[Swordmaker]

Leave CNN alone. He is right, and your union red herring isn’t worth a damn. Unions in manufacturing are almost dead hear in the USA - 7% participation rate and falling. The labor to make a i-phone is 3-5% of the retail price. So I think Apple could safely make them in the USA and still make a huge profit.

It is NOT the labor. It is the ability to have everything there close at hand. Do you think we have that ability? Not anymore. Could we tool up a new plant in three months? No way in hell. FIVE YEARS MINIMUM if everything is optimal with all the permits, lawsuits are won, etc. Our business environment just is stultifying to that kind of quick movement.

The components of the device are manufactured all over the world. Many of the components of the iPhone and iPad are already made in the US. You really don't know what you are talking about.

Apple has been trying to bring as much manufacturing back to the US as possible. Better than 90% of the MacPro is made in the USA. . . and final assembly of all those parts is done in Austin, Texas. The iMac's final assembly is done in Elk Grove, CA. Over one MILLION jobs in the USA were created because of and are directly attributable to Apple.

[tacticalogic]

They appear to be claiming to have “created” jobs for everyone that worked on construction of any of their facilities, trying to create the impression that these are all full-time jobs working for Apple.