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The fact that we import significantly more than we export...
17% vs 14% is significantly?
You really must do better than this.
Start with considering the technical nature of what we export to the mostly low level industry countries
that would be affected by tariffs on the products that our low/no skilled might be able to produce.
Really; try that. Do you really believe that we gain anything by undercutting the ability of Boeing
to sell in those markets vs Airbus... in order to help Hanes market tee shirts and socks?
One more time:
The ONLY problem we have today is the far too many low/no skill worker bee class that we* have allowed
and even encouraged to be produced in the face of a steep decline and now the elimination of the jobs their
grandparents and parents once did and the ONLY jobs they might ever be qualified for.
They're almost all surplus to need or utility.
The biggest problem for the 1/3 of them that can get/hold a job to earn more doing it is the mere
existence of the other 2/3's which do nothing but depreciate their siblings and cousins market value.
*we meaning the social conservatives who fight sex ed and contraception among the dumb,
the young, and the perpetually poor as vehemently as they fight the right to choice.
We (as in the rest of us) are left to pay the price for this deliberately applied ignorance.
Last edited by MrRational; 07-19-2013 at 10:55 AM..
17% vs 14% is significantly?
You really must do better than this.
Start with considering the technical nature of what we export to the mostly low level industry countries
that would be affected by tariffs on the products that our low/no skilled might be able to produce.
Really; try that. Do you really believe that we gain anything by undercutting the ability of Boeing
to sell in those markets vs Airbus... in order to help Hanes market tee shirts and socks?
One more time:
The ONLY problem we have today is the far too many low/no skill worker bee class that we* have allowed
and even encouraged to be produced in the face of a steep decline and now the elimination of the jobs their
grandparents and parents once did and the ONLY jobs they might ever be qualified for.
They're almost all surplus to need or utility.
The biggest problem for the 1/3 of them that can get/hold a job to earn more doing it is the mere
existence of the other 2/3's which do nothing but depreciate their siblings and cousins market value.
*we meaning the social conservatives who fight sex ed and contraception among the dumb,
the young, and the perpetually poor as vehemently as they fight the right to choice.
We (as in the rest of us) are left to pay the price for this deliberately applied ignorance.
Like everything else, the devil is in the details.
80% of what we import are manufactured goods, while much of what we export are raw materials, food, or products such as pharmaceuticals which provide little in the way of employment.
Our national economic policies are skewed to favor corporate profit at the expense of domestic jobs.
Then comes the issue you identify as too many low skilled workers.
Let’s for a moment agree that much of the unemployment problem could be alleviated by increasing high skilled training.
Why is that not a priority of the government? After all, with nearly 50% of the population on food stamps, and the national debt going parabolic, would you not think it would be a issue of national security to change the direction in which we are heading?? Where is the sense of urgency? Do you see it? I don't.
That is of course unless the current situation is not considered detrimental by the people in power.
Perhaps it's even possible that they consider an environment of high unemployment and radically disproportional distribution of wealth as being a beneficial situation. Perhaps they would even consider this to be the new normal.
Just take as example the tire tariff. It was created because the American firms can't compete, so the unions and the tire corporations got together and presented a united front. Obama slapped a 30% tariff on the competition (China) and made a bunch of stupid speeches about how he'd save thousands upon thousands of American jobs. And what happened? Well, now you buy your tires from the Koreans instead of the Chinese. They just cost about 20% more. Turns out the Koreans can still undercut the American tires so we just switched to importing more expensive Korean tires from less expensive Chinese ones. There was no benefit to the American economy. No jobs were saved, no extra monopoly profits created by American firms for them to buy jets and go yachting (the usual benefit to the economy of tariffs). We just have to spend more on tires. Now, the Koreans are pretty happy about it. They've displaced China as the supplier of tires in America, but that was sort of an unintended benefit that we're paying for.
Like everything else, the devil is in the details.
80% of what we import are manufactured goods (from other 'first world" countries)...
And aren't a part of the tariffs that might "help" our low/no skilled
Quote:
Then comes the issue you identify as too many low skilled workers.
Let’s for a moment agree that much of the unemployment problem could be
alleviated by increasing high skilled training.
No thanks. We don't need appreciably more high skilled workers either.
Some.. sure. But not any more than 1:1 replacement for what we have now.
If the goal is to get money from the 1% into wages & benefits...
increasing the number of workers isn't the answer.
Just take as example the tire tariff. It was created because the American firms can't compete, so the unions and the tire corporations got together and presented a united front. Obama slapped a 30% tariff on the competition (China) and made a bunch of stupid speeches about how he'd save thousands upon thousands of American jobs. And what happened? Well, now you buy your tires from the Koreans instead of the Chinese. They just cost about 20% more. Turns out the Koreans can still undercut the American tires so we just switched to importing more expensive Korean tires from less expensive Chinese ones. There was no benefit to the American economy. No jobs were saved, no extra monopoly profits created by American firms for them to buy jets and go yachting (the usual benefit to the economy of tariffs). We just have to spend more on tires. Now, the Koreans are pretty happy about it. They've displaced China as the supplier of tires in America, but that was sort of an unintended benefit that we're paying for.
The last set of tires I bought were about $1000 it really does not chaff my hide to spend a little more to get a quality product made by my fellow countrymen. In the overall scheme of things over the 40k miles I will use them it makes less difference than 1/10th of a cent in the price of gas.
I think America holds its own pretty well in tire manufacturing. Personally I buy mostly BFG's, but there are plenty more good companies like Goodyear, Kelly Springfield, Dunlop, even some Yokohama's are made in America. If we are going to turn this country around, we have to put our money where our mouths are and spend a few dollars more to keep our domestic markets strong and our fellow countrymen working. The problem with the American consumer is they are penny wise and dollar stupid.
So what you are saying is we do not want tarriffs to increase low wage jobs
and we do not want education to increase high wage jobs.
Is that right?
Nope. Not even close.
Try reading what was said again.
Cliffs notes version:
Tariffs won't help enough to make up for what harm they will cause.
We don't need appreciably more higher skilled workers than we have now.
Nope. Not even close.
Try reading what was said again.
Cliffs notes version:
Tariffs won't help enough to make up for what harm they will cause.
We don't need appreciably more higher skilled workers than we have now.
Then comes the issue you identify as too many low skilled workers.
Let’s for a moment agree that much of the unemployment problem could be alleviated by increasing high skilled training.
Why is that not a priority of the government? After all, with nearly 50% of the population on food stamps, and the national debt going parabolic, would you not think it would be a issue of national security to change the direction in which we are heading?? Where is the sense of urgency? Do you see it? I don't.
Student loans, grants, scholarships..we have more resources available to them now than ever. What we lack more of is interest/motivation on the part of a large segment of them.
Now as long as their "who cares" leads only to their own economic problems, I take a live and let live approach.
But we owe the man/woman who wants free fish, but not to learn how to fish, nothing.
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