America’s Descent into Poverty. Is any of this true?

Well I mean if you can build a product for $100 in America, and $50 in China and ship it here for $25, you gain $25 per sale. It's basic stuff. Now the government can protect American jobs by taxing imported goods an additional $25. So now there is no benefit of sending the production to China. In fact, it may actually be worse because Chinese manufacturing isn't as precise as American, so jobs move back to America.

 

Your numbers are a bit off. But the concept is right on.

An Ipad2, i believe was estimated to have cost in excess of $14,000 if made in the US, using US workforce regulations.
Until the US gets cheap precise automation for such menial task. China is that machine. Mass amounts of labor for minimal cost.

So taxing it, wouldn't help much.. It would just drive up the prices.
Edit:
UNLESS, the tax could be enforced on the companies profits, and not transfered to the customers. But this brings in so many problems, it wouldn't be done.

 

My numbers are just made up, it's the idea - if it's cheaper to produce stuff in other countries American companies will send jobs overseas. That's my point.

 

It's why i said the concept is right on.

 

Yeah

There is actually a really good interview with Google's Eric Schmidt that talks in depth about the concept and just jobs in America in general.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDl5hb0XbfY

It starts later on in the video but the entire interview is excellent.

It actually starts at 45:50 after the volt thing - and Eric's comment is actually the exactly the opposite I said, it's not a labor problem it's actually a quality problem (at least in the tech industry).

 

maybe other countries would like to learn what america did wrong so they can avoid those mistakes and get it right.
Regardless of the statistical slant, does anyone dispute that the gap between the rich and poor is getting wider.

 

Icanium, unless the technological advances are indeed the a large reason for such unemployment rates. Then there's nothing wrong, and everything is right on track to the end of capitalist slavery. I know i say that and it just rubs you guys the wrong way, capitalist slavery. But that's just how it is.
I think these next few decades, these next 50 years will be pretty damn interesting.

 

Chouji, it does not rub me the wrong way. I see our Prison Industrial Complex ramping up to handle the crime proverty will cause.

 

Well, they should have also taught you in Social Studies class the Executive branch (the President, his cabinet and now his Czars) set the the political agenda and push congress to pass their desired legislation. Hence Obama Care, financial reform and now immigration reform all of which were done in haste without the proper debate and will be huge failures IMO. Regardless of any political views, the fact is Obama has been a pathetic and inept leader for this nation and globally. The USA is trillions in debt and our politicians are doing little to control spending or address the problems. People should be worried!

 

Except there is no such thing as proper debate in politics and the reformations you listed are entirely two complex for even organizations to predict their outcomes, let alone state politicians.

I'd rather Obama try and pass something, then to argue all day about nothing. At least when the Health Care act fails, we know can say that we tried it.

 

Congress had the opportunity to "debate" health care reform, which has been desperately needed for decades. Instead of attempting to "debate" or even discuss ideas, they decided that parties matter much more than the people that elected them. All the BS about "bipartisanship" was just that. They've done nothing but vote party lines for the last 4 years. That's why they can't actually accomplish anything and they're too stupid to figure it out. Anyone that honestly thinks our politicians actually care about this country...need a reality check.

 

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, LET THE HUNGER GAMES BEGIN.

You get places like Saipan, US Labour laws and restrictions don't apply but it's classed as US territory so products made there can be labelled as "Made in the USA" fools the average buyer.

It was a major problem a few years ago, with large numbers of migrant works being tricked into going there and working for almost nothing.

 

America has been in poverty for decades. It's only the protected parts of cities that are well off such as New York, California. There are many cities which have been left to rot in poverty such as Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo? So much for the worlds most advanced country and cant even look after the poverty stricken parts of USA.

 

And soon America will have no more money, just assets.

Anyway, is China still bailing you lot out?

 

nah they just lend us money about 4 trillion 8 yrs ago but in last 4 yrs its been 6 trillion.
the one nimrod said the other nimrod was unpatriotic for getting us in that much dept so he 1 upped him a few trillion.

 

^Funny thing is, every time I hear a debate on the US involving money I keep thinking back to all those trillions that have been spent on wars, or the greedy bankers.

I won't mention wars past this point since that sort of talk is banned on Guru.

 

$16 Trillion USD in national debt
Millions who have lost jobs and have given up finding one
College grads who are finding it much more difficult to find a job
Housing market still hasn't recovered, and is still plummeting in many areas
Declining value of the American dollar
A government that enables illegal aliens to take advantage of social services at the expense of American citizens.
Bailouts that haven't solved anything except put burden on American taxpayers (GM is no better off now than before the bailout and is headed towards bankruptcy again!)
An increasing dependence on oil from countries hostile to the U.S. due to restrictive policies on energy production.


Are we better off than we were four years ago?

I think not.

 

So, you believe America would be better of today if the Financial and Manufacturing Sectors had been allowed to collapse. I really do not see how allowing these sector to fall would have prevented the issues you noted and improved the poverty situation.

 

I'd rather let bad businesses fail than to force everyone else to pay for their bad business behavior.

 

Would we be better off if Banking and Automotive had been allowed to fail?
Would poverty situation be better?