[rwfromkansas]

Certainly.

Outsourcing is a tiny portion of jobs in reality. America is not an industrial economy anymore, but an information economy. That is why I am not being stupid and going into manufacturing. Times change. That isn't bad (unless our military production goes elsewhere....) America will adapt and survive as it always does.

Some of these doom and gloomers need to read Reagan's hope for a brighter future.

AND THAT is what Bush needs to hammer in the general election campaign starting in a month or so. He also needs to point out and hammer it when jobs are created. He needs to point out that the Dems have no actual plans to do anything to fix the problem.

[TXBSAFH]

That may not be enough. Joe Lunchbucket does not have the attention span for that. The argument will be outsourcing bas, GWB does nothing about it, GWB bad.

[applemac_g4]

>America is not an industrial economy anymore, but an
>information economy. That is why I am not being stupid and
>going into manufacturing. Times change. That isn't bad
>(unless our military production goes elsewhere....) America
>will adapt and survive as it always does.

Ok...it's time to call some of you free-traders out on this. You are very good at speaking in hopeful generalities trying to get your guy re-elected in November. Get rid of the generalities. Lets get specific.

Say you are advising a very intelligent, reasonably personable high school student on what to do with his life. He has been admitted to a well known, highly respected university. His goal? Go to college, get a degree, and find a reasonably stable career that will compensate him well - say in the $150k-$250k range.

What are you going to suggest he go do? Be specific.

[Hop A Long Cassidy]

>>>"Some of these doom and gloomers need to read Reagan's hope for a brighter future. AND THAT is what Bush needs to hammer in the general election campaign starting in a month or so. He also needs to point out and hammer it when jobs are created. He needs to point out that the Dems have no actual plans to do anything to fix the problem."

Your intentions are good but this solution is like whistling while you walk in the dark. Bush has been caught blind sided on this jobs issue. His economic advisers have been asleep at the switch, and in fairness, this is a unique problem. As a result, he might well lose the election for a similar reason his dad did: the economy.

What Bush needs to do is less rhetoric and more action.

First off, he should get the currencies to float. The Chinese Yuan needs to be revalued up. This cuts the profitability of manufacturing there. The same with India.

These countries can't afford to buy our products. They are getting a free ride by locking onto our exchange rate and not letting the currencies float to where there is equilibrium.

There are other issues that many of us here on this forum have spoken about that need to be addressed, such as training, lower costs to hire people (health, taxes, etc.). All of them require decisive action. So far, Bush is like the deer caught in your head lights. The election is fast approaching. And what is Bush talking about?... let's bring in more illegals, or legalize the ones that are here.

He's out of touch with his loyal supporters, with the economy, and with the voters at large. Time is a click'in. The time to act was yesterday.

If he waits to campaign on rhetoric alone, as he has so far, the voters will shirk him and allow in Kerry... who will immediately impose exchange controls, big tariffs, which will bring about global recession... and he'll tax the "rich" out of existence (families making over $50K/yr will be considered rich).

My bet is that Bush just doesn't "get it" and worse, he might campaign too softly against Kerry. I hope he doesnt' check his watch on any televised debates.

Hoppy

[Looper]

Bingo. That's the message that GWB needs to articulate, which is what Reagan did so well--the hope for a brighter future should win out over talking down the economy, fear mongering and protectionist drivel. I think the economic numbers and GWB's record (notwithstanding the steel and farm bill fiascos) are there for GWB to make his case for optimism.

[blowfish]

America is not an industrial economy anymore, but an information economy. That is why I am not being stupid and going into manufacturing.

...as corporations eagerly pump IT jobs overseas as fast as they can sign the paperwork... Better not go into computer fields either.

[DentsRun]

Outsourcing is a tiny portion of jobs in reality. America is not an industrial economy anymore, but an information economy.

Which still hasn't prevented our balance of trade deficit from growing every year.