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There are a lot of misconceptions in this thread. First of all, the US remains by far the world's largest manufacturing economy. It is no longer true that adding the second and third largest (China and Japan) is still smaller than the US, and it's also true that the US share of total manufacturing by the 12 largest manufacturing economies has slipped from 28% in 1990 to 24% in 2008, but we are still by a long way the king of the world manufacturing hill.
People complain that our manufacturing jobs have been lost. This is true. US manufacturing employment is down by well over three million since 1990. So is everyone else's. China for instance has lost more than fourteen million manufacturing jobs since they reached their peak in the mid-1990's. World manufacturing employment has declined by 15-20% since 1990 (making the US about average), yet manufacturing output has soared. The only major manufacturing economy that added manufacturing jobs over this interval was Taiwan, and its increase was small.
Make of the data what you will, but one thing is certain. Much of what you read in the popular press about US loss of manufacturing is at best misleading.
You are right about all this but like so many you don't seem to understand that the unions and the government mandates are the main reason for job loss. The unions and the media are bed mates of the Dems so all this is very sorry but it happens.
100% false,
computer and internet have increased companies productivity to ridiculous levels.
Based on the republicans philosophy we should be making more money, since the companies are more productive.
I'm still waiting for my trickle down check.
Do you think there will be a trickle down check coming you way from Reid's or Pelosi's health care bills? Maybe you will need that trickle down to pay the extra taxes.
Don't spend too much time holding your hand out for that check since it WILL be needed to pay the cost of the new people on the new program that those two people want to put on the dole.
I'd say the problem today lies with our corporate tax structure. It's complicated and it's the second-highest in the world (35% + state tax rates), with Japan just beating us at 39.5%. Ireland, on the other hand, is one of the lowest, at 12.5%, which is much more reasonable. I think that would be a much more acceptable rate.
Nominal tax rates have no effect at all. Average effective tax rates do, and average effective US corporate tax rates are among the lowest handful in the developed world. Consider as well that taxes are just one factor in the equation. The US offers tons of resources, the best technology in the world, top notch transportation networks (though capacity is beginning to get stretched) and the highest educated and one of the hardest working workforces in the world. Not such a bad deal, all in all...
You are right about all this but like so many you don't seem to understand that the unions and the government mandates are the main reason for job loss. The unions and the media are bed mates of the Dems so all this is very sorry but it happens.
Roy, when China, Russia, Brazil, India, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and all of Europe are losing manufacturing jobs just like us, it's a safe bet that it isn't the UAW that's the cause of all this...
Do you think there will be a trickle down check coming you way from Reid's or Pelosi's health care bills? Maybe you will need that trickle down to pay the extra taxes.
Don't spend too much time holding your hand out for that check since it WILL be needed to pay the cost of the new people on the new program that those two people want to put on the dole.
when China, Russia, Brazil, India, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and all of Europe are losing manufacturing jobs just like us, it's a safe bet that it isn't the UAW that's the cause of all this...
and let's not forget that it was capitalism that KILLED DETROIT.
I think that the real reason was the same thing that caused the loss of farming jobs from 1800, about 97%, to the present day 3%. That was technology and we have only one way to move away from that. Reverse our technology and hope for the best is the way.
While it did lead to a decrease in farming jobs, it also lead to a significant decrease in the cost of foods. The Earths population has grown, and to feed the ever growing number of people on this planet, we needed enhanced farming methods. Now I'm not talking about Beef, because cattle is actually a bad form of farming. However, corn and grains are a good form of farming. Thats part of the reason why its our number one crop.
Technology isn't killing manufacturing jobs in this country in large numbers, yet. If any technology is killing our manufacturing jobs, its transportation.
Its this simple. If you own a business, and can pay an employee 20 dollars an hour, or you can pay someone 20 dollars a day, who are you going to hire?
People want jobs to stay in America, but they also want cheap electronics and clothes. You can't have it both ways, if an American company could make a wide spread American TV, on the cheap, they'd do it. Oh wait, they already are. Vizio is an American company, and they do quite well. Ford has a good product right now, so they are making money.
Our jobs have left us, because we demanded to much money for our employment. This is just a natural effect. Jobs will return to America, when the balance is reached. That balance is, when Americans are willing to work for less money vs. the cost of importation.
If anything, we should be pushing automation more. If we could develop robotics that can be used for multiple purposes, on the cheap, we could take over industry again. Of course, many people will be out of a job because of that as well.
We can't simply go backwards in technology to save jobs though. There are simply to many people on this planet for everyone to put down their PC, and start growing small farms. There isn't enough good farm land out there for every person on the planet to get 20 acres. Thats what it takes, with conventional farming to feed one family, about 20 acres. The industrialized farming that we have today increases yield considerably.
Sorry, what? Did I honestly just read you want to REVERSE TECHNOLOGY AND PRAY?
Sorry but that will never happen. Technology changes. Maybe its time for people (you know the party involved that actually HAS a brain and is SUPPOSE to be able to adapt) change and gain some extra skills outside of manufacturing?
If you are going to have a global economy you need to have a global economy where wages and cost of living is the same. First the jobs were in the northeast, then they moved west and south why because wages and costs were less ( wages being less were fine because the cost of living was less in the mid west and south). Then it went to Japan and China and Twaiwan as long as there is another country where wages and the cost of living is less manufacturers will move there to save money and increase profits. Until we become a true global economy more and more jobs will move overseas. First it was manufacturing jobs, now you can't call your credit card without talking to someone from India, customer service India, medical transcripts another foreign country, as it moves up the food chain ( relative lost financial analyst job after 34 years with company job went over seas).
If you are going to have a global economy you need to have a global economy where wages and cost of living is the same. First the jobs were in the northeast, then they moved west and south why because wages and costs were less ( wages being less were fine because the cost of living was less in the mid west and south). Then it went to Japan and China and Twaiwan as long as there is another country where wages and the cost of living is less manufacturers will move there to save money and increase profits. Until we become a true global economy more and more jobs will move overseas. First it was manufacturing jobs, now you can't call your credit card without talking to someone from India, customer service India, medical transcripts another foreign country, as it moves up the food chain ( relative lost financial analyst job after 34 years with company job went over seas).
Personally, I don't want to force my minor children to work for nothing, in order to compete with those nations that do just that.
We Americans will never be able to compete with third world countries and their labor cost. especially with so much government bureaucracy involved, that the countries you want to compete with, do not have.
Personally, I don't want to work 12 hour days, to receive $10.
Sure why not? The service sector is one of the biggest of all 1st world countries. Its what usually defines a country as 1st world. I'm still having a hard time understanding why people think its okay to demand a standstill of societal progress so they don't have to use their brains.
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