[WilliamofCarmichael]

What does sending our technology, manufacturing, and IT-enabled services off shore and importing those goods and services have to do with "the Global Economy?" It's jobs chasing cheap labor. Fine. But call it what it is, please.

Transferring wealth to "developing countries" is a Kyoto objective but "free" trade is beating the leftist swine vomit, enviro-wacko watermellons to the punch.

Well I guess that until these jobs start dragging middle and upper management jobs along with them we'll just have to watch this mild form of pump and dump (i.e., short term economic advantage for corporate officers' stock options) at work.

Lower the hurdles of government regs? Free traders tell us all the time that we benefit from Japan and Europe offshoring to us. They do okay, I guess. Why can't our own corporations handle it? BTW I agree with you about government regs being a problem. I'm just wondering how Japan and European countries handle the regs.

[ninenot]

Dunno about Japan--but the Germans are building plants/hiring over here in the US. Regs there are FAR worse than in US.

Same, to a lesser extent, with England, which is buying industrial assets over here by the fistful---also same with Scandanavian firms.

In effect, the labor arbitrage begins in Northern Europe, hops here, then to Mexico, then to China/India.

Ain't it nice to know that we are merely a way-station?