[Pylot]

It is hard to detect a quantum change when you are in the middle of it, but I suspect we have seen an entire sector of jobs go that will never come back in their prior form. One out of every five Americans has lost their job in the past five years.

High tech will probably not ever again hit the fevered pitch we observed just a few years ago and we continue to see a constant erosion of our manufacturing base.

Some manufactured products will remain. Those products that are so inexpensive that factory location and distribution are enormous elements in the pricing equation will remain. Paper and chemicals come to mind. Many of the labor intensive products or products with a nasty environmental impact will go. Some other manufactured products will simply price themselves out of this market. Unions may be their own worst enemy.

When Americans get hungry they find somthing else to do. I have run into many former hi tech people who were easily getting 100K five years ago and they are in totally different industries.

As long as the US Government continues to accumulate debt the only viable way for the currency to remain "strong" is for there to be more printed and more circulated. Hence the unholy arrangement with China.

I personally believe that the powers that be know that we are just a few years from totally bankrupting our country so they are just going along and getting what ever they can in the mean time.

[snopercod]

When Americans get hungry they find somthing else to do.

I just sold the family cow for 200 Crocus Sativus corms. I intend to become the Saffron Baron of the Southern Appalacians.

Paella, anyone?

[XBob]

34 - bttt - one of the few that gets it:

'I personally believe that the powers that be know that we are just a few years from totally bankrupting our country so they are just going along and getting what ever they can in the mean time.'