Manufacturing drives our economy, can't be ignored

[FreakinDJ]

Manufacturing drives our economy, can't be ignored

Manufacturing is the key driver for a value added economy.
Can banking or services provide us with the same condition of taking a raw material and create a usable product that people can use or better yet, really need?

Pounds of iron ore are needed to produce the steel used in the production of an automobile. What good is the iron ore of itself? Oil direct from the ground serves no useful purpose, but add manufacturing expertise and it can be made into fuel, plastics, clothing, etc. All this is accomplished through the manufacturing processes.

Manufacturing drives our economy. Therefore what is the dilemma that congress faces to save one of our most prime endeavors of manufacturing - the automobile.

http://www.mlive.com/businessreview/tricities/index.ssf/2008/12/robert_schooks_manufacturing_d.html

[FarCenter]

1. It is a necessary part, but no longer drives the economy

At one time, over 50% of the work force was engaged in agriculture. Now only a few percent of the workforce is in ag.

At one time, over 50% of the work force was engaged in manufacturing. However, the percentage is now smaller than that and falling.

Due to the application of computers, digital information systems, and automation technology, we will be able to do all the needed manufacturing with a smaller and smaller work force.

So manufacturing definitely does not drive employment.

[RC]

2. Especially if the needed manufacturing is off shored.

It won't take much more and we will be running on just the draft of what we once had. Without manufacturing this country will collapse. The things we use needs to be made in this country, not imported from a third world county that basically uses slave labor and sold here at obscene markups.

[FreakinDJ]

3. If we want to recover from this recession/depression we need manufacturing

China's economy is the only economy with consistent economic growth for the last 8 years because manufacturing.

If we want to recover from the economic blythe brought on by our corrupt financial markets America needs a resurgence of the manufacturing sector