“the prevailing wage for most of our work would be measured in calories of food in Asia rather than dollars.”
No. The exchange rate adjusts to equalize the overall price levels. The good jobs are not going overseas. They are succumbing to too much government.
American workers (in most jobs) have lost any leverage in bargaining for decent pay; if by too much government you mean things like safe working conditions, workers comp insurance, etc., then I don’t see that as too much government. Most things unions worked for decades ago were made into law; now many of those things are starting to disappear, not because the American free market,but the global market in which the American workers have to now compete, dictates as much.
As far as exchange rates equalizing, look at how fast the middle classes are growing in India and China while shrinking here. We are losing our economic viability to those countries.