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This is a personal finance show on money, how it works, how to invest it, and how to live without

worrying about it. I'm your host, David Stein, and today is episode 516. It's part two of what

Trump wants, how trade deficits and capital flows can

harm or help countries. Last week, we covered a challenging topic of trade deficits,

currency accords, and why the Trump administration wants a weaker U.S. dollar in order to help

U.S. manufacturers. They see this as a national security issue.

One of our Plus members on the Plus Member forums wrote, after listening to the episode,

that it scared the bejesus out of him.

He wrote, I hate to puke everything.

In other words, sell all his assets.

But there is something scary about rejiggering the economy and the international financial

paradigm. I agree that this intervention, these tariffs, the potential to start taxing or charging

a service fee on capital coming into the U.S., that's scary because we don't know what the impact

will be.

My nephew, after listening to the episode, sent me a thoughtful text, and he wrote, considering

the U.S. is part of a much larger global economy, is it better for America or Americans in general

to pursue which of these two courses?

Weak in the U.S. dollar, reduce the trade deficits, and help the manufacturing base while reducing

...