Say what? The exporting of manufacturing to other countries is only a recent phenomenon created by the current administration? This is a joke, right? What fool would believe this crap? I could care less who Lou Dobbs is or what his political persuasion is. But when he makes such a preposterous statement as above, he has absolutely no credibility with me. By the way, MCG, I am not part of the Skybox conservative cadre. I am a moderate and a registered Democrat.
I am with you Sid, I can't claim to be an astute financial guy or anything like that...but it seems to me that since the 60's there has been a trend of foreign companies buying up American companies. Of foreign investors buying lots of T-Bills, etc. We're the biggest marketplace in the World (eventually China and India due to shere size if nothing else will outpace us though) and we are the most stable so capital flows into this country. It's used to buy businesses to invest in businesses, to buy financial instruments of all kinds. I don't know if it's still true but the bulk of the new apt construction at one time in Houston was fueled by Canadian real estate investors. Didn't the Japs own Pebble Beach at one time. If the Chinese would like to buy my Dental Practice I hope they don't call while I'm on vacation!! :lol:
whobedis, my Huh :?: :shock: was due to the fact that you may not know how close your thoughts were. Tech support for various companies has gone overseas (and sucks because of it) and many semiconductor jobs have gone overseas as well. To this point, mainly packaging and flash memory has moved. However, at some point, the high tech processors may move as well. However, there will always be a need for my services. No matter where the wafers are built, they will need instructors to teach the process and the maintenance. On the Job Training is not the norm in this industry. A simple mistake can cause millions of dollars in misprocessed wafers. Training is a must because of this. What does this mean to me? To keep my career, I may have to fly to Europe and back every 90 days. I could develop training here in the states and deliver it over there. Damn, that means that I will rack up more frequent flier miles. Gotta hate that! :wink:
Lou has gotten a little to full of himself for my taste....he knows the data as well as anybody. My sense is that he's posturing for a political run of some ilk.... Manufacturing employment PEAKED in this country in 1979! Since that time, manufacturing employment has fallen in 19 of the 27 subsequent years......when Clinton left office, there were 2.3 million fewer manufacturing jobs than there were in 1979. Terry
Unions! Argh!!!!! Just heard a news report here in New York that the union that speaks for the New Your City Door Men and building workers will go out on strike as of "first shift" tomorrow if an agreement that includes "AUTOMATIC RAISES" for all employees can be reached by midnight. This is what chaps my a$$ about unions! What happened to receiving raises based upon your excellent productivity and worth to the company? Automatic raises pay people to be non-productive. Paying lazy good for nothing "feed me Seymour" entitlement wanting dirt bags is one of the items that have the automotive industry in the shape it is in now. But I'm not angry about it! :roll: No... no I'm not! :wink:
TT I guess it's safe to assume you don't care for unions No problemo! As I said, and I am a "tiny bit of an insider" I could tell horror stories and some good ones. As for your travel plans IMHO I think it would be more to the "Celestial Empire" and after two visits the big "so sorry" :lol:
So...we should all rejoice in this development....??? "Since that time, manufacturing employment has fallen in 19 of the 27 subsequent years......when Clinton left office, there were 2.3 million fewer manufacturing jobs than there were in 1979." How many less manufacturing jobs are there since Clinton left office? I'll bet as many have disappeared during the Bush administration as it took to compile from 1979 to 1999.
It was Buckeye T who chose to say "when Clinton left office" when referring to loss of manufacturing jobs. I suspect those same losses over the last 8 years would be staggering by comparison and the average manufacturing wage earned would be astoundingly lower.
Guys this is not unprecedented in our country's history. As our economy has evolved first from an agricultural base to a manufacturing base to a knowledge/information base, those industries have declined in importance to the overall overall economic health. As farming before it, manufacturing jobs - in relation to the whole - have declined in virtually every year in the post-war era....imho, it's a natural and healthy progression. No less painful for those tethered to jobs/lives in those industries however, it in the big picture it is a necessary process. That said, while there are less manufacturing jobs, let us not forget the MILLIONS MORE of other jobs that have been created in information-based and service-based businesses....the Microsofts, Yahoos, Googles, Oracles, Ebays, Dells, not to mention the financial service industries that have been thriving.....again comparing back against the Carter era, for every one manufacturing job that has been lost, 10 new jobs in other industries have been created and personal incomes are at all-time highs. While again, its no damn fun for our friends in manufacturing, if the nation is losing 1 and gaining 10, that is a good thing......there are 2 million more people working in this country today, making more money than there were when Bush took office. No spin, just the facts...... Terry
The automation of the manufacturing process is evolutionary and goes back fifty years. I can remember when I was in high school 35 years ago how education was stressed because the job market was changing from pure manual labor to a higher tech scenario. Were people just not listening? That, plus the dumbing down of our educational system, has left a lot of people high and dry. I would be happy if I could find clerical help that could actually type a letter and spell. Or salesmen who could do basic math to figure gross margins or markups.
a few more tidbits to digest...... In 1939, manufacturing jobs accounted for 30.4% of all jobs in the US. Again, JUST for historical perspective, when Carter took office that number was 20.4%. When Clinton took office the number had declined to 15.3% and continued its course ending his term at 12.9%. That number today, is 10.6% of our nations payrolls.....as Krebise alluded and no surprise to anyone, our nation's economy has been on a path towards infomation/knowledge and service jobs and away from agriculture and manufacturing jobs for the better part of a century. George W. Bush wasn't even born when this inexorable, necessary and healthy economic evolution began......the notion that somehow the policies of his administration are responsible for the demise of manufacturing in the US are preposterous and indeed are contrary to the facts.... Terry
:twisted: Hey BT....those 2 mill more that are workin since W took office....are they legal? (sorry Terry I couldn't help myself on that one)
I do want to point out that Bill Clinton closed a lot of dental schools in his 8 years as President. The country will experience a severe shortage of dentists in the future, and it'll be on Bill's watch that the dental community was devestated. Schools that closed on his watch were 1. Georgetown 2. Emory 3. Northwestern Plus a number of other schools reduced their class size. It's a crying shame what Bill Clinton did to the future Oral Health of this country. Terry
:twisted: Oh my gosh our progeny are gonna look like post WW2 Eglishmen! (Austin Powers) .....alright serious here for a brief second.....who proposes and who disposes(oh boy there go my Texas tiks, and I don't think even the ball-gown will help