The Soapbox

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Mirage of a Return to Manufacturing Greatness

Boy do I think this article/opinion piece from today's NYT biz section is spot on. Trump, Sanders, Hill are all full of poop imo. You can't "save" mfg jobs, anymore than the UFW could "save" farm jobs, because given the choice between cheap tomatoes from mechanized uber-farms or more expensive hand picked tomatoes from quaint farms run like they were in the 1800s, guess which choice the consumer makes?

The young kid Bern supporters standing in "solidarity" with the striking Verizon workers - the landline workers in large part - how many of them have landlines? So who's putting pressure on the workers, Verizon or the kids standing next to them on the picket line?

The Don IMO all but loses his mantle as the great businessman with his rantings on this subject. You can sort of forgive it in a life long ivory tower socialist like the Bern - we don't really expect him to emphasize practical considerations. The Don on the other hand claims to be this astute businessman and brilliant negotiator.

And Hill has her head up her hind quarters with her tax inversion rantings. What it comes down to in all of this - you gotta be competitive. The same people who are frothing at the mouth in support of protectionist and authoritarian measures expressed by all our current candidates demand this competitiveness when standing at the cash register. Or ordering on the borderless Internet.

Times are changing and that's nothing new. Our govt should be prodding us forward instead of romanticizing the past.

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/27/business/economy/the-mirage-of-a-return-to-manufacturing-greatness.html?ref=business&_r=0

Posted: 04/27/2016 at 09:14AM

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Current Thread:

Mirage of a Return to Manufacturing Greatness -- hoolstoptheheels 04/27/2016 09:14AM

See Alvin Toffler, The Third Wave (1980) and Future Shock (1970). ** -- Seattle .Hoo 04/27/2016 11:01AM

Good calls - Future Shock, written mostly in the 60s I think, could apply -- hoolstoptheheels 04/27/2016 1:14PM

First rule of forecasting: all forecasts are wrong. ** -- WaxHoo 04/27/2016 4:18PM

Good article, good post -- fishhoo 04/27/2016 10:37AM

It seems like you are promoting the status quo -- TomKazanski 04/27/2016 3:13PM

If you define "status quo as promoting free trade in general over -- fishhoo 04/27/2016 4:06PM

Pandering to ignorance is a huge part of election campaigns in -- SixerHoo 04/27/2016 10:20AM

Not accurate to say that our govt has not created an unstable environment -- TomKazanski 04/27/2016 09:48AM

It's cheap labor & automation. All else is at the margins.** -- WaxHoo 04/27/2016 10:53AM

So how does 15$ min wage help with that ** -- TomKazanski 04/27/2016 5:11PM

Why are you asking me ...? ** -- WaxHoo 04/27/2016 7:26PM

** -- WaxHoo 04/27/2016 10:52AM

Just once, why don't you try processing a set of facts and coming -- SixerHoo 04/27/2016 10:26AM

Are you denying any of those items in the list? -- TomKazanski 04/27/2016 3:09PM

I was a partner in a business for decades. NONE of the things on your list, -- SixerHoo 04/27/2016 5:06PM

LMAO this might be one of the silliest posts i have ever read -- TomKazanski 04/27/2016 6:27PM

Oh no! Another taxes dont effect business poster -- TomKazanski 04/27/2016 5:19PM

Did you even read that post? ** -- 111Balz 04/27/2016 8:22PM

Who said laws and regulations don't affect business decisions? -- SixerHoo 04/27/2016 5:59PM

Or they can move jobs offshore and not have to worry about govco -- TomKazanski 04/27/2016 6:23PM

Clearly you didn't read the article linked in the OP. ** -- SixerHoo 04/28/2016 07:11AM

The tide is inexorable. -- hoolstoptheheels 04/27/2016 10:07AM

Couple of comments -- fishhoo 04/27/2016 10:56AM

Couple of replies: -- hoolstoptheheels 04/27/2016 11:27AM

I certainly agree with -- fishhoo 04/27/2016 12:07PM

IMO you've devoted way too much effort to that last paragraph. -- hoolstoptheheels 04/27/2016 12:55PM

I guess I would just say -- fishhoo 04/27/2016 1:24PM

I would rather you be right about China, all things considered. -- hoolstoptheheels 04/27/2016 1:36PM

You raise an interesting point with regard to our "exponential export -- Hoos Operator 04/27/2016 11:14AM

Yes but I am one who thinks -- fishhoo 04/27/2016 11:33AM

Reading Donald's victory speech, I as struck by how he went -- Shenhoo 04/27/2016 10:50AM

Good post. Likely a sizable portion of our workforce does need new skills -- 111Balz 04/27/2016 10:26AM

One issue is that the jobs are so stratified. Absolutely, we can lead in -- 81_Hokie 04/27/2016 10:39AM

Who knows how it will look? -- hoolstoptheheels 04/27/2016 1:25PM

Knowable? Of course not but people make predictions. The trend is that as -- 81_Hokie 04/27/2016 4:20PM

Well, there are reasons, but they are not as currently profitable -- 111Balz 04/27/2016 6:30PM

We all want American jobs/ American wages for all w/ Walmart prices on all -- TpkeHoo 04/27/2016 09:24AM

The labor force need jobs that warrant high wages. ** -- WaxHoo 04/27/2016 11:19AM

That's a good line about the Verizon workers ** -- KCHoo 04/27/2016 09:19AM