>
>Joe Smith started the day early having set his alarm clock (MADE IN JAPAN)
>for 6 A.M. While his coffeepot (MADE IN CHINA) was perking, he shaved with
>his electric razor (MADE IN HONG KONG). He put on a dress shirt (MADE IN SRI
>LANKA), designer jeans (MADE IN SINGAPORE) and tennis shoes (MADE IN KOREA).
>After cooking his breakfast in his new electric skillet (MADE IN INDIA) he
>sat down with his calculator (MADE IN MEXICO) to see how much he could spend
>today. After setting his watch (MADE IN TAIWAN) to the radio (MADE IN
>INDIA) he got in his car (MADE IN GERMANY) and continued his search for a
>good paying AMERICAN JOB. At the end of yet another discouraging and
>fruitless day, Joe decided to relax for a while. He put on his sandals
>(MADE IN BRAZIL) poured himself a glass of wine (MADE IN FRANCE) and turned
>on his TV (MADE IN INDONESIA), and then wondered why he can't find a good
>paying job in.....AMERICA.....
>
>

 

Fact of the matter is. It's cheaper for companies to make their things in other countrys. Another fact is that they are and will be plenty of good paying jobs. Why are there none right now? Because we're pretty much in a depression. My prediction is that in a few years all will be well again. It doesn't matter where your stuff was made, most of your dollar still goes into the American economy. As well, as long as you know what you're doing and are doing what you like and went to school for it, it's likely you'll find a good job. My dad got laid off from being a telecommunications engineer and now he's going to work as a doctor. I don't believe in any of that stuff like other countries are taking jobs away from American workers.

 

Depression? Heck, its barely a mild recession!

 

My dad got laid off from being a telecommunications engineer and now he's going to work as a doctor.

A doctor, wow.



I don't believe in any of that stuff like other countries are taking jobs away from American workers.


Hahahahahahaahahaha, boy you are naive.


You should have lived in Detroit when Chrysler took there auto plants to Canada, and the Japanese captured 30% of the car market. Now Canada lost the PT Cruiser to Mexico.

109 years ago, Lifesavers started making candy in this country. They are planning on moving to Canada because of cheaper sugar and cheap labor, thanks NAFTA.

The small city that was home to Lifesavers offered the company the keys to city hall, some 25 million dollars in benefits, not to move to our friends in Canada. The company responded that they would save 90 million in the next 10 years alone. I hope Canadians like Lifesavers because I won't be buying any.

This friendly little chit-chat between the USA and Canada is turning into a NAFTA supported trade war.

 

Ever wonder what the difference between a recession and a depression is?

A recession is when your neighbor loses his job.

A depression is when YOU lose YOUR job.

 

Geeze, I would have to say this is a depression, then.
There was an old, blind man who sold hot dogs at a roadside stand. He didn't make much, but it was enough to live on. He did this for about ten years, and always made the same amount of money. One day, one of his customers told him, "Ya know, there's a big depression going on". Hearing this, the old man decided to close down. Then he said, yes, it sure seems to be a depression. The thing that makes a recession a depression is being told that that is where it is going. If you have a job, and can support yourself and your family, you are fine.

 

What I want to know is with all this companies moving to foreign countries and taking good paying jobs with them, then WHO here will be able to buy what the make ???? I mean if you were making $ 20 an hour workin 40 hours a week you'de be more apt to buy a new car/truck then if you were making $ 6 an hour workin 40 hours...... I can't even begin to name half the companies that left the states.... so where will we be in the next 10 ,20 ,30 years...........god help us...........

 

The USA is fast changing from a producer nation to a consumer nation. We will make our money facilitating consumerism. We get our shoes from Italy, and people make money importing them, selling them, unloading the boat, fixing the crane that unloads the boat, trucking them to the warehouse, stores, fixing and driving the truck that moves them and so on.

Look at Japan, they have no land, most of their goods are not made there but in other countries, the country is filthy rich, they share very little with the people, we do much better than that.

 

This has been debated before and there are more opinions being stated than true facts.

The fact of the matter is, we now live in a global economy, whether you like it or not. The Big 3 each have their hands in foreign companies. Heck, Chrysler is owned by the Germans, but they still build autos in the US. Every big business in the world is invested heavily in foreign interests. They have to in order to survive. And it's their choice how and where to produce their product to maximize their profits. You have to remember that if a company doesn't make money, it will close. It has also been stated that the US is becoming a consumer nation. That's due to technology. We engineer some of the most technical products in the world, but a US company is foolish to try to manufacture anything here when unskilled labor is asking for $22/hour. By making products in 3rd world countries at 1/3 the labor rate or less, profit margins increase which, in turn, is invested in R&D of future products. You can blame NAFTA all you want, but the real blame lies with the general public for refusing to buy a product at 3 times the cost because it's produced in a country where the line worker is making $50k/year.

 

depression: A period of drastic decline in a national or international economy, characterized by decreasing business activity, falling prices, and unemployment.

recession: An extended decline in general business activity, typically three consecutive quarters of falling real gross national product.

This is not a drastic decline. Even Carter's administration with its double digit unemployment, double digit interest rates and rising inflation, didn't rank as depression and it was far worse then this Clinton recession. Heck, half the time people claimed we were in a recession the economic numbers that came out later showed that we were not.

This isn't a depression, not by a long shot --- maybe some liberal school teachers and professors want their students to believe that but it just isn't so. During the depression of the 30's production fell by more than 50%, disposible income dropped by 28 percent, the stock market collapsed by 90%, unemployment rose from 1.7 million to 13 million and unemployment was at 25% percent. Things were so bad that there was even quiet discussion of revolt.

Yeah, things are a little tougher than they were when people were living a fantasy and spending enormous amounts of money on the Internet and companies drove themselves broke building up more infrastructure than the population could support.... but it sure isn't at the 10+% unemployment level of Carter or the 25+% unemployment level of FDR.

Sorry to disagree on another item but Japan isn't filthy rich. Their boom of the 80s is gone... their economy has been in trouble for 10+ years and their recovery right now is very fragile.

 

I have to wonder if this thread was started just to get my farmer's blood boiling... probably not, but it has, just the same. Small farmers (like me) are being systematically eliminated by the big corporate farms, because they are able to produce more for less. The consumer wants low prices at the market, which I understand (I shop for food, too), but the small farmer is'nt able to produce it and still make a profit. Most farmers I know, myself included, have to work a job in town to be able to keep their operation going and provide for their family. The truck I use on my farm is 18 years old and my newest tractor is over 30 years old. Tractor salesmen are always trying to sell me a new 200+ horsepower model, which I have absolutely no use for and could'nt afford if I did. I share a combine with my father and brother, and rent one if need be. A new combine would cost upwards of $200K, which a family farmer would never be able to pay for, and it would be worn out long before it was paid for, meaning little or no resale value. Land goes for an ungodly amount, and the towns are encroaching on the good farmland all the time. I farm land that has been in my family for 7 generations, from the time this state WAS a state, but I doubt very seriously that there will be an 8th generation on it. I'm not asking for sympathy, just trying to inform. I do what I do because I love the land and I like to think I am contributing some good to the world. But unless the world changes in my lifetime, I feel that it won't make a bit of difference. The way to change is to be informed, to vote for lawmakers who will enact laws favorable to the family farmer, and to not buy food raised by corporate farms. It might cost a bit more, but in the long run it is worth it, not only for people like me, but for everyone. We are all in this together, and we all need to eat.

 

Rob, I agree with most of what you say but check your facts. Chrysler hasn't been made here for many years, with a very few exceptions, Chrysler moved to Canada long ago. They are now moving a lot of that work to Mexico, like the PT Cruiser and much more to come.

Chrysler was an American company that got a loan from the taxpayers to bail them out of trouble, got healthy and did some bailing of their own.

Good riddens. I didn't want one anyway. That being said, what ever happened to the buy American campaign? Certainly Ford and Chevy can produce a Cop Cruiser for about the same price, why don't we buy them exclusively? Ask your city managers.


They certainly are not triple the price of Chryslers.

 

The facts are...DC has 17 plants in the US making autos, commercial vehicles, and components. I don't think DC has abandoned us by any measure.

 

Some very intelligent observations have been made here concerning this thread. I would like to add one, that may, or may not be, intelligent. It concerns business in the current economy of the US. This would include farmers because it is, afterall, a business.

I would maintain that every businessman must carve out a ncihe for themselves in any market to be successful. Unless one can provide a singular aspect of something that the consumer demands in the market, they will fall into the the realm of the ordinary. This makes it much more difficult to be successful. Provide a service or a product that has a unique aspect unto itself, now that is the recipie for success.

The farmer may ask, "what can I provide that is unique"? Well, perhaps instead of farming the same old meats and vegetables, perhaps that same farmer could explore growing a vegetable that is currently popular in American restaurants and on the upscale table in suburbia. For example, arugula, or the many different salad greens now popular, the many different kinds of mushrooms now popular, certain herbs, or maybe organic meats. Perhaps he could convert some of his barns to fish farming. There is always a way to become creative. One can't just give in to large corporate farms because that is to give up and admit defeat. One has to get creative and move into areas that the large corporation will not go, or has not yet explored. This goes for all business, not just farming.

I am confident that if one is resourseful, creative and productive, they can fulfill a market need, even if they have to create it. Innovators in our capitalist system have always done this, and capitalism will continue to promote these concepts, while the innovator turns them into reality.

 

I think that was intelligent. And Bush has said it is the small businesses in the USA that will pull us out of this recession.