We have laws on the books and they have to be enforced equally, whether you're shipping in entire containers or thousands of small direct mail packages.
For them, "success" involves feeling that a particular social arrangement has been solidified. It involves an exploitative hierarchy (which they believe is both inevitable and required) where they aren't obviously on the bottom and where "the right people" are on top.
They simply do not care how much it costs to raid people's attics looking for Anne Franco, or even the odds of finding her family, as long as The Authority is taking Firm Steps and people like Anne Franco are afraid.
The irony is this comes from the conservative movement, who are purportedly neoliberal economists.. but then completely disregard a central plank of neoliberal theory.
consistency is low on the MAGA priority list
Flipping this around: this is a limit on the rights of American citizens to purchase things from around the world. My argument is it's best for policy to center the rights of American citizens vs trying to curtail the rights of people who do not even live here.
For example, the split between:
1. The willfully-culpable Republican party.
2. The inept/uninspiring Democratic party.
3. The lazy/clueless non-voters.
I'm not sure how to solve that problem... maybe arguing over prioritization is necessary.
________
P.S.: For something more-actionable, how about this: Many problems exist, individual humans aren't built to consider them all simultaneously and coequally, be kind to well-meaning allies that are focusing on a particular piece.
De minimis had nothing to do with draining out manufacturing; that's been happening for decades. Before 1993 the rate was $10.
And who cares about the "base that built America"? US unemployment was low! The US doesn't need these terrible jobs or look to the past for opportunity. There is plenty of opportunity available by looking forward.
Again, I'm not a Trump voter and I think this is the clumsiest, most dangerous way to bring manufacturing back to the US, but that's my understanding of what their goal is. I'm not even going to touch the Christian nationalist side of the plan.
Even Liz Cheney was supporting Harris. This wasn't about "charm", it was about saving democracy. And now we are fucked...