2 of 3 Carolinas textile jobs may go in 3 years, study says

The Charlotte Observer ^ | Thursday, July 03, 2003 | TONY MECIA

[Willie Green]

why not 3 of 3???

Probably out of recognition of the installed base of Singer Sewing machines in American homes.
With a lack of job opportunities in the mass market, it's likely that some women will resort to custom sewing in their own homes to try to help make ends meet. There are already many women in our nation supplementing their incomes in this way: making prom gowns or wedding dresses for young ladies in their small communities. It's not a big market, but one that is unlikely to be displaced by imports.

[jayef]

Obviously the pace of change is increasing. Are you suggesting that this is a bad thing? Will that mean that workers will have to be more mobile and adaptable? Absolutely. Again, bad thing?

[jayef]

What do you want me to do about market rates for labor in China and India? Do you want to put more regulations on business? Again, how is free trade responsible for market labor rates in other countries?

[riri]

Will that mean that workers will have to be more mobile and adaptable?

That is key. Is it bad, good--I don't have the answer to that. I know that I have left the country once for opportunity and will probably leave again later this year or early next year. This time I will not be so quick to return.

My children will probably grow up internationally. I hope to instill in them the ability to go where the opportunities are.

In some ways that is very frightening. I imagine my kids telling stories of what mom says America used to be like.

[jern]

Don't have kids if you can't afford them.

[azhenfud]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/941821/posts

[dennisw]

He's a libertarian if that gives you a clue.

[TopDog2]

Again you only prove that you are an enemy of the future. Do you not have the foresight to realize that today's "niche industry" is tomorrow's "cash cow". Microcomputers and software were niche industries in the late 70's and early '80s.

An "enemy of the future"???? WTF are you talking about? Some niche industries remain niche industries. I would guess that the majority of displaced workers would not be able to (for a variety of reasons)move into any of the high tech industries even if they did become mainstream.

Even those that are able to retrain will probably see their jobs sent to Bangalore just like your "niche industries in the late 70's and early '80s."

[dennisw]

Same here. I was quasi libertarian. I've been anti "free trade" since 1986, reading Clyde Prestowitz and others about Japanese trade policy.

Japan is a pussycat compared to the dangers posed by China. China's low cost production has Mexico and other 3rd world nations crying out no mas!

[Leatherneck_MT]

It's amazing to me to see the amount of idiocy here. Especially since losing jobs overseas means we lose more and more of our independence to "The World". Clothing isn't of strategic importance until you consider that the people in the states hit by it are going to be another drain on the federal teat.

Sheep

[dennisw]

The rope quote is from Lenin....but you got the right idea:)

[dennisw]

Hahahah ... I just saw a new daconia55 post on another thread. Perhaps he'll answer you.

[waterstraat]

The stagecoach drivers, track layers, vacuum tube makers, blacksmiths, coopers, drovers, wooden shingle makers, daisy wheel printer repairmen all thank you.

Those displaced workers all got jobs in new industries, in new factories that were being built in america. Those workers went accross the street, the stagecoach drivers got jobs driving taxis, the wooden shingle makers got jobs at an american factory making asphalt shingles, the daisy wheel printer repairmen repaired new american printers, the coopers got jobs in american aluminum manufacturing, etc.

What is different today, is that no new factories are being created for new replacing industries. There is no place to go.

All new factories are in china, india, mexico, etc and they do not hire americans.

Todays americans who see their factory close, do not have a new american factory to go to, no one is building new amerian factories, and they wont either.