[Tempest]

He’s talking about total dollar value and not actual number of jobs created. So many people get confused or are misled intentinally...

[1010RD]

The total dollar value v. jobs is a serious concern, but it actually reflects incredible productivity gains.

Those gains are in large part driven by liberal efforts to make labor more expensive. That effort simply compounds the bureaucratic (Federal, state and local) effects of taxation and regulation.

Liberals have increased the cost of labor beyond its marginal value.

Hence, high productivity, high value products and high profits to a smaller group (owners/capitalists) at the expense of labor.

Exactly what all Leftist programs do...the opposite of their stated intent.

[LS]

Right. People need to understand that the U.S. from the BEGINNING has been, because of the availability of land, a high wage nation that CONSTANTLY sought to replace labor with machines. This was as true with Whitney's mass production and the Slater Mills as it is today with robots and scanners. This has in the past constantly pushed us to higher skills and education.

Instead of blaming the "decline of manufacturing," we need to blame the collapse of liberalism, particularly public education, in leaving behind a couple of generations of people who don't have the job skills to compete for the high-wage jobs in whatever field.

[NonValueAdded]

He’s talking about total dollar value and not actual number of jobs created. So many people get confused or are misled intentinally...

Exactly. I think most people bemoaning the "decline" in US manufacturing are thinking smokestack factories and hordes of unskilled labor. Those days are long gone (but maybe an EMP away). Manufacturing will not be the salvation of the uneducated and unskilled.