides increasing American inflation from what I've read.

Trump's tariffs on raw materials, metals, etc make no sense whatsoever.

Motivating the creation of new mines or refining facilities should have been done through subsidies, possibly combined with promise of future tariffs.

And, obviously, Trump's tariffs on raw materials raise the cost of construction & composite products, which will likely push manufacturing out of the U.S.

I didn't say it would be effective. My point is that it is thematically aligned. I agree that it is counterproductive assuming that was what his goal is.

Our military budget remains a comically bad allocation of funds. If we're going to be isolationist and we are, we should cut our number of carrier groups in half and throw all of that money into subsidies.