Why Manufacturing Is Leaving America

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  1. lady_love158 profile image61
    lady_love158posted 12 years ago

    http://spectator.org/archives/2011/05/1 … ufacturing

    In a word, regulation... government regulation too much of it and too much corporate taxes. This mans story is the perfect illustration of how government creates a problem and then offers more government as the solution. Obama is more guilty of this sin than anyone. He's expanded the size of government by 25% and even though extracting energy from within our own borders could create hunrdeds of thousands of jobs Obama is giving money to Brazil for exploration while preventing us from doing so here!

    1. Peter Owen profile image61
      Peter Owenposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I would offer that the overriding reason is US workers demand $30 per hour when a Chinese or Taiwanese worker will do the job for $.50 per hour

      1. lady_love158 profile image61
        lady_love158posted 12 years agoin reply to this

        And why does a US worker "demand" $30 an hour? Government regulation has a cost to individuals as well.

        1. Peter Owen profile image61
          Peter Owenposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          Disagree. the unions got so powerful in the 60s and 70s that companies had to agree to pay up. Business was booming so they didn't mind so much. The unions didn't forsee the companies just shipping the jobs elsewhere when costs got too high. We essentially viewed the US as a closed system and priced ourselves out of the market.

          1. lady_love158 profile image61
            lady_love158posted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Doesn't government regulation protect union power? And what about the other costs associated with employment?

      2. ngureco profile image80
        ngurecoposted 12 years agoin reply to this

        If your children don't like your food, give the food out to your neighbor’s children.

        I would want to believe that it’s the responsibility of any government to provide employment opportunities to its citizens. By transferring manufacturing jobs to Chinese or Taiwanese workers for $.50 per hour, there must be a way the Government (American people) is benefiting. I doubt the government can so easily agree to swallow that socio-economic bait from the Chinese.

    2. Mighty Mom profile image77
      Mighty Momposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Hello La_Lo.
      You've probably been back for days while I have been offline.
      Just wanted to say it's good to see you back in the fray!
      Many have tried to take your place, but there is only one La_LO!! smile
      MM

      1. lady_love158 profile image61
        lady_love158posted 12 years agoin reply to this

        Haha! Thanks! I thought about not coming back but I didn't want who ever reported me to win so I came back for spite! Lol

        1. John Holden profile image61
          John Holdenposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          That's the spirit lol

          1. Mighty Mom profile image77
            Mighty Momposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            So I take it you WERE banned, La_Lo?
            How long?
            There is an invisible line here. Some like to dance on it. Some like to dwell comfortably just inside the inner edge. 
            Some just can't help but let their crayon color freely and madly outside the lines.
            It's fascinating, really.
            Sociology 101. smile

            1. lady_love158 profile image61
              lady_love158posted 12 years agoin reply to this

              4 weeks for my post to Moon Child in a thread that was basically about me... I got defensive ... what can I say? I was never one to color in the lines!

    3. CHRIS57 profile image60
      CHRIS57posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Didn´t know the US was that much regulated. But i think that is not different from other developed countries.
      Try to start a grocery store in Germany and you will fight with two authorities: health department will tell you to pave with gloss tiles for easy cleaning and hygenics, the safety department will tell you to better pave with profiles tiles to prevent slipping and falling down.
      Of course there is a solution to this dilemma, and i am sure in the US for the poor entrepreneur with his carbon fibre business there also will be a professional way out.

      1. lady_love158 profile image61
        lady_love158posted 12 years agoin reply to this

        He found his way out... he went to China!

        1. CHRIS57 profile image60
          CHRIS57posted 12 years agoin reply to this

          Don´t rely on the article too much. Looks good in China in the beginning. Very tough on the long run.
          Yes - my company has a joint venture in Shanghai and offices in HongDu and Xian. That is no Shangri-La either.
          I keep repeating myself, regulations in the US are not more complicated or more destructive than in other countries. You only have to know about regulations and tackle them with appropriate measures. Whining doesn´t help.

  2. knolyourself profile image60
    knolyourselfposted 12 years ago

    "In a word, regulation... government regulation too much of it"
    Ever hear of the " The 1933 Glass-Steagall Act"? The deregulation of which is why your house is worth from 30% to 50% less.

  3. knolyourself profile image60
    knolyourselfposted 12 years ago

    So who moved the jobs overseas, the workers or the owners?

  4. Cagsil profile image71
    Cagsilposted 12 years ago

    The Standard of Living, with a regards to earnings for workers is set by Government to begin with. That Standard of Living has a minimum wage for workers to received. Each State in the Union can set their own base minimum wage that citizens receive for working.

    The problem with the present plan in place is that, the citizens are not told how to best benefit from the Economy. The Economy is where people get jobs and those jobs pay a wage. However, there happens to be a business aspect, side to look at. Many which refuse to look at it. They have been programmed, to go to school, if you can afford college go and get a degree, then go out into the Economy and get a job, working for someone else.

    This is completely wasteful of citizenry power. It creates poverty and homeless, and grants the upper 1% complete power over the other 99% of the population. The problem stems from greed. It stems from corruption among politicians. It stems from poor understanding by the general public, who sit by and refuse to do anything. It stems from the general public's willful ignorance and additionally, it stems from a lack of knowledge in understanding life.

    However, I find ironic that people claim to understand their own life. When many are too ignorant to even hold a civil discussion. And, politicians have sold "we're civilized" to the general masses, when all the evidence says otherwise, but is completely dismissed. Pathetically sad really. hmm

    1. profile image59
      C.J. Wrightposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Great points. It's the part of the equation that most simply ignore. Too many work for too few. It creates a scenario where one can realy only choose between to masters, the employer or the government. In most cases the trust put into either of those two is generaly misplaced.

      1. lady_love158 profile image61
        lady_love158posted 12 years agoin reply to this

        The link to the article I posted alludes to that fact. Government has raised the bar so high to individuals that would like to open their own business that they simply can't take the risk and so end up working for someone else. I've seen it before...just social security alone is quite an obstacle to overcome... it has to be estimated and paid in advance each quarter and that's just one regulation!

    2. Mighty Mom profile image77
      Mighty Momposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Cags,
      You are on a roll today, friend.
      I generally agree with you, but this summation is right on the money (not that I even know what that is, not being one of those "blessed" 1%).
      Cheers!
      MM

  5. psycheskinner profile image83
    psycheskinnerposted 12 years ago

    I can say that I found living on the minimum wage to allow an unrealistically grandoise lifestyle.  So I kind of don't have an issue with mandating a full time job pay it as a living wage for a single person.

    1. lady_love158 profile image61
      lady_love158posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Yes but at whose expense? Remember for you to receive a benefit from the government someone else has to pay for it. So is it okay for you to get your minimum wage if it deprives someone in the ghetto from getting a job and contributing to the survival of their family? Or do you think the rich can pay for everything and no one is hurt to support your own selfish want?

      1. psycheskinner profile image83
        psycheskinnerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

        At whose expense do the working poor get a living wage? Generally those people who can survive with three cars rather than four. I'm okay with that if it allows people in full time employment not to starve or freeze.

        1. lady_love158 profile image61
          lady_love158posted 12 years agoin reply to this

          So you believe only the rich pay? Think again:
          http://www.bigissueground.com/politics/ … wage.shtml

          1. John Holden profile image61
            John Holdenposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            It very interestingly fails to give any evidence at all to support its claims.
            There is no evidence that the minimum wage in the UK has had any adverse affect on jobs, and our minimum is a lot higher than yours.

            1. lady_love158 profile image61
              lady_love158posted 12 years agoin reply to this

              Perhaps its in the 43 page report I downloaded... but what difference does that make you wouldn't believe it anyway.

              And that's the thing about liberals they pretend to care about others but what they really care about is themselves! They are perfectly fine with the government setting a minimum wage as long as they get the job but could care less how many people don't get jobs because of that law... but then they are fine with paying others not to work as long as the money comes from someone else... its a shame they don't see the value of freedom.

              1. John Holden profile image61
                John Holdenposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                No.
                Watch my lips-there is no evidence that the minimum wage has cost the UK any jobs.

                I'm not talking about that biased report that you posted, I'm talking about hard facts.

                It doesn't matter to me personally, I'm self employed, but generally, I hate the idea of people having to live in poverty so that others can have more.

                1. lady_love158 profile image61
                  lady_love158posted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  People don't live in poverty so others can have more that's just a ridiculous notion! People have what they have because they earned it they didn't take anything from poor people!

                  1. John Holden profile image61
                    John Holdenposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                    Let me give you an example.
                    A firm making kitchen units, the employees asking for a pay rise. The owner refuses saying that the company can't afford it.
                    The owner was in the process of having a new kitchen fitted that cost way more than the pay rise would have cost him.

                    If it is such a ridiculous notion that people don't get rich on the backs of the poor then what is your argument against a minimum wage?
                    How do the rich actually earn their money? Do they make anything? Perhaps they're all professional golfers, they should be, they get enough practice in.

  6. Reality Bytes profile image74
    Reality Bytesposted 12 years ago

    Manufacturing is moving in to the prison system!

  7. John Holden profile image61
    John Holdenposted 12 years ago

    I was thinking and trying to think of any American made goods that I'd like to own and I couldn't think of anything.
    I kept coming up with images of tacky and disposable items, even our footballers seem to prefer Italian and German cars to American.

    1. profile image59
      C.J. Wrightposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Very true I suspect. America's advantage since WWII has been that it's the "reserve" currency. The European Union was the begining of the end to that.

      You see in the past there was the unseen "American" hand in your economy. Every import item you bought was likely traded, at some point, in US Dollars.

      1. John Holden profile image61
        John Holdenposted 12 years agoin reply to this

        That is no doubt a significant element in the problem but I think more significant is the US is now in the position that the UK was in 50-100 years ago.
        No longer at the cutting edge and holding on to old practices whilst complaining that it is unfair how third world countries can under cut.

        Why complain about China, why not buy off them what they can do cheapest and stick to making what you do best?
        Don't complain that there is nothing left for you to do, there is plenty, it's just no longer turning out cheap widgets.

        1. profile image59
          C.J. Wrightposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          It's not as simple as changing your "widgets". It's about ballance. Look at the top economies in the world. Look at their stats regarding WHERE their money is coming from, i.e. service industry, manufacturing and agriculture. Of the top performers the countries that have a more ballanced economy are growing fastest. Those who don't are growing much slower, if at all. Further the amount a country imports vs exports is important as well. Again ballance is key. Again when you look at the countries who are growing their economies, have a more ballanced approach. The old guard, US, UK, JA are slipping. China, Russia and India are growing.

          It's the whole east moves west and west moves east idea......

          1. John Holden profile image61
            John Holdenposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Well, to my mind changing widgets is changing balance.
            At risk of getting slapped again by Evan, I'd say look at Germany, definitely not a third world low wage economy but a prosperous manufacturing economy none the less.

            1. profile image59
              C.J. Wrightposted 12 years agoin reply to this

              Indeed, I agreed with your analysis regarding Germany earlier. They are manufacturing high quality specialized items. Items that people world wide are willing to pay for. My statement regarding ballance was to point out how the US is lopsided on trade and industry. The US is relying too heavily on service based industry.

              1. John Holden profile image61
                John Holdenposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                I fink that was what I was trying to say smile

  8. livewithrichard profile image72
    livewithrichardposted 12 years ago

    The article linked in the OP is heads on. The OP's assessment of Obama at fault is a reach at best.  As for oil exploration, sure it would create jobs but it would do nothing for fuel prices.  OPEC controls fuel prices and all the oil we produce gets placed in the global suply, the more we produce, the less OPEC will suply and the price will remain the same.

    On another point, Japan and Germany both have higher labor costs yet they both have a trade surplus. We need to place tarrifs on foreign products and then we will see manufacturing return to the US.  Considering that the US is the #1 importer of products and energy, tarrifs would greatly effect manufacturing in this country.

    1. CHRIS57 profile image60
      CHRIS57posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      You are not serious about tarrifs, are you?
      That will only drive up prices, create isolation, decrease quality.

      And don´t overestimate the importance of the US as importer #1. For most countries, the US trade is only a fraction of their international trade.

      It only takes good, competive products to keep manufacturing in the US. But there are too few Apples, Microsofts, Googles and Boeings around.

  9. tony0724 profile image60
    tony0724posted 12 years ago

    Actually labor costs in Asia are going up and there are some businesses that would like to come back to America. But our overeaching and over regulating Government will not allow that. This administration is no friend of business and that includes small business too.

    http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 … 72186.html

    1. Mighty Mom profile image77
      Mighty Momposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I guess ou can be too big to fail but you can't be too small to fail, eh?

    2. Peter Owen profile image61
      Peter Owenposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Looks to me like the business owners blew it with improper planning. The local building codes are doing them in and they didn't check on those before they started. While I can agree this is all part of government, your implication was the US government was stopping them and that is not the case.

      1. tony0724 profile image60
        tony0724posted 12 years agoin reply to this

        And Peter you are wrong. What I am saying is that Government makes it to hard with the over regulation and Red Tape for a business to get moving. And in a time when asian labor costs are going up and we really need jobs here. What happens ? Bureaucracy !

        1. Peter Owen profile image61
          Peter Owenposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          I don't have a problem with that. But you were one who, to make your point, posted a link to an article about some asians getting nailed by the building codes since they didn't do any pre-planning.

  10. ahbless profile image60
    ahblessposted 12 years ago

    Cheap labor and no benefits: medical and dental. That's the obvious answer. 1930's Standard oil started our big company take over of business and with the fall of any big business, many jobs are lost. We as a society aren't taught to start our own business and the decline of that and Mom and Pop businesses. God isn't in most people's lives and that's why America is going through this depression.

 
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