[gipper81]

If we don’t get serious now about rebuilding our manufacturing base in another 20 years we will be a third world debtor nation who must sell off its natural resources to the new prosperous industrial countries so our citizens can buy the cheap imported manufactured necessities for a subsistence life.

This is what has been said 10 and 20 years ago as well about getting SERIOUS. All of your analysis, while solid, says nothing about market based wage rates in Asia and the "China Price." Right now there are competitive pressures in Asia that is making it difficult for even China to compete against the China Price. There is absolutely no way we can lower US manufacturing wage rates to be competitive on a world-wide basis. Our value-added competitive advantage cannot be in manufacturing. There is no money in it. Why suggest a sector with no or little profit margins? Take the iPod for instance. The Chinese lose money making the thing while Apple makes money on it. That's the model. Not getting back into cars and computers and making washing machines here.

Rebuilding a strong manufacturing base in this country will require significant policy changes which neither political party will support today.

Your list, while a strong one (and I would agree with most) has less than a 5% chance of happenin' IMHO.

For all those who want to return to the-good-old-manuf-days-of-yore, what would you invest in today? What would you put YOUR MONEY in now in the manufacturing sector? Or is it all predicated on perfect macroeconomic conditions and benevolent political policies?

[bruinbirdman]

"If we don’t get serious now about rebuilding our manufacturing base in another 20 years we will be a third world debtor nation "

Hypothetically: a computer disc is stamped out in Red China for a buck; it is sold world wide for $150 bucks; where does the added value go?

yitbos