A Viable Recovery May Not Be Possible

[Postman]

http://www.economyincrisis.org/articles/show/2479

The loss of America's manufacturing base has resulted in cataclysmic changes to the makeup of the American economy. Over time the U.S. progressed from an agricultural society to an industrial society, recently morphing into a service society. The undeniable flaws in this progression are finally apparent. A country must produce in order to thrive. With the loss of America's manufacturing base, our country has faltered dramatically

[leftofthedial]

1. THIS IS NOT A RECESSION, OR EVEN A DEPRESSION.

This is a sea change, a paradigm shift, a complete re-leveling and reconfiguring of the global economy.

The choices we make over the next few years may well set the course for our species for the next hundred years or more.

That's why I am encouraged that the stimulus bill emphasized green energy, education and infrastructure so much.

I just hope the tax-cut nonsense doesn't undo the good in the rest of the bill.

[cutlassmama]

8. It's a depression and we've been in it for quite some time now.

[Kolesar]

2. Where do people get this stuff? US is still the largest manufacturer

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

3. Of?...

[ogneopasno]

4. On paper and by dollars. Doesn't mean stuff made by U.S. companies is made here.

[Greyhound]

5. Only in terms of value, not in volume. n/t

[leftstreet]

6. There's a reason the Predator Class had us chanting "Made in China!"

for years. Terra, Terra, Terra!

See, you HAVE to accept lower wages and grovel for the shit jobs because SEE "you don't manufacture anything" SEE it's all "Made in China!"

SEE?

What a scam.

[Kolesar]

9. As in: "don't ask for much, don't get your expectations up"? ...eom

[madrchsod]

7. well we can build cars at 14 an hour.....

14 an hour will buy you a decent used car if you have any credit left after this disaster.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

10. I realy don't see why a service economy could not be as successful as a manufacturing economy

The reason the manufacturing sector was so critical is because a lot of the manufacturing jobs were UNIONIZED meaning that they provided high wage jobs, which has never happened to any extent in the service economy. I really don't think people care if they are earning $27 an hour making shoes or if they are making $27 servicing insurance in a call center. What's important to them is that they are earning a living wage.

I know people will start talking about "trade imbalances", etc. What if we just accept that the cost of outsourcing manufacturing is that we will have permananet trade imbalances. So what? We seem to have made the choice that manufacturing is dirty and stinky and polluting and it's convenient that the Chinese and Third World countries have volunteered to kill off their environments and people on our behalf.:sarcasm:

[Zynx]

11. We did, until the most recent downturn in industrial production, have the highest

industrial output in our history and we still have the highest industrial output in the world. It's simply a lower percent of the economy than it had previously been. The idea we don't produce anything is flatly wrong.