Manufacturing Revival? Is this for Real? Or a marketing ploy? (2009, debt)

[chuck22b]

GE Ceo Immelt calls for 20% employment in US Industrial Sector, and a revival of American manufacturing, engineering, and exports.

American manufacturing can be reinvigorated through investment in research and development, infrastructure and training, and by fostering public-private partnerships, Immelt said.
There is nothing "predestined or inevitable about the industrial decline of the U.S., if we as a people are prepared to reverse it," he said.

GE's CEO calls for American manufacturing rebirth: Associated Press Business News - MSN Money

Is this for Real? Would GE actually have enough sway to start a trend? Or is this political and marketing posturing inline with refocusing GE with its' industrial units vs. financial units.

Regardless, GE is a major player in the industrial market and is willing to spend on new facilities in battered Michigan which is a plus in my book.

-chuck22b

[evilnewbie]

I think its just marketing to attract government money... if he was serious than GE would of done it a long time ago... now that government money is involved, he suddenly had this revelation...

[Huckleberry3911948]

they are building condos here as fast as they can, the builders are not stupid.

[texdav]

We would also do good to realise that many countries have taken over the crew it together untrianed work force jobs. Many have said what we lack is a highly skilled workforce that is need in a high income country.With a growing dropout rate and the politics of eduction in this country it wil be very difficult IMO.

[HappyTexan]

Originally Posted by Huckleberry3911948

they are building condos here as fast as they can, the builders are not stupid.

Those builders are indeed not stupid; they don't want to get caught in the cap&trade fees, taxes and regulations.

[thebigr]

It is very possible for all this to happen but the present administration that we have will make it very difficult. There priorities are definatly not aimed at helping corporations expand. Instead they want Cap & Trade and have no intentions of lowering taxes for buisnesses. The administration is full of career politicians with no experience in running a profitable buisness. But you and I both know we need to get back to what made this country strong. I wish us the best of luck!

[HappyTexan]

I say ploy...GE was instrumental in the cap and trade bill. That would drive manufactures away from US soil.

[harry chickpea]

Big business usually has inside lines to which horses will win, place, or show. Totally consistent that GE would consider taking a desperate workforce, paying less, getting gov. incentives, and come out smelling like roses.

[bale002]

Originally Posted by harry chickpea

Big business usually has inside lines to which horses will win, place, or show. Totally consistent that GE would consider taking a desperate workforce, paying less, getting gov. incentives, and come out smelling like roses.

I agree. The first step in revitalizing industrial production in the US is a downtrodden population, a pool of poorly educated, indebted saps with no historical memory of such arcane niceties as the Constitution of the 1780s and unions of the early 20th Century - in other words, a country like any other -, it may take another 10-20 years to achieve in full.

To be sure, the current administration is a transition tool, but partnership between big business and government has been the rule since time began, it's an incestuous relationship.

Somehow try to move between the cracks, and if you can't beat'em, join'em, providing a product or service that big business and government can use, like the accountant-scribes of ancient Egypt.

[migee]

Here's a simple economic fact - If you want to earn something, you have to produce something.

When the politicians and business people in this country started to preach about an economic success here based on service industries, that's when this economic debacle (that we are now in) started.

We do not have a monopoly on intelligence and ability.

Sure, service industries can be strong contributors to our economic well being, but we have to have the diversity of also having strong manufacturing industries.

Let's face it - we have a lot of people here that are most suitable for working with their hands. And, putting them to work makes them equal contributors to our economic well being.

If you make a quality product, people will pay for it. And we have to ability to create new products, build modern factories, and compete with even the low wage countries.

Robotics, good management, fair wages and innovative products can do the trick. Even with basic products that many consider economically impossible to make cost effectively here.

We just have to become determined to overcome the obstacles - The warped political system we now have (aka career politicians), lobbyists, special interest groups and self-serving unions (There are good unions, and there are unions that are outright destructive).

Again, we have to get back to economic basics - Money comes into the hands that have something (material) to sell.

You can always get advice free.