HarryTheSpider

Having jobs in the USA is critical obviously, to a good economy and stable society. As it is in the rest of the world. There are countries other than the USA, so a simplistic 'only buy American' will cause problems elsewhere in the world. Oh, and does this extend to oil, as in only by US oil?

But the Republicans are up for it - they're happily working towards people HAVING to have more than 1 job just to make ends meet...

There may be the EPA here in the USA but it is severely hobbled by partisan politics, funded by big business. And whilst regulations may be one thing, following them, even policing them, is another. In this regard, of the Western members of the G8 certainly, the US at a national level has some of the worst environmental protection standards going.

But I am ALL for seeing that change in the US (I can do little, not having the vote here...)

The USA's record on human rights is troubling on several fronts. De facto slave labour in prisons, minimal employment regulations, loss of rights of convicted felons, even after they've completed their prison sentence & parole etc... and then there's the simple matter of policing it... or not. My local sheriff is only it seems interested in busting illegals so he can look good on TV...

That's just quite simply, laughable bollox. In some dozen states this year in the US, there's been concerted effort to do quite the opposite and deny the fruits & practice of democracy to many...

Well, ships don't run on petroleum, but I take your point. It's actually cheaper, per item, to ship from China to the US, than it is to ship from Long Beach, Ca to say, NYC. By a country mile. But that's just noise, because

And for those US jobs that depend on exports? Countries other than the USA will soon take umbrage at the USA for being 'protectionist' and effectively buy less USA made goods - either by conscious philosophical choice, or by raising import duty on US products to the point where few will want to pay the premium involved...

I agree it's an amazing investment... just that the world is simply a lot more complex than your argument acknowledges.

I wonder if being proud to buy goods made in your own country, wherever that may be, drives at least some, to lobby their governments to ensure those goods are made in reasonable conditions, no child or slave labour, and no lasting damage to the environment.


To quote my favourite US president, "we're talking about a .22 calibre mind in a .357 magnum world"... and I'd lay this epithet at Romney's feet in particular...

scrubbedexpat099

I seem to remember something similar in the UK in the late 60's. Buy British. Showing my age.

It is all theoretical because it does not work.

I was flicking through news stories the other day and there was a story about a UK OnLine Fashion Retailer selling a party dress for 75p. Apparently with your life on line now it is more difficult to wear an outfit to several different occasions.......

Frightening what that really says.

Cardienscarf

I was just talking to a woman who has 3 weddings to go to in the next month and she said she needed 3 different outfits even though each occasion would be with people who don't know each other. When I asked her why she couldn't wear the same outfit 3 times, she said because the pictures will all be on Facebook.

JRG67

American cars are crap.

scrubbedexpat099

Ford have now resolved any negative comments about their British vehicles.

JRG67

JRG67

But to be serious for a few secs, I think the US should invest more in R&D in order to be ahead of the competition. More money needs to be invested in the space program, as this is the area in which the US is leading the world. Leave t-shirt and toy manufacturing to less developed countries.

lansbury

Would that be the Toyotas, Hondas, Subarus etc which are built in USA factories or every vehicle built in a US factory?

Sally Redux

Absolutely. And it's not 'his' argument, but cut and pasted:

JRG67

Ich bin ein Berliner.
Watashi wa Americajin desu.
Imagine all the people...

HarryTheSpider

I agree with the sentiment.

I'm just not sure what it means to say the US leads the world in this.

Plenty of other countries have world class satellite design & manufacturing businesses. The most reliable civilian launch system in the world is not American, it is European. Japan, China and India have highly respectable capabilities. The French SPOT organisation has imaging satellites that the NSA would have been proud of not too long ago, with very recent images available for purchase over the Internet...

If we are talking about deep space exploration, then sure. Though it has been sometime since this was an all-American affair. If we're looking to the commercial exploitation of space in the future - SpaceX and SpaceShip One etc, then the US had a clear lead for now. But more investment in R&D is needed, and that has too much risk and too long a pay back period for Wall Street to ever put money in to that... In our modern world Government has more of a role than some are comfortable admitting to...

Hiro11

I'm not sure I understand the romanticism around manufacturing jobs in this country. It's a job, like any other job. Jobs come and go based on demand for the output of that job. People have to change jobs all the time as a result of shifting conditions, I'm not sure I understand why manufacturing jobs should be insulated from this risk. Said another way, why are manufacturing jobs uniquely worth protecting versus jobs in other sectors?

Also, as countries become more wealthy, there's a natural tendancy to become more service oriented. Why is that a bad thing?

Regardless, with cheap American shale gas dramatically lowering domestic energy costs and skyrocketing Chinese labor costs making offshoring less economically attractive every day, US manufacturing is only going to grow in the coming years.