Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Over 70% of our economy is service based. I think everyone can agree Chrome, when the poster writes: you can't build an economy on burger flipping jobs. I also agree with South, and with Ani, in that you don't want the government micromanaging everything.
Why not repeal NAFTA? Let the States compete for business, instead of Americans competing with overseas Indian and Chinese slave labor.
Just amazes me...According to Patrick J. Buchanan, America closed over 50,000 factories in the past decade alone. You don't think that this is going to hurt our economy? The Chinese economy has been growing by double digits for most of the past decade. You don't think that that has do with all of the goods we buy from China?
Outside of posters on this thread, I can't help but wonder: why are Americans blind to this?
Over 70% of our economy is service based. I think everyone can agree Chrome, when the poster writes: you can't build an economy on burger flipping jobs. I also agree with South, and with Ani, in that you don't want the government micromanaging everything.
Why not repeal NAFTA? Let the States compete for business, instead of Americans competing with overseas Indian and Chinese slave labor.
Just amazes me...According to Patrick J. Buchanan, America closed over 50,000 factories in the past decade alone. You don't think that this is going to hurt our economy? The Chinese economy has been growing by double digits for most of the past decade. You don't think that that has do with all of the goods we buy from China?
Outside of posters on this thread, I can't help but wonder: why are Americans blind to this?
I agree. NAFTA needs to be flushed back down the sewer it came from.
I agree. NAFTA needs to be flushed back down the sewer it came from.
Some time ago, I picked up a copy of Norman Crampton's book: "The 100 Best Small Towns in America".
I don't have a copy handy, so I will recite this statistic from memory: In 1996, one company (Black & Decker I believe), supplied 4,500 jobs in Mount Airy alone. And that's just one company, in a small town.
But in 2012, the factory is long gone; those jobs are lost. How many other jobs are lost?
How many textile mills have closed around Charlotte in the past 25 years? Who have our fellow American's lost jobs to? Was it to other Americans? Did the jobs go to other states, or other parts of the world? Is our money being recycled in the American economy, or are we exporting money to India (We recycle our money with China. We buy their junk, and when we go broke, we borrow more money from China so we can buy more of their junk).
It seems that Rick Santorum is the only candidate who's legitimately pushing to have manufacturing return to the U.S. - yet he's low on support in much of the South.
A considerable amount of the textile industry moved to Brazil. It may have something to do with their extensive use of ethanol from sugar cane, thus driving down further the cost of production. Labor is not the only component of cost. We also need to find ways to reduce non-labor costs before we can be competitive in manufacturing. But that's another story for another time.
So... the same people who scream about less government (while spending their whole lives as politicians) want to force jobs back to America?
OK.... but if you own a company and can get bolts in China or Taiwan for 5 cents vs 30 cents in America which would you prefer? Companies aren't importing from 3rd world countries because they got bored with US production... These other countries are driving down prices and forcing us to play ball or close shop.
. BTW, although I am not a union flag holder, unions have served and still serve a valuable/honorable purpose other than "promoting" some under performing smuck. Actually, that's more befitting of corporate america to promote some brown-nosing "best bud" under performing smuck.
If you like things like weekends off, health insurance, maternity leave, sick leave, and bans on child labor, thank the unions.
Not going to lay out the details of the buyout, but we got our letters yesterday. It's ridiculous. It exists for one purpose: so the media can say "Aw, isn't that nice. They offered a buyout. They didn't have to do that."
PR stunt.
The buyout is designed with such outrageous terms in favor of the company, NOBODY is going to take it. Even the guys with 40+ years who thought they were getting a jackpot aren't taking it.
It's simply mass layoffs, nothing more.
-Sign this letter committing you to the terms of the buyout, and once submitted, you can't rescind.
-What are the terms?
-We'll tell you after you sign it
What?! Unbelievable.
Be careful not to take the buyout if there's any question whether you would get unemployment or not. I've heard of people taking buyouts and not being eligible for unemployment. There will likely be some severance in the layoff package anyway, but if they aren't telling you the terms of the buyout before having you sign something, that's not right.
No one owes you a job. I am very surprised at such a lack of respect or appreciation to the folks who make it possible for you to feed your family.
Ah, the old mill town paternalism remains strong with you, Ani. "Mr. Cannon is good to us. He only charges 16% interest at the company store."
Respect and appreciation are two-way streets. What you suggest is deference and servility. My labor and the labor of others makes it possible for me to feed my family. Entrepreneurship is simply the exploitation of capital and demand. It's part of the equation, but without the demand created by labor, it's nothing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by anifani821
Employees with crappy attitudes are one reason American corporations have chosen to do business someplace else. That, and unions, which ran up wages on jobs that required neither the skill nor education to demand those salaries.
Bull. Offshoring is all about wages. And it's happening a lot in very high-skill, non-union fields like IT and engineering. Union jobs like electricians, etc., were and are high-skill jobs that require much training. Your maligning them is repugnant.
Without unions, we would have never had the middle class revolution we had in this country during the 20th century. The demand never would have been there to expand our economy so greatly.
Quote:
Originally Posted by anifani821
For those who think they are slaves to the corporate master . . . how about establishing your own business and see how you do with the bottom line - and managing ungrateful employees who have developed an entitlement attitude?
Frankly, the economies of scale are so large now that the likelihood of a small business surviving is pretty slim. We are all slaves to the corporate master in one way or another. The days of the independent mom-and-pop shop are vastly diminished - without restrictive zoning or other government interference.
So... the same people who scream about less government (while spending their whole lives as politicians) want to force jobs back to America?
How is America to survive?
I have no problem with American companies moving from State to State, to enjoy lower labor costs, to avoid stifling workforce and environmental standards, etc.
But when middle class Americans lose their jobs, they go from being a taxpayer, to being a dependent. Up North and in California, this phenomenon is happening en masse. Local governments are upside down. They are struggling to operate.
How does the Government operate, when it's revenues decline?
Print more money?
Borrow more money?
How are we to compete with China economically and militarily, when we're becoming a nation of dependents?
Ah, the old mill town paternalism remains strong with you, Ani. "Mr. Cannon is good to us. He only charges 16% interest at the company store."
Respect and appreciation are two-way streets. What you suggest is deference and servility. My labor and the labor of others makes it possible for me to feed my family. Entrepreneurship is simply the exploitation of capital and demand. It's part of the equation, but without the demand created by labor, it's nothing.
Bull. Offshoring is all about wages. And it's happening a lot in very high-skill, non-union fields like IT and engineering. Union jobs like electricians, etc., were and are high-skill jobs that require much training. Your maligning them is repugnant.
Without unions, we would have never had the middle class revolution we had in this country during the 20th century. The demand never would have been there to expand our economy so greatly.
Frankly, the economies of scale are so large now that the likelihood of a small business surviving is pretty slim. We are all slaves to the corporate master in one way or another. The days of the independent mom-and-pop shop are vastly diminished - without restrictive zoning or other government interference.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NDL
How is America to survive?
I have no problem with American companies moving from State to State, to enjoy lower labor costs, to avoid stifling workforce and environmental standards, etc.
But when middle class Americans lose their jobs, they go from being a taxpayer, to being a dependent. Up North and in California, this phenomenon is happening en masse. Local governments are upside down. They are struggling to operate.
How does the Government operate, when it's revenues decline?
Print more money?
Borrow more money?
How are we to compete with China economically and militarily, when we're becoming a nation of dependents?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
