The Mirage of a Return to Manufacturing Greatness

New York Times ^ | APRIL 26, 2016 | Eduardo Porter

[Chgogal]

I put some stock into what Trump says, but mainly I keep an eye on what he does. Hopefully Trump will watch the tax payers’ monies as closely as he does his own money. As you can see at the NYT’s link, the professional politicians are very good at spending other people's money. Remember Maggie Thatcher!!!! ; )

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/us/elections/election-2016-campaign-money-race.html

[central_va]

Comparing agriculture to manufacturing is stupid.

[central_va]

Marx believed in Free Trade because of its destructive nature.

[central_va]

We can't go back to car, railroad and steel manufacturing as the basis of our manufacturing jobs,

Why not?

[Eric Pode of Croydon]

There is an anecdote about a visit by Milton Friedman to China, where he was shown several hundred workers excavating a foundation using nothing but shovels.

He pointed out that one man with a bulldozer could do the job in a couple of days, to which his Chinese guide replied "Yes, but we could not cope with the resulting unemployment."

Friedman's response: "Well, if it's employment you want to guarantee, then throw away the shovels and give them all spoons."

We seem to have more and more Americans who are eager to set up Spoon Brigades.

[Texas Fossil]

Marx was an evil b_tard.

So is Obama.

They both thought it was their right to rule everyone else.

They can all go to hell.

[Eric Pode of Croydon]

Every major business in every country (yes, including China and Mexico) has talented people figuring out how to produce more with fewer employees.

And they will continue to do so, because your retirement fund and mine are managed by people who seek out the companies who bring in the best bottom lines.

We need to seriously think about how economics will work in a world where we can produce everything we are producing now (and more) with half the employees.