They may frustrate President Trump, yet he will triumph slowly but surely over the years of his administration (hopefully 8 years). Our country has an advantage in producing something. We have some of the finest scientific minds and universities (of course they also turn out liberal idiots but the good outweighs the bad). We build some of the finest military equipment, as well as technology for going to outer space. That includes designing and building robots. China isn't the only one investing in robots.
As President Trump unleashes American talent (and puts up tariffs and barriers to cheap imports), we can unleash robots to supply goods for ourselves and not depend on imports. Trump is the right man at the right time to turn things around for the USA. Hopefully illegal immigrants will be our chief export in the short term.
OK, I read the article. Robots are the future of manufacturing. Supposedly robots are already making products in the USA. Conversely, the nation with the most robots will be the best at making products. The auto industry has a robot factory in Brazil. Wanted one in the USA. The unions would not allow its workers to be done away with. The robot factory was not built in the USA. Therefore, the robot nations win and the USA does not. China does not allow the Unions to mess up the future. China will be the leader of the 21 Century. 2nd place is not horrible. In terms of a race; the USA will be drafting on the leader(idol speculation).
The authors are stretching for confirmation of their thesis. China investing $3 billion per year in buying robots from the Swiss, Germans, Japanese and Americans is not going to have an appreciable relative effect on their economic development. I would be more impressed if they had their own robotics industry, but that takes ingenuity.
Very interesting post and thread. Thanks to all posters. BUMP!
ok robots put most out of work except for the robot mfgrs who become fabulously wealthy.
Time for a WPA-2? Helicopter money? More Chinese bus tours with tour guides to LV and Grand Canyon? If not that, then what?
bfl
Its not difficult to analyze what public policies would lead a company to prefer operating in China versus the US, and then adjust those policies.
Automation takes labor costs out of the equation, which leave other issues, taxes, regulation, red tape, physical security, financial security, financial flexibility, privacy, freedom. On those issues, if we are not superior to Mexico or China, then thats where we need to focus.
Later
The same concerns were manifested by the weavers in another century as machines appeared to be replacing workers.
bkmk