[international american]

"It is easy to praise economic globalization during boom times; the challenge, however, is to defend it during the lean years of a business cycle. Offshore outsourcing is not the bogeyman that critics say it is. Their arguments, however, must be persistently refuted. Otherwise, the results will be disastrous: less growth, lower incomes -- and fewer jobs for American workers."

When eventually, you produce nothing, manufacture nothing, and service nothing...where are we?

[lunatic12]

More jobs are outsourced to America than from America.

[ARCADIA]

When eventually, you produce nothing, manufacture nothing, and service nothing...where are we?

That would leave a few fat investors and zero unemployment. Sad isn't it?

[BfloGuy]

When eventually, you produce nothing, manufacture nothing, and service nothing...where are we?

This is the doomsday scenario that is constantly thrown around in this forum. The answer, of course, is that as we all become poorer and poorer (as they'd have us believe) we'd no longer be able to afford imports.

And because the dollar would be so cheap, of course then the business would return here.

But, guess what? It's already happening and we're not even poor. The dollar is declining in value relative to other currencies and our exports are increasing. Manufacturing is up. When left alone, the system is self-regulating.

The other point the protectionists don't take into account is that if I'm forbidden by law to purchase labor overseas (outsourcing), I might just shut down my business altogether.

I could take my money and simply invest over there. I don't have to keep my money tied up in plants and a labor force that aren't profitable. Maybe we have to regulate that, too?

[Celtman]

When eventually, you produce nothing, manufacture nothing, and service nothing...where are we?

      Indeed.  America has long been the major consumer - what has made this possible has been that we were also the major producer.

[Fledermaus]

When eventually, you produce nothing, manufacture nothing, and service nothing...where are we?

Probably in an asylum for the insane since that's ridiculous.

A record number of American's are working today than ever before.