It looks like the idea of exporting our manufacturing overseas through agreements such as NAFTA and GATT was a subject of concern at the founding of this great nation…too bad our politicians don’t want to remember our founders. I guess that is why we no longer honor George Washington on this day or ever hear our politicians refer to the words of those who gave us our liberty with their blood…
“He, therefore, who is now against domestic manufacture, must be for reducing us either to dependence on that foreign nation, or to be clothed in skins, and to live like wild beasts in dens and caverns. I am not one of these; experience has taught me that manufactures are now as necessary to our independence as to our comfort; and if those who quote me as of a different opinion, will keep pace with me in purchasing nothing foreign where an equivalent of domestic fabric can be obtained, without regard to difference of price, it will not be our fault if we do not soon have a supply at home equal to our demand, and wrest that weapon of distress from the hand which has wielded it.” The Letters of Thomas Jefferson: 1743-1826. To Benjamin Austin Monticello, January 9, 1816
Unions are exporting many jobs…probably more than NAFTA or any other “trade agreement”. Companies simply cannot afford to pay union workers 2x as much or more than a non-union worker while expecting to run of profitable business. Look at what unions did to Detroit auto. Wages and benefits go up, jobs go to Mexico, quality goes down, go bankrupt, etc while the non-union car companies did much better in the last 2 years.
The US should be making more high end items. Let china and everyone else build all the cheap crap. It really does nothing for society to have legions of US workers making the same stuff China does.
Dell is a big employer here, and they moved jobs overseas/other places in the US due to taxes.
At a fairly good clip we are creating a hostile business environment here in the US much like Europe where its extremely expensive to operate. Our unemployment levels are going to match theirs which historically have been quite a bit higher than the US.
Every time someone shops at a large chain store that sells plenty of Chinese-made goods (such as Walmart), they are voting with their dollar that price is more important than “Made in America”. The fixed costs associated with manufacturing are higher in the US than they are overseas. The labor costs are higher as well.
We can try to blame large corporations or even politicians for the move, but when consumers shop predominantly on price the corporations know what they have to do to keep their customers coming back.
Alric, while I wholeheartedly agree with you the problem is, Where can we find a store that predominantly stocks “Made in America” products??
While we can all can sit here and debate the merits of high mfg costs, unions this, unions that, lets not forget one thing. Whenever there is a problem in this country, if you really want to know whats going on…FOLLOW THE MONEY. American manufacturing can be profitable. If the executives weren’t giving themselves billion dollar bonus’. Thats just one of many problems (corporate greed) that plague this Country’s economy.
They were bred out by the last 10-20 years of consumer price shopping. If a company could survive, manufacture in the US and be profitable, why doesn’t it happen? Do you really think they want to deal with international law and regulations, shipping and customs? Lets not forget China itself, who isn’t exactly a fantastic business partner.
I also like how people talk about greed as if its a bad thing. People acting in their own self-interest is essentially how capitalism functions. It may or may not be perfect, but it seems to be better than the alternatives. Instead of looking at those executives and saying “its not fair”, ask something like “how can I be that guy?” I don’t think executive bonuses are the reason why jobs went and continue to leave for overseas.
Bonuses make up a very small amount of the bottom line of these companies and has nothing to do with why they ship jobs overseas. They think it is cheaper to make stuff overseas and import it than make it locally. Why? Regulation and taxation (US has one of the highest corp tax rates in the world), unions, regulations, regulations, etc.
There are rumors of a bit of unrest recently in China…first time in years the direct workers may not see a 2 digit % increase in salary and a bonus due to economy. One plant got supposedly got trashed when this was announced. I would love to see some the biz I lost come back to Mexico:cool:
You can spend a little time here guessing the future.
as the economic disparity between upper and lower classes increases, the world’s demand for “high end” products drops. it’d be great if we could make a living producing high-quality shit again, but nowadays CHEAP gets the contract.
You must remove the middle class in order to gain dictatorial control over a population. The easiest way to do this is to out source their jobs to another group.
Our politicians are clearly acting in favor of the giant corporations…call it what you will, but don’t call it an accident. This is all part of a larger plan.
If we were wise, we’d eliminate every government agency besides the military, post office and department of transportation, then shove everything else onto the states (if they want it) and make them compete against each other. Completely eliminate federal taxation of any US citizen or entity and make importers pay taxes enough on imported goods to fund the streamlined federal government. Burn 99.9% of the US Code and CFR’s from end to end.
I have zero problems with some states going to a European model of taxation/welfare, and other states resembling Afghanistan with nicer vehicles. A little variety is good in life.
Importing what we can make here is nothing but foreign aid, IE taking money from poor people here, and giving it to some guy who’s already rich overseas.
I love the rallying cry of downsizing the Federal government back towards its original purpose. I wonder what implications it has for society though. I’d wager that many of the things we enjoy about life in the US today is due to large government.