Posted on 09/20/2004 1:45:17 PM PDT by Willie Green
We can argue about whether the 'standard of living' increases are for the better (i.e., whether a 6000 sf home is necessary as opposed to a 4500 sf home...)
But what CANNOT be argued is the way this 'standard of living' was purchased: through revolving and mortgage debt, not through capitalization (i.e., savings.)
That ain't necessarily good news.
You can demonstrate that this is the case?
'zackly...
Of course not. He can't prove something that isn't true.
It's just another baseless smear attack.
AmericanEconomicAlert.org was founded by the U.S. Business and Industry Council Educational Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit research and educational organization dedicated to improving the American people's awareness of critical public policy issues in such diverse fields as trade, taxation, education, health care, foreign relations, defense, and national security, among others. USBICEF is affiliated with the U.S. Business and Industry Council, a 501(c)(6) non-profit business association.
The U.S. Business and Industry Council is a national organization of business owners and executives dedicated to making the U.S. domestic economy the world's leading engine of economic growth. The USBIC Educational Foundation is its research arm. Only a robust national economy, balanced in capabilities and dynamic in operation, can provide the material base for an American society that is stable at home and secure in the world.
The USBIC was founded in 1933 to represent the concerns of America's small and medium-sized business community. Member companies are typically family-owned or privately held, mostly in the manufacturing sector. They are often the major employers in their home communities and the mainstays of the local economy. This membership composition has given the USBIC an outlook on issues more rooted in mainstream America than other national business groups, which are dominated by giant multinational corporations with global agendas and dwindling national loyalties.
Because it does not represent only a single industry, but has approximately 1,000 member companies in 44 states, USBIC has always based its policy positions on a national interest standard -- i.e., the positions that it takes must be good for the country as a whole, both now and in terms of its future strength, rather than reflecting the narrow interests of a particular company or industry. USBIC favors lower taxes, since high hamper economic growth. Government levies on families, estates, and capital gains are particularly burdensome. It also opposes regulations that retard productive activities, especially in the development of new domestic energy sources that are needed to power a strong national economy.
Unlike many other business groups, USBIC is concerned about the impact of "globalization" on American society and independence. The huge and growing trade deficits undermine the country's industrial base -- including its defense industries, reduce personal incomes for most Americans, and threaten the financial system as indebtness to foreign corporations and governments mounts. The result is that the United States grows weaker as its vulnerabilities to overseas events increase.
The so-called philosophy of "globalization" with its emphasis on transnational organizations like the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, an International Criminal Court, and a web of suffocating agreements like the Kyoto Global Warming Treaty threaten U.S. sovereignty,which is the only firm guarantee of American liberty, values, and standard of living. As has been true since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution a quarter millennium ago, a strong economy and a strong defense go together, safeguarding the country and its people. USBIC is dedicated to keeping this connection in the forefront of American policy-making. If the United States is to maintain its pre-eminent position in the world, while continuing to prosper and advance traditional American values, it must adopt economic policies that focus on improving the productivity, capabilities, knowledge, and the wealth of the people who reside in this country
The United States must also act to advance its interests overseas; to maintain its access to resources and markets; to protect trade routes and allies; and to guard against aggression and adverse changes in the international balance of power. Building a strong national economy does not isolate America from the world, but on the contrary assures that America has the means to shape internatoinal events to its own advantage and deal with them on its own terms.
William R. Hawkins is Senior Fellow in National Security Studies at the USBIC Education Foundation, where he specializes in international economics and national defense issues.
Before joining the USBICEF, he served as Senior Research Analyst for Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) for five years -- the first year on the staff of the Republican Research Committee, which Rep. Hunter chaired, and the next four years on Rep. Hunter's personal staff, during which period when Rep. Hunter was chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Procurement. Hawkins also hosted the weekly radio program In the National Interest which was heard nationally on the Information and Entertainment America Network from 1997 to 2000.
Prior to working on Capitol Hill, Hawkins served as director of the U.S. Business and Industry Council's (USBIC) Economic Security Action Center. In the 1980s, he was an economics professor at Appalachian State University, the University of North Carolina-Asheville, and Radford University. He holds graduate degrees in both Economics and History.
Who in their right mind would believe that Podesta favors lower taxes and sovereign independence from transnational organizations like the UN?
William Hawkins rocks!!!
With the lamestream Republicrat candidates being so pathetic this year,
I just may write-in Hawkins' name as my independent choice for president!
Here's one for you:
White House Obscures the Truth on Trade and Jobs Issues (excerpt)
One of the draft letter's most misleading assertions stems from its effort to defuse outsourcing concerns by citing projections of future job quality in the United States from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In the Council's view, the BLS studies show, "Many of the U.S. service sectors creating jobs abroad are expected...to have huge increases in U.S. employment between now and 2010 (in areas such as computer software engineering and desktop publishing), suggesting that American workers will step into higher-value, better-paying jobs as lower-value positions are shifted elsewhere.
Yet the latest BLS projections show nothing of the kind. Computer and high tech-type jobs will indeed multiply rapidly but from very small bases. And the pay levels look awfully unimpressive. According to the BLS, a worker with "high" earnings gets paid $27,500 to $41,780 annually. Anyone over $41,780 gets very high pay.
In addition, the BLS figures reveal that at least half of the 21.3 million jobs expected to be created between 2002 and 2012 will require less than a four-year college degree, and some 40 percent will not require any significant training at all (which stands to reason when the main responsibility involves asking, May I take your order? or Cash or charge?).
A final irony worth mentioning: Of the nearly 6.5 million jobs the BLS expects to be created in the impressive-sounding professional and related field, some 60 percent will emerge either in areas largely run by the government (like education) or heavily subsidized by the government (like health care). That's hardly a triumph of outsourcing, insourcing, or anything having to do with globalization.
"Out of work and suffering" people are in that position for a large variety of reasons.
Americans worthy of the name American want to provide work for that individual, if they are capable of DOING the work.
Americans worthy of the name would prefer that our Trade Policies work on behalf of AMERICA, not 'other places' which may be favored by bonus-driven management.
Yah, Hey
Prima-facie evidence of Kerry campaigner, eh?
Exporting Growth
Added production of goods and services for export added 0.6% to the US growth rate in Q2; unfortunately production displaced by imports reduced the growth rate by -1.96%. The net effect of trade is that the US continued to produce less and less of what it needs -- and pays for -- with trade reducing real GDP growth by -1.4% in Q2.
Trade was a drag on both goods and services production in Q2 as the enormous deficit in goods and the small surplus for services both worsened. With the full trade deficit in goods and services Current Accounts now racing past -$1.1 million each MINUTE, global sourcing has now reached a new record -5.5% drag on GDP -- paid for by accumulating the same level of additonal foreign debt and asset sales.
As a share of GDP, the economic drag from trade is now far worse than twice the worst level reached during the "competitiveness crisis" of the mid-1980s.
The loss of production to net imports goes a long way to explaining the awful report showing job growth at a virtual standstill in June and July. There has been job growth for 11 consecutive months including the addition of 1.46 million jobs over the last 12 months. But, beyond any precedent, 32 months after the start of the current cyclical recovery, private sector workers are still being paid for FEWER hours worked than when the recession ended.
See #49 below.
See #49
It's here now. Legal research functions are in India, just like radiology-reading services. Both functions are outsourced.
So "trainee" lawyers and legal interns/paralegals will be a thing of the past in about 10 years or less, and radiology "departments" will consist of a server-computer and a radiologist.
No sense cluttering up hospitals with all those radiology-types. They cost money...
Oh crap, #2 (no pun intended)! Just like in number one, it's not always a good thing and, it's not always a bad thing either. There is no free lunch! you're going to have to remember that axiom for longer than just a few sentences. Try committing it to memory for a change.
Here is food for thought. With Putin being strong armed into Kyoto and once ratified, US companies can be boycotted and sued into Kyoto compliance (and wait till a democrat is elected and this goes through), those companies with businesses in exempt China and India will be even more dominant and those few factories remaining in the US will be falling all over themselves to head to asia. The final sprint to the bottom will begin.
They wont for several reasons: The American Medical Association and the BAR both control certification and that is required to practice, so no problems there. Also law is very jurisdiction specific so restudy would be required. But clerks (many of them future lawyers), accountants, and now economists (sweet glory get rid of them all) are all being outsourced to India. Good, idealist, intelligencia economists have helped create this mess. Seems Indians can come up with bogus economic forecasts for a third of the cost.
It is also a legal and face saving insurance against US bankruptcy. They can with a straight face thank us for all our factories that we built there and moved our equipment there: after all, you owe us, can't pay us, so we'll just take these in payment.
Overall Unemployment Rate in the Civilian Labor Force, 1920 - 2004
| Year | Rate |
|---|---|
| 1920 | 5.2 % |
| 1928 | 4.2 |
| 1930 | 8.7 |
| 1932 | 23.6 |
| 1934 | 21.7 |
| 1936 | 16.9 |
| 1938 | 19.0 |
| 1940 | 14.6 |
| 1942 | 4.7 |
| 1944 | 1.2 |
| 1946 | 3.9% |
| 1948 | 3.8 |
| 1950 | 5.3 |
| 1952 | 3.0 |
| 1954 | 5.5 |
| 1956 | 4.1 |
| 1958 | 6.8 |
| 1960 | 5.5 |
| 1962 | 5.5 |
| 1964 | 5.2 |
| 1966 | 3.8% |
| 1968 | 3.6 |
| 1970 | 4.9 |
| 1972 | 5.6 |
| 1974 | 5.6 |
| 1976 | 7.7 |
| 1978 | 6.1 |
| 1980 | 7.1 |
| 1982 | 9.7 |
| 1984 | 7.5 |
| 1986 | 7.0% |
| 1987 | 6.2 |
| 1988 | 5.5 |
| 1989 | 5.3 |
| 1990 | 5.6 |
| 1991 | 6.8 |
| 1992 | 7.5 |
| 1993 | 6.9 |
| 1994 | 6.1 |
| 1995 | 5.6 |
| 1996 | 5.4% |
| 1997 | 4.9 |
| 1998 | 4.5 |
| 1999 | 4.2 |
| 2000 | 4.0 |
| 2001 | 4.8 |
| 2002 | 5.8 |
| 2003 | 6.0 |
| 2004 | |
| Jan. | 5.6% |
| Feb. | 5.6 |
| March | 5.7 |
| April | 5.6 |
| May | 5.6 |
| June | 5.6 |
| July | 5.5 |
| August | 5.4 |
| </TABLE |
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