How Can America Restore Its Industrial Self-Sufficiency?

[idlisambar]

(PRWEB) July 24, 2005 -- The wealth that the US achieved in the early 20th century has been eroded by encouraging other countries to build their industrial base while not taking care to insure a domestic industrial future for ourselves.

This has been extensively documented and is evidenced by 30 years of trade deficits and the largest ever recorded trade deficit of $617 Billion last year and a current account deficit of $665 Billion - the US simply does not produce what it needs to sustain itself.

What can we do to correct it?

US consumers of many products including capital equipment now find that foreign imports or foreign-owned domestic producers provide a better value or quality than domestic counterparts, if those even exist. Other countries are taking unfair advantage of our free markets

Our current policies are failing to stimulate competitive domestic industries sufficient to sustain the US. We cannot cope with predatory practices of China and Japan, who take advantage of our free and open markets but themselves utilize subsidies, protectionism, and below-cost pricing to undermine and destroy our industrial base.

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http://press.arrivenet.com/edu/article.php/673510.html

[ixion]

1. now if that's not a question that answers itself...

:+

[leveymg]

2. Okay, so what can we do to correct it?

Should we ban all imports? (No more Toyotas?) Seal the borders? (No more Indian computer analysts and Mexican agricultural workers - program your own software and pick your own grapes) Reimpose tariffs (How high do you want the price of dometic steel)?

Can we even build a car you would really want to own?

[idlisambar]

9. drastic changes are needed

Much of the changes could be summed up with the term "industrial policy". Essentially the business environment should be regulated in such a way as to encourage private investment and technological advancement, while at the same time discouraging offshoring of manufacturing.

Today the focus of the American business community is on short-term profit and investor returns, and this must be changed.

Do you have any suggestions or comments?

[wli]

3. we may not yet be a 2nd-class power...

... but our standard of living has already fallen.

[unhappycamper]

4. IMHO

1. Change tax policies so individuals and corporations pay their fair share.
   
2. Change policies designed to outsource manufacturing.
   
3. Fund government auditors to an acceptable level.
   
4. Penalize bad corporate behavior.
   
5. Penalize bad government behavior.
   
6. Institute accountability across all governmental functions.
   
7. Avoid trade agreements that are clearly bad for American workers.
   
8. Reform the education system.
   

It's a rather simplistic view and I know I'm missing a lot, but just throwing a few things up on the wall.

[Mairead]

5. This issue is why I posted my question

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4173324

Currently, we're circling the drain because everything is being done for the benefit of the owning class.

If we want things to be done for our benefit instead, then we have to organise our heads and think about what the best entry points are.

For example, leveymg's question about cars: can we build a car we'd want to own? As far as I'm concerned, the answer is Yes, we can because the only thing I care about is that the car be cheap, capable, and last forever; I don't get any part of my self-image from my car. But is 'can we build a car' the right question to ask? Would a better question be Can we figure out how to solve for the foreseeable future 80% of all personal transportation needs at a fully-determined cost that people can pay?

We have more intelligence and more raw power-to available than the owning class do. Why don't we use it?

[K-W]

6. Democratic Socialism.

We have to give up laissez faire utopianism and replace it with a regime of rational, democratic planning and reform.

[bemildred]

7. Tariffs. nt

[DFWdem]

8. China's currency float is a start

As prices of Chinese goods begin to rise due to the recent un-pegging of the Yuan to the dollar, it will become less attractive, i.e. more expensive, to buy goods manufactured in China. Of course, CAFTA is right around the corner, and the countries are closer too, so the shipping costs are lower for importing manufactured goods. Looks like that'll end up being a wash.

[applegrove]

10. The WH is not interested in civil goods. It wants to monopoly on

producing military goods.

[Peter1x9]

11. Stop exporting jobs and factories. nt