What is Your Alternative, Mr. Currie?

OPINION — I offer an answer to David R. Currie’s interesting commentary on tariffs instituted by President Donald Trump. 

What Trump called "Liberation Day" targeted countries with the same tariffs they impose on the USA, i.e. symmetrical, mirror image, or reciprocal tariffs and we might entertain the fact that, until now, other countries' tariffs have been running unchecked for 50 or more years.

Mr. Currie: If tariffs are so bad, why do other countries have them against USA products? 

Is their GDP higher than ours? Are other countries' tariffs helping their economies at the expense of pricing USA goods out of their markets? Why bash President Trump for instituting symmetrical tariffs? Are current USA tariffs preemptive?

The USA is currently paying about $3 billion a day in interest, with an annual trade deficit of around $1 trillion. 

From experience there are other trade issues that we need to consider, be it currency manipulation, intentional port delays, import permit manipulation, unknown excessive country fees that were not fact until products arrive at their port, unnecessary reinspection of USDA approved products with the sole purpose of delayed entry and on and on.

Protests are the agenda of frenzy and fury against President Trump policies, but no solutions are offered. Our president's opponents only seem to be able to bash Trump, Trump, Trump! and nothing else, like offering alternatives.

Would it not be in the best interest of the future of the USA if an alternative leader such as the Democrat who spoke for over 25 hours in the Senate chambers — Cory Booker — provided an alternative, or options, to trade deficits, budget deficits, excess government employees, overseas grants, other non-tariff trade barriers, and our government's massive debt?

B.R. "Brad" Bradley is a retired banker and currently owns several companies that trade livestock and process meat for sale throughout the world.