Stealth F35
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If we don’t make it, few, if any, countries do.
It seems as if the country that used to make everything is on the brink of making nothing. In January, 207,000 U.S. manufacturing jobs vanished in the largest one-month drop since October 1982. U.S. factory activity is hovering at a 28-year low.
But manufacturing in the United States is not dead or even dying. It is moving upscale, following the biggest profits and becoming more efficient, just as Henry Ford did when he created the assembly line to make the Model T car.
The United States remains by far the world’s leading manufacturer by value of goods produced. It hit a record $1.6 trillion in 2007 – nearly double the $811 billion of 1987. For every $1 of value produced in China factories, the United States generates $2.50.
The United States makes things that other countries cannot. Today, “Made in U.S.A.” is more likely to be stamped on heavy equipment or the circuits that go inside other products than the televisions, toys, clothes and other items found on store shelves.
U.S. factories still provide much of the processed food that U.S. households consume, everything from frozen fish sticks to cans of beer. And U.S. companies make a considerable share of the personal hygiene products like soap and shampoo, cleaning supplies and prescription drugs that are sold in pharmacies. But many other consumer goods now come from outside the United States.
It’s apparent that high tech boosts manufacturing but cuts jobs. This trend will certainly continue as robots assist more and more manufacturing steps, even as profits grow.
So… the problem is… ?
Retrain worker A whose entire job consisted of welding a part onto a car, since a robot can do it more efficiently AND safer.
Again, where is the problem?
Ah that’s right, nobody wants to take responsibility for their lives, they want the corporation to keep them employed doing stupid jobs forever — and barring that, the government to hand them a check because they are afraid to learn anything new.
And pundits like to point to job loss without examining the efficiencies and opportunities it all brings. “Victims of technology” as opposed to “Masters of the Future”.
People love to act like corporations are just purposefully kicking people to the curb by improving their operations and becoming profitable. Remember anything of the past 50 years? Remember steel mills that went away, primarily because nobody in them would adapt and make things better and cheaper?
We make plenty of things in the USA. But we make far more ideas, which is a bit more important. If I hear of some other country(ies) coming up with more ideas than us and implementing them, then I’d be worried. But the EU is like a bunch of dickering hens in a leaking henhouse made by a farmer in the 16th century. India has its moments, but has a huge imbalance internally, the caste system, which will keep it from becoming great until they remove it. China has just changed dynasties again and is still figuring out where the new emporers want them to go. Africa… well, africa could also be great but they would rather keep tribal rivalries going for centuries and destroy their own countries. South America has some potential, but they equate their self-worth too much with external agencies (what does -insert country- think of us.) And they like dictators too much to get a good strong idea-driven economy to work.
The rest of south asia has potential as well, but they tend to be fragmented and have their own internal (post-colonial) issues. Australia… hasn’t gotten over the ‘Britain’s Exile Jail’ thing.
All in all, we still have the edge over the rest of the world in ideas and vision. (I don’t differentiate Canada from the US — while they have their moments, they really are an interdependent entity with the US, as is Mexico.)
That doesn’t mean we don’t have hiccups and mistakes. But if we were perfect, I’d have to wonder far more. The only place to go from the perfect top is downward. However, being just below the top? We keep trying to get there.
#1
“Retrain worker A whose entire job consisted of welding a part onto a car, since a robot can do it more efficiently AND safer.”
Hold it, wait.
Let’s run this by some logic.
Assume we have a group of 100 people. Some very smart, some very dumb, and the whole range in between.
Now let’s bring in some robots, which takes the jobs of 50 out of the 100 workers.
Now of course, those who lost their jobs are mostly the “bottom” 50 because they are the manual labors and the robots replaced manual labor. Reeducate? HA! Many people really are good at manual labor, but not much good at book smarts.
So they try to get a job at Company B, but no luck – robots.
Company C, robots. Company D, robots. Etc.
So what do manual labors do when there is no more manual labor?
Is Anything Made In The U.S.A.?
maglites..
soon as they go outta town we are doomed..
oops.. too late
#4 Glenn E.
Very well said. Excellent critique.
Not to mention the litigious atmosphere here in the US.
Stuff like this, while laudable, drives jobs overseas.
http://csmonitor.com/2008/0528/p11s01-usju.html
Is Anything Made In The U.S.A.?
Those dreadful Hormel brand microwave meal things that probably gives you salmonella poisoning.
Corps send jobs over seas to save money..
Fun aint it, esp when you think that the WAGES of 1 Corp sponsor/CEO/Board member/THOSE LEFT in the USA, could pay for 100+ workers in the USA..
WHICH makes more cars? KEYWORD MAKES??
MOST wages EXCEPT THOSE from the top, are covered and protected for those on the bottom.
AVG wage of $5per hour is MATCHED by the employer, in Tax/Medical/State unemployment/SS..
BUT even with out those Extra’s do you THINK that BUSINESS would pay you $10 per hour?? NOT IF THEY DONT HAVE TO… ASK any salaried BOSS..They get paid 48-52 hours per week and DO TONS of work, and end up getting LESS then many employees.
The 1 THING you will find in the USA is HIGH GRADE PARTS..but that is going down the tubes also.. Other nations used to LOVE our parts and HIGH end goods. We have BETTER materials and skills. BUT, we are loosing our OLD MACHINISTS and builders.
Insted of AIMING for 2-3x spec, we build things TO spec. KNOWN AS..I would cross a bridge 40 years old rated at 15KGW, BEFORE I would TRY/THINK about one created in the last 15 years.
AT THIS time, IF’ you have the experience, you can get HIRED over seas at a GREAT WAGE, to TRAIN. In 5 years you wont have a job, but You will have trained them to the BEST of your abilities. And will probably be, some what, rich.
#2 – class apocrypha:
Company head showing off new robots to union president: “So, how will you get these machines to pay union dues?”
Union president: “The same way you get them to buy your products.”
#0 – cosmetics, etc. stay in the U.S. only because the essential component for most is also produced here in greatest quantities: animal fat.
BTW – most of the robots are imported.
1,
If you rephrased your argument within the context of foreign intervention you’d see its a lot more complicated… particularly regarding Africa and S America.
And the used the whole knowledge based worker shit on me in HS. It was bullshit then, it’s bullshit now. Labour is not a waste.
Damn those furrin robots! They took our jobs!
Ideas don’t employ people or maintain an economy. Manufacturing does. Until we roll back the changes that resulted in manufacturing leaving the U.S. we’re screwed.
P.S. There has ALWAYS been cheaper labor outside the U.S. so, our problems are caused by internal factors.
Sounds like many people are saying that we should not employ new technologies if they result in someone losing their job. This same argument was used by buggy manufactures with advent of the automobile.
Using this argument, we should shut down the internet because it is causing all the laborers who work for newspaper companies to lose their jobs.
Stop posting news articles you selfish jerks!
#7
What high grade parts? maybe other countries liked them before they started to make them at home..
Your products are a joke around the world, much like your cars/planes/toys/food/schools/public services/government/currency.
I’m not blasting your claims like some ignorant half-wit, but i’ve lost count of the number of people i’ve encountered that will not buy ANYTHING from you.
Maybe if you can make a simple pcb that isn’t a P O S then we’ll come back to you.
Unlikely though it may be.
Less food more work!
# 14 jimbo said, “I’m not blasting your claims like some ignorant half-wit, but i’ve lost count of the number of people i’ve encountered that will not buy ANYTHING from you.”
Be careful about stating absolutes. Anyone you know use a PC?
Things at my house I have recently seen that are US made:
-Ulta brand eyeliner
-a bathroom plunger
-my prom dress from a decade ago
-Snackmaster food dehydrator
Yeah so that is all I can think of. Pretty sad.
I cannot imagine that these high tech industries create anywhere near the jobs that say a assembly or a packaging plant would create. Granted these jobs probably pay well and are very profitable for the company. But America needs a lot more entry level jobs that pay decent wages and provides some health benefits. These jobs are what we have lost to other countries like China because of their low wages. I don’t think many Americans could afford to work for less then $10,000 a year as they do in China. But we sure like how it keeps prices down for things we like to buy.
#16, Stephanie,
Not to be too rude, but what country(ies) does your toilet paper, tampons, paper towels, and kleenex come from?
🙂
In my mind, I can see a world full of frustrated consumers. They’re tired of paying good money for crap that breaks down a month after the guarantee runs out. The world is desperate for excellent qualty goods, and would pay top dollar for them, if they exsisted. My mom has the same washer/dryer combo for 18 years, they were american made. I would gladly pay double the normal sale price for something this durable. Nowadays it’s impressive if your appliances last 5 years. Corporations have got so caught up in cutting costs and maximizing profits that they forgot the fact that success is based on consumer demand and consumer satisfaction. The opportunity’s there, will investors see it?
I have my doubts.
Hello Paddy-O, and here’s me thinking you may not make silly posts any more.
OF COURSE I don’t know anyone that uses a PC, i’m typing this post right now on a waffle…..You fool, most of my friends are in the tech game and they DON’T use American made products because 99% of the time they claim American products are made from SH1T materials and are of low quality build.
# 21 jimbo said, OF COURSE I don’t know anyone that uses a PC, i’m typing this post right now on a waffle…..You fool, most of my friends are in the tech game and they DON’T use American made products because 99% of the time they claim American products are made from SH1T”
Then, you and your friends better yank those CPUs from your computers now…
LOL!
P.S. I don’t expect to see you posting anymore…
It’s simple economics: Asian labor is super cheap (10c/hour) plus humongous cargo ships make ocean transport cheap. It’ll take many decades for Asian labor rates to equal ours, creating a level playing field. Read http://www.ideas4ourfuture.com for a solution to this problem. It’s our only chance to retain our high standard of living.
paddy-o,
Nice reply to the idiot about AMerican ICs. I guess even a broke clock is right twice a day.
America does make some of the best electronic components in the world. TI, Analog Devices, Natioinal Semiconductor, Micrel, Silicon Labs, Atmel, Tektronix, Vicor, Freescale, National Instruments, the list goes on.
The problem is too many suits can’t see beyond the quarter, and farm out jobs to satisfy short-term numbers instead of customer service, proprietary technology development, and building the business.
#18,
Damn, you had to go there didn’t you???
I was just talking about things that I have noticed recently. I am sure those goods you mentioned might be made in America but I guess I have not done a good enough job of scrutinizing every little thing I use or buy to see where it comes from.
I forgot one though… I think my Dixon Ticonderoga #2 pencils are US made. I love those pencils.
Bombing, invading, threatening, killing third world countries is solely MADE IN THE USA.
# 26 zorkor said, “Bombing, invading, threatening, killing third world countries is solely MADE IN THE USA.”
Someone has to get rid of the riff-raff.
BTW – You never told my what the lies were on that thread about the Muslim guy in NY beheading his wife…
changing the topic eh Paddy-O?
😉
# 28 zorkor said, “changing the topic eh Paddy-O?”
Nope. I answered your accusation, as you can see if you can read.
Now, answer the question you ran from like a coward last time…
changing the topic and calling others cowards, another thing MADE IN THE USA…
# 30 zorkor said, “changing the topic and calling others cowards, another thing MADE IN THE USA…”
Coward.
The wealthy, and their stupid sycophants will always have justification to screw the workers and consumers. This will continue until the first CEO is replaced by a robot, or offshored to save money.