May be the Problem

[NYMINUTE]

I started the day early having set my alarm clock (MADE IN JAPAN) for 6am. While my coffeepot (MADE IN CHINA) was perking, I shaved with my electric razor (MADE IN HONG KONG). I put on a dress shirt (MADE IN SRI LANKA), designer suit (MADE IN SINGAPORE) and wingtip shoes (MADE IN KOREA). After cooking my breakfast in my new electric skillet (MADE IN INDIA) I sat down with my calculator (MADE IN MEXICO) to see how much I could spend today. After setting my watch (MADE IN TAIWAN) to the radio (MADE IN INDIA) I got in my car (MADE IN JAPAN) and continued my search for a good paying AMERICAN JOB. At the end of yet another discouraging and fruitless day, I decided to relax for a while. I put on my sandals (MADE IN BRAZIL) poured myself a glass of wine (MADE IN FRANCE) and turned on my TV (MADE IN INDONESIA), and then wondered why I can't find a good paying job in.....AMERICA.....

 

[JB]

Re: May be the Problem

Been around before, NYM.<br /><br />The answer is that none of the jobs you mentioned pay over about $1.50 and hour. Is that "good paying"?

 

[rodbolt]

Re: May be the Problem

I hear ya.<br /> I keep hearing rumours of 2 merc plants in china. cant wait to work on chinese black anchors <br />I hope its better than the hechen en mexio 3.0 and 5.7 stuff.

 

[Tinkerer]

Re: May be the Problem

Originally posted by NYMINUTE:<br /> and then wondered why I can't find a good paying job in.....AMERICA.....

You should be looking for a job at top corporate levels where the decisions are made to export jobs overseas. <br /><br />The people who make these decisions are spectacularly well paid. Strangely, not one of them has ever made anything in their life except decisions about other people who actually make the things the company sells. Oh, and some of these bigwigs have made mistakes. If you can make really big mistakes as a big cheese at CEO level or close to it, you will be paid squillons to pi$$ off. If you stuff up as an ordinary worker you just get fired and have to fight for your entitlements.<br /><br />The further removed you are from whatever it is that the company actually produces, the more you get paid. <br /><br />Unless we're talking geographically, in which case the reverse applies as the further you are from the HQ in a developed country the less you get paid and the worse your benefits. That's why China is so great. Lose an arm in an unguarded dangerous machine and you get fired; thrown out of the company dormitory; and with no compensation for your injury. Way to go! Laissez-faire capitalism at its best!<br /><br />I hope you won't take this the wrong way but you may be being held back by your dress shirt made in Sri Lanka and your designer suit made in Singapore. The Hong Kong tailors do both better for the same money.<br /><br />Judging by your avatar you might do better at interviews with four wingtip shoes. A normal pair leaves you looking unshod at one end or the other. Or maybe diagonally, which would be even less appealing to an interviewer.

 

[KaGee]

Re: May be the Problem

You forgot one NY.... All purchased at WALMART!<br /><br /> <br />

 

[Elmer Fudge]

Re: May be the Problem

Way to go America, now we're in the fast lane to becoming the land of leisure, nothing to worry about, if we the people cannot find a job and cannot put bread on the table to feed our families, NO PROBLEM, WE CAN ALL EAT CAKE MADE IN CHINA

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: May be the Problem

IF it is so bad in the USA, why isnt unemployment skyrocketing?<br /><br />Putting together a clock shouldnt make 20/hr.<br />Designing it should pay 40/hr.<br /><br />Plus think of how much more money you would have to make to afford all these items if they were made in the USA.<br /><br />Ken

 

[xikxak]

Re: May be the Problem

 

[SoulWinner]

Re: May be the Problem

America has about the lowest unemployment in the world, and the highest standard of living. Somebody must be doing something right.

 

[rogerwa]

Re: May be the Problem

Somebody should calculate the price these goods paying union negotiated American wages. We cannot pay inflated wages to produce goods that we (as consumers) also demand rock bottom prices. If these products are not produced in the low wage areas, the leaders of the company are not meeting their responsibility to the shareholders (increase shareholder value), which is their real job.

 

[dogsdad]

Re: May be the Problem

Free trade is a great thing, at least in principle.<br /><br />The problem is that when we trade with China, it isn't free trade---this arrangement puts Americans in competition with the slave labor of the Chinese communists. This upsets the entire equilibrium of thge cost of labor throughout the world.<br /><br />As far as I am concerned, if these CEOs and Boards of Directors think that it's okay to move jobs overseas, they should be required to go live in those economies and societies themselves.<br /><br />If you wanna sell it in the USA, MAKE IT IN THE USA.<br /><br /><br />-dd-

 

[aspeck]

Re: May be the Problem

The reason the cost of labor is so low in these other countries is because there are so many out of work. As the labor market get filled with more jobs, the cost of labor will go up - supply and demand.

 

[NYMINUTE]

Re: May be the Problem

Difficult to explain to those that have lost their jobs to foreign countries. For folks in their 50's + new careers are few and short. Nobody wants to train and employee people who will exit in 10-15 years, except Home Depot, and a few others. My opinion on NAFTA is it was costly to the US worker. Now many are making 30-60% less in new jobs. How will they afford the products made off shore and imported back to the US? It is a vicious cycle. Our unemployment rate is much higher today than 10 years ago. Is that PROGRESS?

 

[jtexas]

Re: May be the Problem

Originally posted by NYMINUTE:<br /> Our unemployment rate is much higher today than 10 years ago. Is that PROGRESS?

US Unemployment rate:<br />Jan 1985 7.3%<br />Jan 1995 5.6%<br />Jan 2005 5.2%<br /><br />Q - "Is that PROGRESS?"<br />A - Looks like progress to me.<br /><br />Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics

 

[Barlow]

Re: May be the Problem

oh boy .. here we go again.

 

[pjc]

Re: May be the Problem

Merc is going to open a new plant in China within a couple weeks according to a story in the Feb 20 Milwaukee Journal Business section. Page 2D.<br /><br />Gonna build complete Chinglee 4 stroke Mercs there. They will be shipped with fish oil I understand. Merc is already sourcing China for some engine components.

 

[xikxak]

Re: May be the Problem

My daughter called me with AOL problems.She said she called they're tech dept and got someone in India who could,nt help.I told her to call back and cancel her service and they put on an american tech who fixed her problem in 2 min.I guess you have to use the right words. dave

 

[NYMINUTE]

Re: May be the Problem

Originally posted by jtexas:<br />

Originally posted by NYMINUTE:<br /> Our unemployment rate is much higher today than 10 years ago. Is that PROGRESS?

US Unemployment rate:<br />Jan 1985 7.3%<br />Jan 1995 5.6%<br />Jan 2005 5.2%<br /><br />Q - "Is that PROGRESS?"<br />A - Looks like progress to me.<br /><br />Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics

Indiana, Michigan, and NC have lost more jobs than any other states. As the immigrant population continues to grow, the % drops. How many of those employed are in jobs well below their skills, or in a new profession? I personally have seen process enginners I worked with waiting tables at IHOP, because the 26 weeks was up. Don't be deceived by the %. Our US workers are hurting, but we don't understand it when we are not.

 

[Elmer Fudge]

Re: May be the Problem

Check out how many hours worked per week by the average American compare to the average european.<br /><br />check on how much vacation time and family leave the average American gets compare to the average european.<br /><br />When last did you look at the value of the dollar?<br /><br />There's been lots of noise about American productivity being up with less man hours, thats true, but ask yourselves what are we producing, and at what cost to the future of our country.<br />I assure you that most of the benefits which you see are merely short term.

 

[CalicoKid]

Re: May be the Problem

The US unemployment figures are calculated as follows:<br />1 person working 1 full time job and 1 part time job to make ends meet is counted as 1 and 1 half employed person.<br />2 persons working 1 full time job and 1 part time job each plus 1 unemployed person sum up to 3 persons/3 jobs, 0% unemployment. We all know that the reality is 33.3% unemployment.<br />The BLS changed the method of calculation right around the time NAFTA was enacted. They only count those who are applying for unemployment benefits also. There are likely plenty of unemployed who are not applying for plenty of reasons.