Posted on 02/17/2009 5:12:29 PM PST by BfloGuy
The U. S. by far remains the worlds leading manufacturer by value of goods produced. It hit a record $1.6 trillion in 2007 nearly double the $811 billion in 1987. For every $1 of value produced in Chinas factories, America generates $2.50.
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Well, if you are just going to stand by pre-set beliefs and not use your intellectual curiosity to dig into, and find out the answers, then there is no point in further discussion. The fact is that America is still the world's largest manufacturer, and, excepting the current recession, the amount of manufacturing is growing at a fast pace.
best ganja in the world hands down...no one even contests that claim anymore
It is also our largest cash crop.
You ducked! Should minimum wage be $5, $10, $15 ???? Tell us how much it should be!
Also, how do you define entry level jobs that you say are appropriate for minimum wage? Does that mean that jobs you don’t define as entry level don’t get minimum wage?
I hate to shop at Walmart...It’s not because they sell Chinese crap...everyone does these days. It’s because I know that many of their employees are enrolled in government programs...subsidized housing, food stamps, government medical etc. Walmart made about 9 billion last year, yet I have to pay benefits for their workers as a taxpayer. I am not singling Walmart out...other companies do this also. This is not good for people...it’s socialism. They begin to depend on the government instead of themselves.
I would hope that no one would long work at minimum wage (adults) because that means I am definitely subsidizing these people in terms of benefits. This great globalism experiment where you took Americans and cut off their benefits and lowered their wages so we could compete with third world hell holes was a really bad idea...the outcome is that people are beginning to believe that they can’t make it with government assistance whether it’s the stimulus, mortgages etc...it’s all related.
For decades, people believed they could have a piece of the American dream...there were good paying jobs. Most lived better than their parents had...these jobs stood between us and socialism...now many good paying jobs are gone. The Walmarts of the world do not pay enough money for most people to live on...yet, it’s the world’s largest employment sector-more employees to subsidize at the state and federal level. We the taxpayer subsidize their employees in state after state. Obama and the Dems will add federal benefits this year as the states are broke-just watch.
Globalism has put us on the path towards socialism...by destroying good jobs and benefits. Again, no I don’t want to see the minimum wage lowered or eliminated. I already have to pay enough money in taxes to support those employed at such wages. I would prefer that employers voluntarily paid a reasonable wage and didn’t expect the taxpayer to subsidize their (in many cases) successful companies. Of course, that’s never going to happen...socialism here we come...damn shame.
Does it really matter? A better question would be how much is the taxpayer required to subsidize the employees of the companies that pay low wages...whatever the amount.
I don’t believe it because the facts don’t support increased manufacturing level...one has only to look at the trade deficits to know this...although there is plenty of evidence out there for my point of view...and it’s not fake statistics that counts business that has nothing to do with manufacturing in the numbers either.
I was going to post the same thing. Most of the parts for things are made elsewhere and shipped here for assembly.
Yep. It’s a rare item that has all parts made in America. Not that there aren’t those out there, but not enough to warrant the “we make plenty here in America” claim.
The southeast is tore up from manufacturing loss. And there are hundreds of thousands of people who have invested their whole lives in that business and are now not yet old enough to retire, but too old to start a new career and fighting over the same jobs. But since there is no jobs in manufacturing, restaurants are closing, retail shops are closing, so even those other jobs are falling out.
It’s a chain reaction and it has just started.
Nothing to do with your minimum wage discussion, just commenting on the manufacturing part. I hear Freepers comment on something that is working in their area, in one field and express how it is somehow representative of the nation as a whole. It is not. And the ripple effects of all the manufacturing job losses over the past three years will be really felt once 401k’s and IRA’s are depleted either through people being forced to spend them to survive, or stock market falling.
My husband lost his job of 27 years to the plant moving to Brazil.
They must be the same freepers who insisted that we were preventing revolution and anarchy in Mexico by allowing the mexican criminal class to cross the border in mass and destroy the construction trades while picking lettuce.
I know how rotten it is for you...I am so tired of people assuring me that manufacturing is just fine...free traitor lies supported by false statistics. My husband is slated to lose his job of 24 years in April...where I live the job losses in manufacturing have been brutal. Three neighbor who lost jobs in manufacturing have killed themselves...my one neighbor across the street hung himself...he had been laid of by Delphi after 26 years. Do these free traders believe we can all work at McDonalds or Walmart? This globalization garbage is going to lead to socialism as more and more people find they can’t make a living.
You might want to check that, he's anything but. My fear is that he will take the next step in economic suicide which is to kill trade. He has backed off his more critical comments on NAFTA but he's still making scary (to those of us who know what Smoot-Hawley did) noises.
I would only remark that your views are very close to the likes of Harkin and everything I've ever seen at DU.
Just a thought.
You are correct. Millions of good paying jobs are being lost and there is a ripple effect. There areas are not immune and will feel the effects of the ill advised global policies that are destroying this country. Sirius radio was almost bankrupt (still may go under) because they are not building many cars with sirius radio...big losses. This is one example. There are many others. I have people tell me all the time that I should move South. Well, I have family there (Virginia and Georgia), and they are beginning to struggle.
They are one and the same...there is a segment in the GOP who want slave labor really. Chambliss supported the amnesty bill because he wanted cheap labor for the chicken plants...who contribute much $$ to his campaign. There are so many good jobs that have been destroyed by globalism...outsourcing, insourcing, and illegals. Construction used to provide a decent living, and the houses were build better too before the Mexican invasion
We just bought a beautiful Maytag washer, the 400 Bravo series with lots of energy saving options and a clear glass lid. Made in Michigan, (Whirlpool bought Maytag). Since we live in Mihcigan we felt great about this purchase. Most of the front loaders which are so popular now are made overseas. Our old Maytag lasted 25 years with one belt change. We honestly did note expect to pick a Maytag but after lots of comparison shopping that’s just what we did.
Maytag was bought out by Whirlpool...beat out a Chinese company thankfully. They do manufacture overseas, but do have an Ohio facility and their headquarters is in Michigan. I have a Whirlpool refrigerator and have had no trouble with it.
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