Trade deficit sham
Regarding “Trump suggests trade disputes can be resolved” (April 9): One fact often missing from reports about the current tariff tussles is that the perceived trade deficit with China is in many ways a sham. As recounted in Zachary Karabell’s excellent book “The Leading Indicators,” the current calculation of trade imbalances is based on early 20th century assumptions about how the economy works that are sadly outdated in today’s world of globalization and international supply chains.
For example, when an iPhone is assembled in Shanghai and imported to the United States, its full value is deducted from our gross domestic product, thus creating a trade deficit on paper despite the fact that this is an American-designed product. As the Canadian prime minister told President Trump, if the trade deficit numbers truly reflected both goods and services, as well as the value of patents and intellectual property, the U.S. would have much lower trade imbalances, making these trade wars unnecessary. Stephen Upjohn, San Francisco
Impeachment’s not enough
I have resisted Tom Steyer’s campaign to impeach President Trump on similar grounds to Rep. Eric Swalwell’s and our other local elected representatives in Congress. It’s refreshing to see a politician who thinks “an impenetrable set of facts” matters more than a blind, emotional rush to judgment or ill-advised action. That’s the difference between progressives and liberals. Progressives put political purity ahead of pragmatism and therefore can’t get anything done.
The grown-ups are thinking several moves ahead. If you don’t flip Congress in 2018, impeachment will never stand a chance, because it’s more political than ever. Republicans have shown they will tolerate collusion with Russia, and even treason if it furthers their goals. The only counter to that is irrefutable facts and sworn testimony.
Without them, Trump becomes a martyr to his base. Besides, at this stage of the game, impeachment is not enough. I want to see Trump do the perp walk as he is escorted out of the White House. Larry Bothen, Pacifica
Let Robert Mueller work
Concerning “Billionaire puts Dems on the spot over Trump” (April 9): Billionaire activist Tom Steyer is putting the proverbial cart before the horse with his repeated calls for the impeachment of President Trump.
The Democrats need to present their policies, not their animus toward this 45th president, as justification for voters to choose them over their GOP rivals in this November’s midterm elections.
Please, Steyer, let special counsel Robert Mueller complete his investigation without this distraction. If Trump has committed impeachable offenses, Mueller will surely find them.
Fiona MacPherson, San Jose
Time to pull back
Regarding “Napa Valley split over land’s future” (April 9): It seems pretty clear reading the piece on Napa’s Measure C that additional viticulture growth in Napa County will be restricted to economically nonviable, vanity vineyards. Add climate change to the other obstacles cited, and there seems to be no reasonable justification to vote no. We humans need to recognize that the Earth just can’t take more of our hubris, vanity and greed. It’s time to pull back.
Let the plants and other animals “manage” our complex survival systems like watersheds, giving careful assistance as needed. They, not people, are the experts. What we like to refer to as development is really ecological degradation. “Highest use,” indeed. Wine or water? Think about it. Janet Stromberg, Berkeley