[ROCKLOBSTER]

We are the largest, by far, consumer of Chinese goods in the world. They could give up this gravy train, but no more gravy. How badly would America be hurt if we stopped buying all their crap, versus they stop buying all of ours? We’d sell less soybeans. And? They’d sell less TV, electronics, toys, steel, pet food, just about everything sold in Walmart, Kmart and Costco... I was in Walmart trying to find some frozen salmon NOT from China. Couldn’t be done. No, when the buyer doesn’t buy, it is the merchant who loses, or tries something to woo back the customer, not the other way around. Trump is holding out for a better deal. In the end, the Chinese will see the merit of this versus no sale.

There are plenty of other Aisian trading partners that produce such products, let them have a turn at the US markets and experience some more growth.

I've seen labels saying made in: Indonesia, South Korea, Taiwan, India, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, etc etc etc. None of them pose any military threat to the US.

Ska-rew China.

[DanZ]

I've seen labels saying made in: Indonesia, South Korea, Taiwan, India, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, etc etc etc. None of them pose any military threat to the US.

A little bit of recent history

In the mid 1980's when the price of Oil dropped drastically a large no. of Engineering cos. that design and build refineries, off-shore oil platforms and the fabricators who build parts for these ventures wend out of business. At about this time the South Korean began to develop large Ship building facilities that out-competed with the Union shipyards in the U.S.

all oil tankers and many off-shore platforms were built in South Korea UNTIL the RED Chines got into that business starting around 2000. Chinese leadership views some industries as vital to their national interest. So they support them through subsidies and other means. Now the South Koreans cannot compete financially with the cheap labor that China has at its disposal.

Moving to today Virtually all refining, LNG, off-shore platform Engineering is quickly moving to LOW COST centers. Some low cost centers are less expensive than others. India is still relatively cheap, the Philippines, Vietnam. Poland, the Check Republic while cheap are not as cheap as India. The Fabrication and construction for parts has already moved to these LOW COST centers.

The COST differential between U.S. and Low Cost locations is very large. These jobs in Engineering and fabrication will not come back to the U.S. until the WAGES in the U.S. drop to be competitive with the Low Cost centers.

This cost differential includes a high cost in the U.S complying with regulations, insurance, and other FEDERAL and State labor codes (OSHA) that do not exist in Low Cost countries.

[DanZ]

None of them pose any military threat to the US.

They all pose a military threat to the U.S.

Bath Ironworks in Main - a shipyard has problems due to

1. Federal contracts only - cannot compete to do Commercial work.

2. the welders, electricians, pipe fitters one finds in Maine as well as anywhere else in the U.S. - most have drug issues - therefore we have quality issues in construction

3. the Design of these Military items is done be a small and dwindling group of qualified engineers - because of the degradation on the academic standards in today's college environment