[The Great RJ]

The economist, Walter Williams, I think gives an inciteful perspective on this in this article:
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/walterwilliams/ww20030917.shtml

I'm sharing this with my economics students

[kittymyrib]

To HP, Microsoft, Intel et al: Can you say "expropriation"?
I knew you could....

[harpseal]

Ping on or off let me know

[Gunslingr3]

But the consumers paradoxically are conspiring in their own demise - or at least the demise of their own jobs.

"The claims of these organizers of humanity raise another question which I have often asked them and which, so far as I know, they have never answered: If the natural tendencies of mankind are so bad that it is not safe to permit people to be free, how is it that the tendencies of these organizers are always good? Do not the legislators and their appointed agents also belong to the human race? Or do they believe that they themselves are made of a finer clay than the rest of mankind? The organizers maintain that society, when left undirected, rushes headlong to its inevitable destruction because the instincts of the people are so perverse. The legislators claim to stop this suicidal course and to give it a saner direction. Apparently, then, the legislators and the organizers have received from Heaven an intelligence and virtue that place them beyond and above mankind; if so, let them show their titles to this superiority." -Bastiat

[faithincowboys]

Perhaps, it is a protectionist idea, but I think the country would be better off if we spent a little more on consumer goods. Admittedly, I am no economist but we have lost much in terms of national character and jobs due to our overwheling investment in China. We need a manufacturing base, we need to keep high paying jobs here, someone like Bill Gates should stop sending money and jobs abroad. The super wealthy are not patriotic. We are seeing a deficit of good nationalism and a surplus of ego and greed. Never have we had a less patriotic CEO class-- it is appalling. The Dems coiuld get traction with this.

[Jorge]

If WalMart were a country, it would rank ahead of Great Britain and Russia in total imports.

Yikes!