Free trade? C'mon

Tooling and Production ^ | Jan 08 | Brian Sullivan

[null and void]

and the invention of an horrible system called JIT ("Just in Time") manufacturing, where the part was made when ordered.

JIT. Also know as: OSWO (Oh Swoe)- Oh S#!+, We're Out!

[scarface367]

If you mean lowering the corporate tax rates and reducing government regulations of industries, I completely agree with you.

[scarface367]

Or maybe its that industries have realized that lowering the costs of storing inventory means that the cost of production goes down. Amazing concept, isn’t it?

[null and void]

Wow, Marx would be proud.

You're saying that Marx thought that "the rich" earned their money?

All this time I thought he said that the rich were parasites and didn't add any value to the economy.

If you re-read my post you might see that I clearly said the rich got their money by?

(Hint: creating jobs, enabling productivity, and investing the the labor, enthusiasm, and abilities of others)

[groanup]

There is no way that we can compete with that, and we should not have to.

What is the alternative? There isn't one.

[BikerJoe]

Do plants here make obscene profits, just profits, or no profits?

I personally know of profitable plants (most profitable domestic plants for some companies) that were moved OFFSHORE because they could "make more money".

I'm not saying it was right or wrong, but it was sure a kick in the teeth to the workers that made those plants profitable.

[null and void]

And, yeah, a little inflation is "better" than a little deflation. Especially if you are a borrower.

Maybe not quite so good if you are a lender or investor, though...

[scarface367]

No rather your claim that the rich earn the money on the labor of others. Though I admit I misread your last part so I apologize for that mistake.

[null and void]

That is precisely what I mean.

[scarface367]

But as for the economy as a whole, deflation is devastating.

[roamer_1]

Because government control of the economy works so well doesn’t it? Screw freedom of choice, the government will know what’s best.

What freedom of choice? Most products are just the same ol' crap re-boxed or re-branded. In the mean time, quality spirals ever downward, the lowest common denominator being the standard.

If not the government, which entity would you prefer?

[scarface367]

If not the government, which entity would you prefer?

The individual consumers.

[american colleen]

bookmark

[roamer_1]

OSWO

LOL! You got it!

[null and void]

Or maybe its that industries have realized that lowering the costs of storing inventory means that the cost of production goes down. Amazing concept, isn’t it?

Indeed. And as long as it works it works pretty well.

The side effect is any disruption anywhere on the supply chain stops the whole chain. No one has any inventory to buffer for a Teamster strike, a fire at a chemical plant, or a snow storm.

JIT lacks any elasticity, as it is, by definition, always stretched right up to the breaking point.

[scarface367]

You are correct that JIT can lead to some short term disadvantages in the cases you mentioned. Yet overall, in the long run, the lower production costs greatly benefit consumers.

[null and void]

No problem. I need to figure out a way of saying the same thing in a way that is easier to get the point I was trying to make.

[familyop]

"Yes, comrade we must take from the rich and redistribute the wealth. Then we will all be living in a worker’s paradise.

It’s never worked before, but let’s try it anyway."

That's exactly what so many US corporate import and merchant officers and investors have been doing overseas against our own Nation. They're helping to build up PLA military forces with technology--shops on Chinese soil and engineering education in the USA. I'm sure that the PLA really appreciates so much branch-specific military electronics, machining and operations expertise and can't help but wonder if the old traitors aren't advising the ChiComs to paint all of their machines gray, too.

[roamer_1]

The individual consumers

Now how in the hell does joe six-pack know what's fair or not regarding corporate trade?

Do you think he is going to know whether the product was made in a sweatshop or not? Does he know the difference between a quality part and a piece of crap? NO, he doesn't.

You are advocating a system with no regulation whatsoever, as the consumer is clueless.

[null and void]

Yeah. A few years back a fire at a chemical plant in Japan nearly shut down the world’s semiconductor industry.

Turns out that this facility was making something like 80% of the only epoxy resin approved (Opaque, easy to mold, capable of surviving heat, cold, humidity, and expansion matched for silicon, etc., etc., etc.) for packaging semiconductors.

Few companies had a safety stock...