America's Superpower Status Coming to an End

Newsmax.com ^ | 3/1/05 | Paul Craig Roberts

[1rudeboy]

What is the foreign content in those products today, compared to what it was 20,30, or 40 years ago?

One would think that someone who implies that foreign content has increased would know, or have some way of finding out.

[Bogolyubski]

No, I'm not saying that at all. Roberts has taken a leftist argument which is NOT based upon any rational view of the facts and circumstances. He is simply blindly parroting a leftist cant - Bush-bashing for the sake of Bush-bashing.

For Bush to have actually lied, as opposed to honestly acting upon faulty intelligence, there would have to be some logical motive and he would have to have known there were no WMDs in advance. There may have been rational conservative arguments against invading Iraq - chiefly in asking some hard questions about how this operation was in defense of our country.

That's not what we got from Roberts, Buchanan & Co., however. Instead, we got the nonsense about it being a war to make the world safe for Israel. Saddam's wheezing, tattered military was hardly a threat to Israel. If anything, Bush's parallel policy advocating a state for the "Palestinians" is a real danger to Israel. Roberts needs to come up with a more plausible explanation.

[KC_for_Freedom]

But why? Why do that? Why not just make all we need in this country and sell to ourselves

It has been explained. Why should a Frenchman plant and grow soybeans for his countrymen when they can buy US soybeans (including the cost of shipping) cheaper than they can grow them. The answer to the French is to protect the soybean farmer. the effect is to cost every Frenchman their money because they could have bought the soybeans cheaper.

I use the French in this example because it is true, what they are doing is wrong, and it keeps bias about protecting our own jobs in the background as we all see that the French are paying much more for many things, and not getting along economically as well as we are.

[TexasCajun]

Does PGR still write for the Washington Times?

As for as American's superpower status, yes militarily if and only if we have the fuel it requires.

When a nation imports more than 60% of it's energy/fuel to run it's nation economy and military that's not a good thing!

We are no longer a manufacturing superpower, I'm surprised steel mills are even still legal in the US.

[ARCADIA]

For Bush to have actually lied

I am growing very tired of this "Bush lies" garbage. I am a nationalist and I disagree with most of Bush's globalist agenda. But, he has been consistent in saying what he means, and consistent on following through on what he has said.

We do not have a problem with lies; we have a problem exchanging ideas and debating policy. The Democratic has imploded into a chaotic mess of emotional discontent. They are no longer able to supply constructive input into resolving the issues that face us. I may support the Republican party, but I know that without a solid two party system, our republic will not function.

[Smokin' Joe]

NAFTA should have shifted our trade imbalance back to this hemisphere by creating centers of cheap manufacturing in North America, (Mexico and points south).

In theory, this would have reduced Chinese economic hegemony, but in reality, the Chinese are increasing their presence, economically and otherwise in the West, especially in South and Central America.

What they cannot buy (heavy interest in Canadian tar sands, as a (newly developing) petroleum source, for example) with our dollars, they will eventually sieze, if we do not wise up.

Americans allegedly work harder, but how many have the mechanical skills necessary to put manufacturing on anything close to the war footing of WWII, when eighth graders had better arithmetic skills, and people designed and built things in their home shops rather than purchase them. Where do we obtain our machine tools, computer chips, etc.?

Imho, all the advanced systems in the world will be of no benefit if we are waiting for the parts from the far east.

[William Terrell]

Homes. Cars from GM and Ford. Aircraft from Boeing, Raytheon, Cessna, Piper, Mooney, Gulfstream, Lear, etc. Boats. Computers from Dell. Chips from TI, Motorola, Intel, AMD, IBM, etc. Software from MicroSoft, Oracle, and thousands of other vendors. Lumber. Food. Concrete. Steel. Aluminum. Coal. Military hardware.

All of which you listed were put together in America from foreign made components. There are some exceptions, like homes maybe, but much of the hardware used in them are foreign made, and most of the white pine and and hardwood flooring used in them come from Canada and Eastern and Middle Eastern countries.

Concrete may be ok, now. Steel, well, you're familiar with the controversy the last couple years.

Additionally, even if every one of the items on your list were completely, with sub-assemblies, made in the US, they are but a tiny fraction of the goods need and buy, periodically or every day.

So, again, what domestic things would that be?

[1rudeboy]

All of which you listed were put together in America from foreign made components.

If Americans are merely doing assembly-work, then why haven't those jobs been outsourced? We are not supposed to be able to compete with $1/hour wages, remember?

[MEGoody]

"The U.S. economy is headed toward crisis, and the political leadership of the country – if it can be called leadership – is preoccupied with nonexistent weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East."

LOL! Someone has been sticking his head in the sand again.

[Southack]

"What is the foreign content in those products today, compared to what it was 20,30, or 40 years ago?"

The Boeings, Cessnas, Pipers, Gulfstreams, Mooneys, et al are all 100% American content.

Both then and now.

I doubt that you find much foreign content in the construction of your house, or in the concrete and asphalt for your roads and driveways, either.

[William Terrell]

That example may have be true in France, but this is not France and France has been socialist since the revolution.

What was true in this country is that we did that for decades, with no vestiges of socialism, in a protected free-market capitalism, and we flourished greatly, whereas increasingly, now, we flourish minimally or not at all.

It's just really starting. It will get worse. The problem is, once it gets bad enough to see for those who don't want to see it, it will be too late to do anything about it without vast discomfort and lose of life.

[Southack]

Homes. Cars from GM and Ford. Aircraft from Boeing, Raytheon, Cessna, Piper, Mooney, Gulfstream, Lear, etc. Boats. Computers from Dell. Chips from TI, Motorola, Intel, AMD, IBM, etc. Software from MicroSoft, Oracle, and thousands of other vendors. Lumber. Food. Concrete. Steel. Aluminum. Coal. Military hardware. - Southack

"All of which you listed were put together in America from foreign made components. There are some exceptions, like homes maybe..." - William Terrell

No, you're uninformed. U.S. aircraft don't have foreign components in them. Nor does U.S. concrete, nor steel, nor lumber, nor food, nor aluminum, nor coal, much less our military hardware.

"Additionally, even if every one of the items on your list were completely, with sub-assemblies, made in the US, they are but a tiny fraction of the goods need and buy, periodically or every day." - William Terrell

You're misinformed. Food and homes make up the largest of our monthly expenses. Coming in secondary would be cars, healthcare, boats, aircraft, lumber/paper, electricity, gas, coal, concrete, etc....

[Howlin]

Take it up with Jim.

[William Terrell]

If Americans are merely doing assembly-work, then why haven't those jobs been outsourced? We are not supposed to be able to compete with $1/hour wages, remember?

If those kinds of jobs we allowed to leave the country, the creep strategy of globalization of trade and economy leveling would be too blatant, and even people that don't want to see it, would see it. Politically dangerous.

[Southack]

"whereas increasingly, now, we flourish minimally or not at all."

You should get out more often. Notice all that new home construction?! Notice all those new stores and restaurants?! Notice those new skyscrapers and office complexes?! Drive down to the beach. Notice all the new resorts?! Drive up to the mountains. Notice all those new ski slopes?!

Had you invested in the great American homebuilder Centex alone over the past 6 months, you yourself would have personally "flourished."

The trend for American wages is up, not down. Inflation is down, not up. Interest rates are low, not high.

Life is good. Go out and enjoy it.

[1rudeboy]

Listen to yourself. "If we allowed?" What about all the high-paying manufacturing jobs "we allowed" to leave the country? Are you suggesting that "we allowed" those to leave, but kept the grunt assembly-work in order to placate the masses? C'mon.

[G.Mason]

" ... I am a nationalist ... "

Hooray!

I am not alone. ;)

[KC_for_Freedom]

in a protected free-market capitalism

What an oxymoron.

The best that can be said for protected capitalism is that if it is imposed it is unimposed quickly. How would we fare if we still made cars the way Detroit did before the gas crisis forced people into Japanese cars? Better? Can our auto industry compete with the world today? (yes) Would they have bothered if they could have had government support? (duh)

The gas crisis, how long would be have survived with Nixon's price controls? (How long did you wait in gas lines?) Did we hurt Saudia Arabia with them?

Software writers, keep out foreign workers and pay more for our software, who uses software? (everyone), for what?(to make money). This would be like taxing all industries for what benefit? (a few uninspired programmers - sorry guys but top programmers cannot be outsourced). Are you saying our programmers can't adapt? (Even Laz found a new job)

You pick an industry and protect them, and we are going the way of France. And we don't want to be a highly taxed socialist country. BTW, what I say applies to all government subsidies, we should end them all.

[William Terrell]

Oh, I forgot to mention, the current administration succeeded in blocking a recent provision that the vital components in military aircraft, and other MILSPEC items, be domestically produced.

Odd, that, don't you think?

Didn't you read what I said about the origin of home building materials? Food is being increasing inundated with cheaper fare from other countries. But I wasn't talking about food.

Go around to retail outlets, especially those that distribute clothing and shoes, and tell me how many "Made in America" labels you see. Then when you see one, call the tollfree number usually accompanying them and find out which country produces the components that go into them.

You grazzie? It don't matter if it's "Made in America". If it's dependent on foreign materials, it ain't "Made in America".

You find some domestically produced products, but not many, not near enough, and less everyday.

[1rudeboy]