Tom Gardner wrote:
SNIP
The "land of opportunity" seems to mean opportunity for european and
other overseas firms to rape and raid, then cry when we try to do
something about it. Time to slam the damn gates and block out all
imports without vey, very heavy duties. The US was not made to be a
dumping ground for ****ty scabby companies in other countries. We
have no friends among european countries, only profiteering *******s
that can't see any further than their own useless interests.

And the press runs with the lemmings to back up the conservative
lies.

...and if the import police were to tour your house, how much of YOUR
stuff is imports? Laws will NEVER be passed to limit imports, it has
to come from a public awareness that their money is going away rather
than paying their neighbor's wages and strengthening American
companies. American companies have a hard time competing when they
have to drag greedy unions that don't have a clue how to be anything
but adversarial. Sorry, but when the union says that I have to pay a
floor sweeper or a button pusher $20 / hr plus benies, they are
DESTROYING American manufacturing more that the plant closers and
importers.

It never bloody fail!.
Get a discussion going about the ills of North America (ya - I am including
Canada) and some wag blames it all on the unions.
Did you ever stop to think about why unions became so popular?
I will give you a hint; think slave wages and doubled prices down at the
company store. The greed that led to the union movement is the same greed
that is now gutting our manufacturing sector - outsourcing - an effective
end-run around the workers.
As far as import 'laws' globalization, as promoted by the good old USA, is
mainly responsible for the outsourcing of *your* jobs and the continuing
distruction of local economies.
When was the last time you saw a promotional campaign advocating "Buy
American" sponsored by local/state/federal government?
As I understand it (here in Canada) that sort of government involvement is
not permitted by NAFTA.
Your take in the USA?
That $20 per hour job puts a lot of dollars into the local economy.
What does a burger flipper at minimum wage contribute?
The faulty thinking that rewards employers who squeeze the most from the
unwashed masses is the same as the corporate decision to replace said
workers with offshore 'slaves' who pay no taxes here and buy no goods here.
"Robots don't buy cars" - so where is the market for those 'cheap' goods?
Ah, you say. 'Let them buy into the capitalist system'.
This is the snake swallowing its own tail.
Good advice to those who actually have capital to invest (damned rare!) -
and those folks have long ago figured out that there is no future in
American investments.
The 'third' world is also waking up to the lies inherent in the global
economy fiction.
The **** will hit the fan soon (keep your eyes on Central America for a
backyard view).
The American imperium is in serious trouble. I, for one, would like to see
it succeed in its stated goals - prosperity for all - but this goal seems to
be getting further and further away. Militarism has taken the forefront of
foreign affairs - a bandaid for the USA economy but a terrible decision in
the long run.
I see little hope.
We need an American Ghandi. A man (or woman) with vision, who can rise above
the ridiculous political bickering and actually address the real problems
facing us.

Sorry for the rant (anylisis?) but I really get ticked off when the blame
for a huge and universal problem is placed on the head of the common
working man!

Regards.
Ken.

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