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The USA produces heavy industry , not consumer goods. That isn't really a bad thing. Would you rather live in a country which produces TV sets or a country which produces semiconductors and factory machinery??
The more educated and wealthy a nation gets the less consumer goods and manual labor it does.
I find the assertion that Americans are lacking in high tech skills compared to our foreign rivals is utterly stupid and wrong. The CEOs are basically just wanting to offshore jobs for saving money, period.
One thing I do agree with, though, is we need to invest in high tech sources of INSPIRATION. That means increasing funding for the sciences and research. 0.5% of GDP ain't gonna cut it.
You gotta dream BIG and make BIG leaps in advances and be prepared to FAIL 7/8 of all your projects and be called a WASTE to make any real advances. You also gotta get government out of the process ... which is why I support NASA basically becoming a firm like the Armed Forces where very little internal development goes on and furthermore, we should back it up with contracts which GUARANTEE funding.
Kids aren't impressed with little efficiencies and stuff. They need the WOW! factor. Mine came from seeing the shuttle launch in person. Wow what a sight! Made me want to become an engineer, and it worked.
If we did that and we got more skilled labor, though, I fear the only thing we'd do is worsen the education inflation in this country, as CEOs and fat pigs like them all want to just save money by offshoring jobs and pocketing the savings while leaving the workers in the ****ter. We need to get tough with said companies and do something radical - have a separate tax on FOREIGN companies, at 85%, if they do not meet at least 75% of workers being AMERICAN! We should also tax foreign companies up the wazoo if they try to skirt around it by establishing small import companies to basically distribute them.
even mechanics will tell you that cars were produced better in the past to last but it doesn't work that way. people have to have something to do or fix. constant exchange of money and goods is how the economy works. it's not based on fixed outcomes or stagnation.
what america also needs to do as a practice is recycling. in both europe and asia they are big on recycling and have bins for various items/materials and they are strict about it.
I don't agree. Cars last longer today than in the past. I have a 1992 Mercedes 500SL that I bought new and it's still in pristine condition.
And recycling... I'm not sure where you live, but in our town, everyone recycles.
I think what you do is impose tariffs onto any country not up to the same standards we are. We can start out with the child labor laws, environmental regulations and government interference within the market place. Give them a few years to come up to speed and start imposing massive penalties for non compliance. In addition to leveling the field in other markets we'll now have new markets for things like pollution tech that the Chinese do not have.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JazzyTallGuy
If you are trying to promote exports in the economy the WORST thing you can do is start a trade war with trade tariffs. The world has gotten too compettive for that to work and the relationship between what goes in products and who sells them is too interconnected.
I honestly do not understand the relationship between trade tariffs and the current economic/global trade environment to offer a reasonable answer, but I'll add at the bottom the air times for this program, in case folks would care to share their thoughts on it, as it is from the industries point of view. (or appeared to be from the little I caught)
Quote:
Originally Posted by kovert
I wonder how just how much of our military materials are being manufactured by foreigners?
How much of that, if any, has been offshored?
As bitter as a pill as bail outs where, it was the one reason I would have supported bailing GM out, namely because they provide most of the engines for things like Humvees, etc... The very thought of having to buy a Hyundai motor to power a Stryker or Humvee just seems unreasonable.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HappyTexan
We still import food ingredients even after the melamine pet food killed dogs and cats all over the US.
I'm pretty sure that the United States is now a net importer of food. The Wall Street Journal (31 Jan 2005) reported that the U.S. would become a net food importer on a more or less permanent basis by the end of 2005.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kevinm
We create millionaires. THis is the only country that is free enough for someone to become wealthy.
The only country that produces millionaires? all righty then... oy
Quote:
Originally Posted by eskercurve
I find the assertion that Americans are lacking in high tech skills compared to our foreign rivals is utterly stupid and wrong. The CEOs are basically just wanting to offshore jobs for saving money, period.
One thing I do agree with, though, is we need to invest in high tech sources of INSPIRATION. That means increasing funding for the sciences and research. 0.5% of GDP ain't gonna cut it.
I offer you this program if you care to watch as I would appreciate your thoughts, as it appeared a reasonable argument.
Restoring the American Dream: A FAREED ZAKARIA GPS Special airs on Saturday, October 30, 2010 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on CNN/U.S. It will replay on Sunday, October 31 at 10a.m. ET/PT on CNN/U.S. and at 8:00 a.m. ET on CNN International.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Roadking2003
I don't agree. Cars last longer today than in the past. I have a 1992 Mercedes 500SL that I bought new and it's still in pristine condition.
I do believe Mercedes has a club sponsored by Mercedes itself for its owners who have cars with over 1 million miles on them. "The million mile club" or something to this effect.
I once owned a beat to heck Subaru wagon 4x4 that had over 430,000 miles on it and it ran like a top, but I'm a bit of a maintenance fanatic and prefer to drive my vehicles into the dirt. So regardless of make or even year, anyone can stretch a vehicle with proper care and a little luck.
The single biggest difference between the countries you mentioned and the United States is these countries have national economic policies that are specifically designed to promote specific industries. The government in those countries works much more closely with private industry to promote specific industries and those include manufacturing.
They simply don't have the issue of too much government involvement in private industry that many Americans complain about. In America is more of a "Do Your Own Thing Attitude" there really isn't a national industrial policy that is promoted by the government.
If there was people would start complaining: THAT'S SOCIALISM!
we got lucky with potash
Potash is a key ingredient used in making fertilizers, which boost crop yields.
"China is potash-deficient. It has to import potash," said Chris Mayer, a managing editor for Agora Financial and contributor to The Daily Reckoning. Since the nation is trying to boost food production, potash is a key resource needed to accomplish that goal, Mayer said
Chinese investors also approached Canadian pension funds to try to put together a joint deal that would trump BHP's offer. One problem is that $39 billion (or more) is not small change for most companies, and even big pension funds would hesitate to commit so much to buy a single company.
Hopu Investment Management, a Chinese private equity fund with backing from Singapore's Temasek Holdings, may also approach Canadian investors and Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds about making a counter bid.
Our products serve customers throughout the global marketplace – from China, the world’s most populous nation and largest fertilizer consumer, to India, with its 1.1 billion people. From Brazil – an agricultural superpower – to the palm oil-producing countries of Southeast Asia and the breadbasket markets of North America.
Together these five regions account for more than half the world’s population and consume nearly two-thirds of the world’s fertilizer.
And recycling... I'm not sure where you live, but in our town, everyone recycles.
there is one trash can and the trash man picks it up to take it to the landfill. unless, someone is picking through the garbage to sort it out, i don't think that's recycling.
in europe and asia, they have recycling bins for different types of trash and you place trash in them accordingly.
i'm not sure who you're trying to fool but most americans do not recycle. .
I know in my are everyone recycles, the borough picks it up. They pick up comingled (plastic,glass,steel) once a week and other types (newspaper,junkmail & circualrs etc.) on a rotating basis. They have been doing this more than a decade now. The garbage collection in this area is still private and you pay a fee per bag, I'd imagine that's one reason for such good participation.
I don't agree. Cars last longer today than in the past. I have a 1992 Mercedes 500SL that I bought new and it's still in pristine condition.
And recycling... I'm not sure where you live, but in our town, everyone recycles.
A 1992 car is not a car of today. It is almost 20 years old. Lets see how many 2000-2011's are on the road in 15-20 years.
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