Posted on 03/12/2016 6:33:12 PM PST by Jim Robinson
Are we be better off today with the thousands of U.S. factories that have shut down and millions of American jobs lost and the trillions in accumulated debt that we've run up in the last couple decades of free trade?
And, of course, this is due to many factors including such things as:
Big government
Regulations
High taxes
Unions driving up costs
Cheap labor overseas
Fewer regulations overseas
Lower taxes overseas
Trade deficits
etc.,
And doubly exasperated by poor trade deals?
Or is this all a myth?
Are we better off with cheaper foreign (cheap) goods, fewer U.S. factories, fewer U.S. jobs, higher unemployment and welfare, higher taxes and higher national debt?
Will this spiral out of control until we lose our country?
Is ushering in free trade before (or without) reducing our own costs the equivalent of national suicide?
BTTT!!
Vote Trump.
Ok, this is really simple. There are 100 manufacturing jobs. 20 jobs are lost to automation and 20 jobs are lost to offshoring. That leaves 60 jobs. Let’s say the 20 jobs lost to offshoring never left, or came back. That would then leave 80 jobs. What’s better 80 or 60?
Eh, who needs it? We can get anything we want from Chi...
Oh wait.
Wow. What ignorant, elitist tripe.
The key was NAFTA. That started the wholesale loss.
The loss of our manufacturing base is also a huge national security problem. In both world wars, many manufacturing plants that turned out civilian products were converted to the manufacturing of military products. When you need weapons and ammunition quickly, there’s no time to build a manufacturing plant from the ground up.
Additionally, there is evidence that the Chinese have installed backdoors on military microchips they sell to us.
First the factory is shipped out. It operates for a few years and then it is automated there not here.
The question isn’t the number of jobs, but how well-paying are jobs. As you know the official unemployment rate is low, and there are real shortages in the labor force. Also, we as a county are addicted to debt and this has implications for our trade deficit.
The twin deficit connection: By not saving and relying on borrowing from foreigners to finance our spending, we necessarily run a balance of trade deficit. Therefore, balancing the federal budget and otherwise strengthening the national saving rate are the only ways, in the long-run, to fix the problem of our trade deficit.
Regarding increasing the number of high-paying jobs, on the supply side, we need to restore the incentive to work to people in the low to middle class through tax and welfare reform, re-orient education away from college degrees that aren’t marketable toward vocation skills, and end social promotion and insist on self-discipline as well as high academic standards in school.
On the demand side, we need to replace Obamacare with health insurance that is actually affordable, ease up on the regulatory burden on business, promote development of our natural resources, and rationalize business taxation (tax reform appears on both the supply and demand side).
If we do these things, the economy will grow by about $2 trillion (equal to the gap between the current GDP and what GDP would be if projected by its trend prior to 2008). This is a huge amount of money, equal not just to more jobs, but to more full-time jobs with benefits and pay increases. Even more, it means that a worker’s job security is independent of the fortunes of the particular company at which he works. This kind of increase in GDP would enable us to balance the federal budget and secure S.S. and Medicare into the indefinite future. Instead of people being so worried about the future, they could look forward to a future with confidence.
This country is in danger of losing its faith in itself. Fear and not merely anger is out there. We must be brave as well as free.
Can't do that to the degree it would take for American business to stay here...We'd all have to buy a Moped and eat a lot of Ramon Noodles...
What makes you think those 20 jobs are fungible enough that they'd still be here? If there was no such things as "offshoring," the company in question could just as easily automate 40 of these jobs instead of 20. In either case, you're left with only 60 jobs.
No, but why give up our manufacturing base first? Cut the costs first!
Your brain is defective.
Remember Guy Who Walked 21-Miles To Work EVERYDAY? He Just Made A SHOCKING Announcement! (2/10/2016)
central_va said this:
“Actually he is taking a productive job from a younger person who may need that a job. Sorry that is the way I see it.”
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3395832/posts?page=8#8
so when will trump have all his products made in America?? when he does then he’ll be taken seriously on trade.
countries where trump products are outsourced to-
china
japan
hondoras
brazil
italy
norway
germany
In fact trump supported outsourcing
“We hear terrible things about outsourcing jobs — how sending work outside of our companies is contributing to the demise of American businesses,” wrote Trump. “But in this instance I have to take the unpopular stance that it is not always a terrible thing.”
“I understand that outsourcing means that employees lose jobs,” continued Trump. “Because work is often outsourced to other countries, it means Americans lose jobs. In other cases, nonunion employees get the work. Losing jobs is never a good thing, but we have to look at the bigger picture.”
What free trade?
BS He is against TPP..
.............................................
BS He enabled it! He is definitely FOR it because his “funders” and “handlers” demand it.
And yet even with this cost disadvantage, the factory in China often comes out as the cheaper alternative than a U.S. factory.
Why is this the case?
Yes, definately cut the costs and regulations first.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.