Why the US can't just start making everything here

[IndyIan]

I don't think you can say China is a 3rd world country anymore, sure it has corruption problems but its integrated government and economy makes it a formidible player in the world economy. And maybe they are smart enough to make it very hard to open a business of dead and very polluting technology.

I'm sure their economic/global domination strategists must just laugh their asses off on how some western countries are making it so easy for them to gain economic power.
The problem is that we have U.S. companies just looking out for themselves with little consideration for the long term good of the U.S., its a free market of course and their only responsibility is to make money.
China's companies and government work together for China's best long term interests. The reality is that western countries are losing and will lose more economic power against China with their integrated strategy.
IMO we need some national level of strategic economic planning that favours the middle class here, without a strong middle class I don't think democracy works very well and it makes a weak vunerable economy.

 

[PandaBear]

Originally Posted By: IndyIan
IMO we need some national level of strategic economic planning that favours the middle class here, without a strong middle class I don't think democracy works very well and it makes a weak vunerable economy.


We have that, it's call campaign contribution and sell out. The democracy in this country is getting so expensive that we now have one fraction of special interest against another fraction of special interest.

Although China is getting into market economy, government is still the largest share holder for most mega corp in banking, mining, natural resources, transportation, etc. They aren't really laughing at the west for being easy targets, but they are fully aware that they will see the same problems once they get to the same size / income per capital as the west.

A driver / assistance of my cousin who work in their government told me that they are starting to cut off new employees from the medical and pension system from the communist era. They are fully aware that it is impossible to keep a system that you can retire at the age of 62 and still keep 2/3 of the salary till you die. They are also adopting Europe's latest pollution regulation on new cars, banning sales of new scooter/moped/vespa due to the lack of CAT, something that even Taiwan doesn't dare to do.

When you have a competitor 30 years ahead of you, it is easy to copy and learn from their mistakes. For us, fortunately and unfortunately, we are 30 years ahead.

 

[Vizzy]

The US could start manufacturing many more products here, if tariffs were imposed on salve wage labor nations like China....the bottom line is that if citizens in the US want to continue to have a reasonably high standard of living they must not allow slave wages to prevail...period...sure folks here will have to pay more for what they buy...but then again do you want to live like the serfs do in China? I think not.