[tx_eggman]

We represent five percent of the world's population and we have been living large for fifty years.

The rest of the world is catching up with us and we are going to have to compete for the lucrative jobs.

Before we only had to compete against other Americans, now we have to compete against the world.

Being born in this country gives us a huge advantage against others, but it is no longer a guarantee of success.

[Paul Ross]

Being born in this country gives us a huge advantage against others

False. Not in manufacturing. We're the global 90-pound weakling. The newer better mousetrap gets invented by some guys in Silicon Valley, and then immediately manufactured elsewhere. E.g., say the high-density Plasma or LCD monitors and televisions. Most of the underlying technical advances were made here and in Japan. But they never get made here. Straight to China (with its huge tariffs, and government-oppressed wages), Taiwan, South Korea, and Thailand. Even hyper-automated Japan is being priced out of the market.

How many more "nails" do we have to lose, i.e., "want", before you guys wake up?