How America Lost Its Industrial Edge

Insight on the News - Issue: 06/24/03 ^ | 11/9/03 | cp124

[Norse]

OK - cutting costs by taking advantage of a concept called the division of labor is stupid. Better look at yourself.

[GatekeeperBookman]

Walter E. Williams has a way with words-though I quibble with some them.

He observed last Friday that many jobs need to be eliminated &/or exported. That is true enough but we need not remove or eliminate them all!

We also don't 'need' criminal aliens destroying the wages of the bottom, nor do we 'need' the imported professionals to erode the wages of the professionals-especially under gov edict & real corporate welfare. Has anyone ever noticed the Surface Transportation Assistance Act?? It 'helps' little truck lines like JB Hunt, Schnieder & Werner. Imported drivers bring $3,000 from there country gov & ours pays another $3,000 to the employer. The old STAA gave appox 6 months wages for the employment of anyone on unemployment-ever see the large truck fleets which fill the roads?? Now do you 'understand' trucking deregulation??

Some hard fiugure in the posts here show we ARE manufacturing more, not less.

[GatekeeperBookman]

I saw over 100 workers laid off in Denton,Tx last Thursday. They are lucky-the local job market is fair but the aliens are ready willing & cheap. Carpenters, roofers, cement workers, all manual trades have been hit by the flood of criminals from mexico.

Thanks W.

[GatekeeperBookman]

When entire factories move & some are even critical for defense, FREE TRAITORS seems to fit.

[cp124]

If we had tax, regulatory, and tort reform we could and would compete. Our own elected officials and people like you would rather see this country fail for your own gain. WHY are IT jobs going to India. Its not processes or customer service. It is paying 1/4 of what you pay in this coubtry with no benefits. Why did textile jobs go to third world countrys? Processes or customer service. No...slave labor.

"And no government or state has the right to tell me that I cannot."

Yea right. What about the countrys that don't allow our exports?

[ArneFufkin]

Anything specific you're looking to manufacture Willie?

Or are you just going to be free lance manufacturer? "What do you make?" "Whatta ya need?"

Willie, put a business plan together, present it to a banker or investor, unfurl your winning business model manufacturing "stuff" in America, paying decent living wages and benefits so you can market your product at 50% premium to the price of overseas competitors plus slower turnaround and more inflexible customization.

You will prove, without a shadow of doubt, that bankers are capable of laughter.

Oh, that's right. We'll just raise the cost of the imported product. Nobody loses. Except American consumers.

Good luck with that manufacturing gig. Bob Seger sang about "Making Thunderbirds". Make me two Thunderbirds and a Kate Jackson commerative orange Pinto. And, make me one of those "Body By Jakes". "Home of the Whopper" underwear, I'm going to need four or five of those put together. I'm knowing I'll need a new water softner sooner or later. Make me one of those too. Oh, and while you're at it, I'm going to need a Favino Gypsy guitar. Preferably black, 26 1/2" scale.

You're a manufacturing whirleygig!

[cp124]

China's draft auto-industry policy

Requires that Chinese companies be technology-independent and account for 50% of the total market by 2010

Limits foreign ownership of joint ventures to 50%

Calls for parts makers to export 40% of production

[Moonman62]

As Fingleton puts it: "The United States trails no fewer than eight other nations, all of which devote a larger share of their labor force to manufacturing."

All this means is that we make more efficient use of our labor force. My guess is that our manufacturing output is still tops in the world.

[Norse]

>It's been my profession for over 30 years.

That actually explains quite a bit. You don't want to put in the extra effort to reduce costs and are comfortable with the status quo. Who cares about costs and quality for consumers - you just don't want to compete!

>I doubt you're going to teach me anything new
One can always learn something new from the most unexpected sources.

>We the People" have the right to impose tariffs on imports

I agree - for revenue purposes. But not for protective purposes. Restrictive revenues are tyranny just like overtaxation and should not be tolerated. (except in certain situations as Adam Smith pointed out). And "We the People" have been the world leaders of removing and lowering trade restrictions for the past 50 years.

As for the piece you pasted from Adam Smith - i'm well familiar with it, and he's right. But what Adam Smith proposes is far from what Buchanan and protectionists want - a blanket of protection where there is absolutely no threat of competition to American industries. Also, Adam Smith advocates taking advantage of the division of labor, while Buchananites do not.

>Sure I would.
>I'm a Buchannanite -- a true conservative: crotchedy, mean->spirited, judgemental and intolerant.

True conservatives understand economics and capitalism, while you and your mentor Buchanan do not.

As for calling me a traitor, it might be fun, for 5 seconds that is, until you get clocked in the jaw from a sharp right hook.

[GatekeeperBookman]

"I agree - for revenue purposes. But not for protective purposes. Restrictive revenues are tyranny just like overtaxation and should not be tolerated. (except in certain situations as Adam Smith pointed out). And "We the People" have been the world leaders of removing and lowering trade restrictions for the past 50 years."

Then let us swap our income tax for import tarrifs. Thanks-I'll enjoy the added wealth of our economy.

[Norse]

>Then let us swap our income tax for import tarrifs. Thanks->I'll enjoy the added wealth of our economy.

We could do that, wouldn't cause growth, however. It would be more like cancelling a positive with a negative. How about reducing our business, income, and capital gains taxes in order to become more competitive?

[ArneFufkin]

Our own elected officials and people like you would rather see this country fail for your own gain

So to ensure you are employed and grossly overpaid for your deficient skills, inferior productivity and negative labor ROI to the firm, the rest of us are forced to pay more for our product purchases and service offerings? So, my economic benefit, and that of every other American consumer, is corrupted so that your economic benefit is maximized? My family, my wallet, my consumer priorities are seized to underwrite yours?

Whatta ya, some kind of comedian?

Patriotic countrymen like you we need like a gaping flesh wound the day of the big dance.

[Norse]

I've seen all this - the causes of the problem are not free markets but instead regulation and taxation at home coupled with a currency that experiences swings in value.

And Marx was absolutely right. He was a better capitalistic economist than 90% of the capitalist economists alive today. Read some of his text - I think you'll be surprised.

[clamper1797]

I know I posted this to another thread but it does say what i feel ...

I blame those who are now in power for not stopping it. I don't have as much problem with outsourcing .. BUT IMO any company who created their business on American shores whose citizens provided the opportunity to create that business and provided the safety of their military to protect that company then moves their business off-shore to make an easy buck and in the process screws the same American worker who made their existance possible ... are TRAITORS to me.

BUT worse is the practice of bringing foreigners on OUR soil to take our jobs ... that ... to me is dispicable ... and quite frankly ... anyone who would condone, support or engage in this practice is a TRAITOR of the worst kind

[ArneFufkin]

Yeah, and at the end of the day, the tired (but in a good way) Chinese worker returns home to cuddle with his pigs and ducks and await the wacky viral pandemics that ensue.

Who cares about China's domestic trade protections? If they market some product that provides me economic utility and satisfaction, I'll buy it. Why do they have to buy anything from us? I spent $125 at Cub Foods, do they have to buy $125 of stuff from me?

I just want to put the hammer down on their shameless intellectual property, copyright and patent theft.

[cp124]

So to ensure you are employed and grossly overpaid for your deficient skills, inferior productivity and negative labor ROI to the firm, the rest of us are forced to pay more for our product purchases and service offerings? So, my economic benefit, and that of every other American consumer, is corrupted so that your economic benefit is maximized? My family, my wallet, my consumer priorities are seized to underwrite yours?


Economists have warned for years about the potentially painful consequences of such a shift in global investment patterns.

This has caused some analysts to even envision the day when China could use threats of selling Treasurys to try to influence U.S. economic or foreign policy -- for example to quash efforts by U.S. lawmakers to keep out Chinese exports or to pressure Washington to withhold support for Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing considers part of its territory.

[GatekeeperBookman]

How about we put US Rep., the Honorable Dr. Ron Paul in charge of taxation & then we get back to 'America' the way the Founders designed it???

[GatekeeperBookman]

Now you are being rude-bringing up real world scnarios for the Chicoms to play us like a fiddle! How mean of you to throw fast balls when its slow pitch they want.

[GatekeeperBookman]

You seem to compute vast sums in a single leap-kinda like Superman. I just wonder if the figures are not a little unbalanced. Starting from zero to total what is really collected & spent would get my attention. I am taking personal steps to switch some investments to lead...& brass &, well, hard metals. Things look pretty strange when we see mexican flag-rags at the grocery store & the filthy fox from the South is on tour to lecture us!

[clamper1797]

Thank you for bringing up the Chicoms ... cause THAT is exactly what the Free Traitors are doing ... selling us down the river to the Chicoms, Indians, ETC ... all for that easy buck