[Alberta's Child]

The underlying theme of this article clearly illustrates the basic paradox of a modern economy -- in which our standard of living (by almost any measure) is highest when we have the ability to import large quantities of manufactured goods from overseas.

For example . . . People living in this country purchase far more refrigerators, televisions, etc. today than they ever would have been able to buy if these things were all made in the U.S.

The basic question we face is which we value more: our high standard of living or our ability to export goods and services to other countries. Because quite frankly, we can't have both.

[RightWhale]

The underlying theme of this article clearly illustrates the basic paradox of a modern economy

Something is no doubt at work here, but our philosophizing has not kept up with our economic creations. We appear to have built something by intuition that works, and is robust, and is unrelated to what they bore us with in Econ 101. I suspect the secret is in the 14th Amendment, but it is hidden and appears only in the body of subsequent law where it is taken as a natural given. It is not natural at all IMHO except as we created it and we are sometimes supposed to be a part of nature.

[lucysmom]

People living in this country purchase far more refrigerators, televisions, etc. today than they ever would have been able to buy if these things were all made in the U.S.

We need to purchase more refrigerators and televisions today because the new ones don't last as long as those built in the past.