[meyer]

I can think of a few really compelling reasons as to why a business would NOT want to manufacture in the US....

Unions
Taxes
EPA regulations
OSHA regulations
EEOC regulations
Poor education system
Entitlement mentality
Broken Tort legal system

There’s plenty more, these are just the ones that come to mind immediately. And they all center around our government. Government is the cause of the demise of our country, not free trade, not competition from abroad. Our government’s meddling has made it near impossible to compete with the world and we are now reaping what we’ve sewn for so many years.

Get government off our backs and out of our wallets and you’ll see America flourish again.

[ctdonath2]

From the expired TJIC.com:

---

Say that we had first contact with some super (economically) advanced aliens.

…and pretty soon they set up factories here.

…and I was offered a job in one of these factories, doing software engineering.

The pay is $400k/year.

The work week is 20 hours long.

The work environment is far better than I’m used to – great internal decoration, well tended plants, a zen-like water garden near my desk, massages every other day.

…and then left-wing alien “sentient being rights activists” started protesting, because I was being forced to work for less than a quarter of the prevailing wage in Alpha Centauri, and my work hours were twice as long as the legal norms in Alpha Centauri, and I didn’t have every mandatory benefits like “other other year off”, and “free AI musical composition mentoring”.

…and then left-wing alien “sentient being rights activists” wanted to make it illegal for my employer and I to contract with each other at mutually beneficial terms.

…then I would be rip shit that some elitist who had never visited me, or knew of my actual alternatives on the ground presumed to decide that I shouldn’t have this opportunity.

Which brings me to my core point: Chinese factory conditions may not be the exact cup of tea for a San Francisco graphic designer or a Connecticut non-profit ecologist grant writer … but they’re, by definition, better than all the other alternatives available to the Chinese workers (or the factories would find it impossible to staff up).

Butt out, clueless activists.

[Sarajevo]

When one reads about these working conditions--12-16 hour shifts, pay of ~$1 per hour or less, dormitories with 15 beds in 12x12 rooms--the obvious assumption is that it's all about money:

I would think different. The cost of living in China is not as high as in the US, and the workers are willing to accept less. All in all, this sounds like a pro-Union article.

[dennisw]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/business/apple-america-and-a-squeezed-middle-class.html?_r=1&ref=charlesduhigg&pagewanted=all

Must read is the original NYT article this is based on

[af_vet_rr]

Most of the components of iPhones and iPads — the supply chain — are now manufactured in China, so assembling the phones half-a-world away would create huge logistical challenges. It would also reduce flexibility — the ability to switch easily from one component supplier or manufacturer to another.

Back about 15-20 years ago, there was an article in the Wall Street Journal that predicted the assembly jobs would move to Asia once the majority of components were manufactured there. As I recall, I don't think they predicted it would be this fast.

Apple does have their iPad and iPhone CPUs manufactured here in the US, but those are such high-dollar items, they can afford to make them here and ship them to China.

[cynwoody]

The author, Henry Blodget, agreed to a permanent ban from the securities industry and paid a $2 million fine plus a $2 million disgorgement.

For those of you in Rio Linda, that means he's a crook!

[Gaffer]

They want their product by somebody who isn’t a California Union asswipe solely concerned about maximizing their take without a corresponding increase in productivity and quality. They want people to make their products that are proud of their work, not haters of the company they work for. It is as simple as that.

[longtermmemmory]

Greece has onerous regulations too.

permits to build a resort require THOUSANDS of official stamps.

This is why greece has no ecconomy.

save the USA gut the EPA.