I think I will...

[yknot]

Perhaps I have a slightly different view on this matter as I have NOT lived in a first world country for over 15 years.

Mark-as you haven't lived in the US in 15 years, let be among those that lets you know that what you may see or read to the contrary, the US economy isn't improving. In fact, it seems that our better days are behind us. For the middle class it's not going to be about a further accumulation of material goods but rather a losing battle to hang on to whay we have. Any economy as closly reliant on ours, such as Mexico's, will soon be suffering as well. The next step in the outsourcing game is already coming to pass. My brother went to Mexico almost ten years ago to work in a transplant operation. You know the story- the Mexicans need US expertise and a steady whip hand to keep things going. Now, it seems the Mexican engineers have been trained and as they work for far less than we do, we aren't needed in our own plants. What's going to happen in China when they've picked our brains and know how to engineer and build a quality auto without us? Any chance we can stay on for sentimental reasons?

 

[MikeFerrara]

You know the story- the Mexicans need US expertise and a steady whip hand to keep things going. Now, it seems the Mexican engineers have been trained and as they work for far less than we do, we aren't needed in our own plants. What's going to happen in China when they've picked our brains and know how to engineer and build a quality auto without us? Any chance we can stay on for sentimental reasons?

Well I for one am going to get out of manufacturing as fast as I can. If the Mexican engineers are going to be taught, it won't be by me and, in my experience, they need lots of teaching. They are worth every penny of the 10K per year that they get. When they are as good, they'll want more money. Eventually our brilliant MBAs will run out of places to run to. Eventually they'll be asked to actually do something and that'll be a real culture shock for them. Maybe a little more "six sigma" or a new version of "iso" or some other bs buzz word will bail them out. LOL

A game of BS bingo any one?

 

[bwerb]

Here's a thought about what we do have going for us...freedom. It is incredibly important to recognize that freedom allows us to persue more artistic and leisurely persuits. We aren't slaving away 18 hours a day in a factory day after day after day with no hope of ever getting out. Now stay with me for a minute. Once you start having freedom of thought and time, you are open to using and expanding your creativity. You are open to true entrepreneurial practice and the arts. Suddenly, you find that your society is creating new solutions, new works of writing, photography,music, inventing things etc. Right now, collectively, we are still able to use our minds to better ourselves and our community. I find it interesting that some of the third world countries where manufactuing is moving have cheap labor to produce what we are asking for but there is not a great deal of new thought and innovation.

In other words, it is easy to teach and train someone to produce something you have already invented. It is much harder to create a society in which innovation and creation is a regular part of life, especially if your population is literally working every day just to survive.

I think perhaps that we need to continue to concentrate on the things freedom allow us to persue...perhaps then we can find true win-win solutions to what is happening today.

 

[yknot]

I think perhaps that we need to continue to concentrate on the things freedom allow us to persue...perhaps then we can find true win-win solutions to what is happening today.

Things like what? Wondering if I should pay the heat bill this month? We aren't talking about wether we are happy with our jobs but rather the fact that as bad as they are someone in another country will do them for literally 2 cents on the dollar. I have friends in Windsor, accross the river from me. If a 7-11 advertises for a night clerk position they can expect dozens of highly educated applicants. A lot of the population still lives well because they work in the US. Where are they going to commute to next when there aren't any jobs for them here, because someone sent them overseas?

 

[bwerb]

Things like what? Wondering if I should pay the heat bill this month? We aren't talking about wether we are happy with our jobs but rather the fact that as bad as they are someone in another country will do them for literally 2 cents on the dollar. I have friends in Windsor, accross the river from me. If a 7-11 advertises for a night clerk position they can expect dozens of highly educated applicants. A lot of the population still lives well because they work in the US. Where are they going to commute to next when there aren't any jobs for them here, because someone sent them overseas?

What I'm saying is that if you look at the big picture of globalization and what the true ramifications are...they you'd better realize that if you can train someone in country "A" to do the same job as you for a fraction of the cost...your job is gone. Since (if you read some of the previous posts in the thread) it is clear (to me at least) that the ever greater persuit of wealth and things we demand is in fact driving our own jobs overseas...then it is high time we start looking at what we CAN'T ship overseas.

We can all be concerned about job loss...hey, I deal with it every day. But...simply looking at a 50 year old model of manufacturing and wishing we could turn back the clock isn't going to change what's going on. Increasing mininum wage to $7.50 isn't going to do it. There are a whole ream of interconnected factors...most of which people don't even consider. So here's my salute to BS Bingo in using the phrase "thinking outside the box"...what do WE have which we can use to continue having something of value to trade on the world stage...it's our freedom...(no not the "let's bring freedom to the world" thing)...it's that the way our society currently is, we collectively (not necessarily everyone individually) have enough freedom to actually spend time thinking creatively...vs. working every minute doing exactly what we are told to survive. This freedom enables us to come up with new solutions and new ideas.

This is what we are going to need to tap into in order to start to reverse the current trend.

Yeah, some people's jobs suck...yeah, this isn't a quick fix but...you can't start to really work out a solution to the "great sucking sound" unti you start to see what you have that can't be taken away. Most people never even consider why a society can be so creative and inventive...look around the world...where are the ideas coming from? It is easy to copy, it is difficult to create.

As a society here, we need to continue to remember what we have which will allow us to continue to thrive.

This is where I'm coming from.

 

[BigJetDriver]

Well I for one am going to get out of manufacturing as fast as I can.

Probably a good idea, Mike! I am very sorry to hear about your job. I will say a prayer for you and your family to ask that you find a new and better opportunity soon.

Rob

 

[MikeFerrara]

Probably a good idea, Mike! I am very sorry to hear about your job. I will say a prayer for you and your family to ask that you find a new and better opportunity soon.

Rob

Thanks for the prayer (to all who offered them).

Something will come up. Things change but often for the better and the challenge is to go into it with the right attitude and not be a wimp about it. LOL

 

[MgicTwnger]

Thanks for the prayer (to all who offered them).

Something will come up. Things change but often for the better and the challenge is to go into it with the right attitude and not be a wimp about it. LOL

Atta boy! Speaking from my own experiences, I think the old saying is true: whatever dosn't kill you will make you stronger.

 

[Rick_G]

These political topics are always fun, so here’s my spin. We don’t want those jobs that are being sent overseas/ across the boarder. The standard of living in the U.S. is by far the highest in the world, this is do to the cheap labor. The problem is we are not encouraging new investment in our country. Doing business in the U.S. is expensive, everyone has there hand out and wants something for nothing. Our tax system and legal system is a joke. There are all ways going to be rich, poor and somewhere in between, the other choice is socialism. Our education system is in the toilet not because of lack of funding, but because no one is accountable. Not the teachers not the students not the parents not the tax payers. Individuals have to be accountable for themselves. The rest of the world is leaving us behind. As a country we have become lazy and want something for nothing. Our parents and grandparents had to work there asses off to make a living and some times couldn’t. Now you can sit around and do nothing and live better than in most other countries. Politicians want to get elected and victims make great voters. The economics of life have changed since my parents and grandparents. We as a country can’t create such a difficult business environment that we chase all new investment away, then we will have nothing. The U.S. has a strong and stable economy, this is good for business. This country still offers the best opportunity to increase your quality of living. The people that want to change with it will do fine, the people that still think we should be making VCR’s in the U.S. won’t.

Good luck Mike

Rick

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

The standard of living in the U.S. is by far the highest in the world,
Rick

Actually we're listed as in the top ten. While the United States' mean wealth is the highest of any major country, its median wealth is considerably lower. Most of the extra money in the United States is the result of a much wealthier top section of the population. If the top five percent of the population is not included the average Canadian would be wealthier than the average American.