Gone in a Nanosecond...US Falling Behind Across the Board(Paul Roberts)

[RedEarth]

Gone in a Nanosecond
US Falling Behind Across the Board
By PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS

On Monday, I reported that the US, formerly a superpower until afflicted with "new economy" syndrome, has lost so much manufacturing capability that it can scarcely produce one submarine every two years and one aircraft carrier every five years. US manufacturing capability is so reduced and shrinking so fast that the president of the American Shipbuilding Association recently said that in the next several years "more and more manufacturing of ship components and systems will migrate to China."

Not to worry say free trade economists. Shipbuilding is just one of those old manufacturing things that the nanotech US economy is better off without. Alas, according to Manufacturing & Technology News (July 8), so much manufacturing capability has already left the US that American nanotechnology capability is largely limited to pilot-scale, low-volume manufacturing.

In testimony before the House Science Subcommittee on Research, Matthew Nordan of Lux Research, Inc., said that any American nanotech ideas are likely to "be implemented in manufacturing plants on other shores."

Nordan says that in some fields of nanomaterials "the manufacturing train has already left the station." The US may even be falling behind in generating nanotech ideas. Last year China led the world in nanotech research, producing 14% more research papers than the US. Even South Korea and Taiwan spend more per capita on nanotech R&D than the US.

Sean Murdock, executive director of the NanoBusiness Alliance, told the subcommittee that the US could not live on ideas alone. Intellectual property is fine, Murdock said, but "if you look at the total value associated with any product, most of the value tends to accrue to those that are closest to the customer-that, in fact, make it."

http://www.counterpunch.org/roberts07272005.html

Paul Craig Roberts has held a number of academic appointments and has contributed to numerous scholarly publications. He served as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury in the Reagan administration. His graduate economics education was at the University of Virginia, the University of California at Berkeley, and Oxford University. He is coauthor of The Tyranny of Good Intentions. He can be reached at: paulcraigroberts@yahoo.

[getmeouttahere]

1. And protecting intellectual property rights....

is increasingly more difficult. That alone could cripple what's left of our economy

[The Doctor.]

2. Manufacturing is what makes an economy...

as it disappears, we will go inexorably deeper into debt.

[beboplives]

4. When Clinton was President

He emphasized the importance of nanotech for our future. I am sure the present admin, and their rw cohorts see such investment as a waste of time, since I increasingly believe that the rw is so anti-idea, and lacking in intellectual depth, as to be classified as Neanderthals.

[FloridaPat]

5. That was before * decided exporting computer programming jobs

was good for the economy. Also, a lot of companies are exporting their computer shops too. Cheaper to outsource it to IBM which then takes everything to India or whatever and runs the company from there. I'm starting to hear that some of this is coming back to bite them. Way too late.

So what technology jobs are there? Servers are still here. Web sites are still being done here but programmers overseas are much cheaper. Plus, 12 year old can do a good job today. We've been had. And those in government are getting rich with the bribes and the corporate jobs from those companies that are moving out.

[CrispyQ]

7. The current administration believes Mars is the solution.

:rofl:

[ptolle]

8. Neanderthals

Please,please do not do such a disservice to neanderthals! After all they survived quite well in one of the worst climate regimes this ball of dirt can throw at an inhabitant and did it quite elegantly too, IMO.One has only to look at the elegance of the mousterian culture tools to realize that Neanderthals are head and shoulders above the chimperor and his court in intelligence,perspective, and consciousness.

[depakid]

10. Clinton was one of the worst offenders!

His administration got NAFTA through- used its muscle for fast track and generally did as much (if not more) to harm America's manufacuring base with its shortsighted trade policies as any administration in history.

What makes it even (and so much) worse is that Clinton WAS NOT lacking in intellectual depth- and was not a Neanderthal- so he and his adminstration could easily have foreseen what would be coming down the pipeline- and yet they sold us all out nevertheless...

[loudsue]

13. Clinton STILL supports the whole NAFTA/Globalization stand...

I've heard him speak, even recently, on its merits. That's DLC...all the way.

The Dem party is better off without ANY DLC input. Those creeps need to cross the aisle where they belong, and stay the hell off our turf.

:kick::kick::kick:

[The Doctor.]

11. I'd go so far as to say 'Austrolopithicine'

These greedy, shortsighted, reckless fools are not real Republicans at all.

As they piss away and piss off America's jobs, talent, and intellectuals, we'll see America slowly lose it's superpower status. We're not far from a major crash either.

Why do they want this? I cannot fathom.

The scary part is that when the fundie nutcases finally assume power, they'll gleefully launch all of our nukes "'cause it's the Will of Gawd."

They cannot imagine a future where people are fully respectful of each-other's differences, where everyone, no matter what their race, religion, or sex are have equal social status. Where sexual orientation is understood to be varied and complex, where everyone is cared for, where everyone has the potential to excel and create wealth and esteem for themselves and their families.

They are terrified of a place where everyone might one day be equal, where the precepts they have used to create their own self image become ultimately obsolete. They cannot bear the thought of not being somehow morally superior to others.

It is far easier, after all, to adopt a Religious viewpoint which allows them to feel superior without actually putting the work into helping those less fortunate, or raising themselves up through education, hard work, and the understanding that what may be right for one is not always right for another.

No, these people are terrified of any future where their value is based on the merits of their work and contribution to society as a whole... for then they might have no value at all.

[formerrepuke]

3. We have more important things to worry about, such as:

the anti flag-burning legislation; placing ten-commandments tablets on courthouse lawns; making sure schoolchildren are exposed to intelligent design science..etc, etc. There's just too much important stuff like this facing our nation right now. (Sarcasm intended)

[getmeouttahere]

6. Sounds like "What's wrong with Kansas", formerrepuke!

Emphasis on so-called social issues, while the farmer in Kansas who voted for them loses his shirt...or his son that left the farm for a better life can't get a decent paying job because they are all going overseas

[TrogL]

9. Canada is making advances in nanotechnology

partially funded by the University of Alberta.

[katty]

12. US Service Econ, servicing the monied class-will that be with

lemon or cream?

Those in the top tier (and they know who they are)may be American born, living in America, yet operate as internationalists-they and their businesses, business deals, embrace CAFTA, et al. All this bull about America being a level playing field, pull yourself up by your bootstraps is over-has been for a very long time. America was the land of opportunity when we WERE a super power in manufacturing and invention-as the lower class struggled to break into the middle class (mainly via labor union wage/job protections)and the middle classes struggled to go to college, reach upper class status/wider influence via money and accumulation, intellectual and material.
When major companies move essential businesses out of their country of origin and replace the once living wage+ (health benefits/pension)jobs for a substantial majority of workers paying their 'fed taxes' and buying goods/services on a regular basis(the rich have effective legal instruments to protect their wealth-especially from Uncle Sam) with service jobs in 'retail', the message is: OK, we are done with you, we got what we needed when we needed YOUR services, but now we can replicate this job (or eliminate it) paying a worker in another country a dollar a day (or less)and they'll be happy to get that dollar or less.
The standard of living for most Americans will only keep dropping, unless this situation is dramatically reversed-and I don't see that happening any time soon.