But look at what you buy, see where it is made, and if it is some third world country, so if they can make it without automation then so can we. Keep the work force off the government payroll.
I was talking more about services that we ‘buy’ (often without realizing it) rather than actual physical things.
Things like bookkeeping, analysis, research, design, etc.
For example, a piece of clothing you buy may be made overseas and the cloth is manufactured overseas, but the design was also done overseas. The bookkeeping and marketing and advertising design is done overseas. The company who sells it here may purchase their legal and tax services overseas. All that is part of the item you buy, not just the item itself.
If it is not purely hand-on (for example your plumber coming to your house to fix a plumbing problem) then it is likely many of the services you purchase are done and transmitted by computer.