[expat_panama]

...if american workers adopted these few simple items, lower wages, withdraw from social security, give up vacations, holidays, and medical benefits, they would have a chance to be competitive with chinese laborers...

What is it with all this "overpaid exploiting America" talk-- am I the only person here who's aware that Americans are good people?  American labor costs more because it's worth more.  The rest of the world already knows that US labor is the most productive (check out International Comparisons of Productivity).  Let's get together on the facts.

Over the past half century US real wages have tripled.  That's because US output has increase eight-fold.  In general Americans are harder working, more God-fearing, and happier than peoples of other countries.  This constant American bashing is not only insulting, it's simply not true.

[SandyB]

American labor costs more because it's worth more.

It is not worth more, which is why all of our jobs are moving overseas, and why our balance of trade is 3/4 of a trillion dollars in deficit. Nobody is buying "Made in USA" products anymore, not foreigners, not even american citizens.

An asian worker sitting at a machine is just as productive as an american sitting at that same machine. The foreign worker is actually MORE productive, because most asian factories are modern, and most american factories are ancient, obsolete, old, and out of date

[SandyB]

Over the past half century US real wages have tripled.

Yes, we had growth in real wages in the 1950's and 1960's,

but since 1970, real wages have not increased, and if you consider the increases in taxes since 1970, the standard of living has actually declined.

http://www.imf.org/EXTERNAL/PUBS/FT/ISSUES11/INDEX.HTM

"the average real wage in the United States (that is, the average wage adjusted for inflation) has grown only slowly since the early 1970s and the real wage for unskilled workers has actually fallen. "

[SandyB]

The rest of the world already knows that US labor is the most productive (check out International Comparisons of Productivity). Let's get together on the facts.

Productivity figures are almost meaningless, since there is little that america produces anymore. Only 1 in 10 workers currently actually "produces" anything, 9 out of 10 american workers produce nothing, and moving jobs to asia is only just begun. Within 10 years, most of the current jobs in america that produce anything, will be gone also. Nobody is buying American made products. Foreigners are not buying american made products, and neither are american consumers.