Posted on 11/05/2004 3:10:37 PM PST by Ahriman
That's not entirely true.
Japanese consumers are attracted to the latest fashions, fads, gizmos and gadgets just like consumers anywhere else in the world, perhaps even more so. However, as a result of their high population density, living space is at a premium. Therefor, they are much less likely to treat their possessions as disposable items that can simply be dumped in the closest landfill despite still having useful value, (or letting seldom used items accumulate in closets, basements, garages, etc. They simply don't have the luxury of space that we do. What they purchase must be small and efficiently compact to meet their cramped lifestyle. They don't have the elbow room to consume like we do.
Yes, once they can predict that a fetus will grow to have an anything even near a average IQ or lower, then they will abort the fetus because it will be considered too retarded to cope with the Information Age.
Later will come gene therapy, so parents (and the state?) can create designer babies with enough brainpower to ensure a successful career.
Good movie made from a book on this subject: Atica. Scary scary stuff.
See post 99 by Hostage.
I wasn't talking about the USA's leadership position in the world economy, I was addressing the crying-in-your-beer attitude about available jobs. What's needed is an open mind and a little flexibility. After my fifteen years in the Army, I worked as a retail clerk, a janitor, a car salesman, manager and tour guide. I have started three small businesses. Today I am an executive with a medium sized regional company and I make pretty good money. I think there is at least one more entrepreneurial venture in me and I plan to leave my current position soon to pursue that.
I have no patience with anyone who says "I am a XXXX and all the jobs in my field have gone overseas." As if someone is supposed to do something to turn back the hands of time while they stay home watching soap operas waiting for the phone to ring with someone on the other end offering a job exacly like the one that was lost. There are other jobs, other carreer fields, other opportunities.
I get so steamed everytime this subject comes up I could just scream!
Don't forget 3 years ago they directly threated to extermiante the US West Coast.
I actually think that allowing the currencies to float to their appropriate values accomplishes the same thing and is easier to implement. It would be difficult to "force" China to have open unions (unlike now). It is much easier to control the relative currency exchange rates. Moreover, it accomplishes the same thing. If the dollar drops and the Chineese currency increases, then it improves our trading position and also has the effect of raising the pay rate of Chineese workers.
Presumably, what this author, like many others is missing, is that the fundamental flaw in their reasoning is not to correct for increases in productivity. I believe the last two quarters productivity increased respectively 3.9% an 3.5%. I give these figures from memory so they may be in error. In any case the history of manufacturing is always increased productivity results in a need for fewer, simpler unskilled workers. Some time ago we became a service economy; however, someone else will have to post the proportionate change over the last thirty years.
They are laying of people all around me ....I am underpaid...but glad to just have a job.
Not everyone are engineers and IT professionals. Think about us average people. It's hard to find a job today that can sustain you. That's why I am grateful for the tax cuts..that muffler helps.
oh sure, there are other fields. if you want to go from being an engineer - to a waiter, or a health care worker, or a government employee.
the evidence speaks for itself - american parents are piling their kids into law school. I don't know a single friend of mine in tech, who is sending their kids to engineering school. not one. law school, business, finance, education, etc.
Unions will force the Chinese monopolies to pay more then 25 cents per hour. China can't afford to do what you want for one reason, her own people can not afford to buy the crap they produce. Think of it this way, with pay as low as it is (before taxes), if they produce a $1 toy that sells for $5 in the US, that's over 4 hours of labor to buy it. Since they do not have a plausable internal market for the goods they produce, they won't release their currance. Also, they are supposed to implement OSHA, China presently takes 10,000 FATALITIES per month in Industry.
It's interesting to note that some 25% of the working population works for the government directly as an employee at one level or another. Is this then not Socialism at its finest?
and that's going up.
and if you add to that, private sector workers whose incomes are such that they get government assistance of one kind or another - then what is the number?
once it reaches anywhere near 50%, its over, the "mob" will vote to basically grant themselves programs and compensation paid for by "someone else".
that's why many of us scream to the free traders on these threads - once the private sector middle class job base is whittled down, the country is gone.
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