Replies

What do you propose?

2) Are we to become just another group of 300 million consumers who sell stuff to each other, maybe do some marketing, etc.? Might as well close down our patent office, 'cause WE won't be inventing anything anymore.

Got hyperbole? The US is still the #1 manufacturer in the world. And you conflate invention with manufacturing.

3) A big integrated market does NOT equal FAIR trade (as opposed to Free trade). As someone else pointed out, how do we compete against almost slave labor and minimal regulation?

Who said life is fair? And, whether you like it or not, the world is a big integrated market and all the kvetching in the world won't change that. Smart people learn to leverage the situation as it is to their advantage. Many smaller operations exist only because they can afford to manufacture their product overseas -- it would be impossible in the USA.

What do you propose to end this evil worldwide economy?

1) Do we have a national interest in maintaining an independent capability for ANYTHING? (I say yes, 'cause I don't think we can trust 'em, and I don't see much evidence that our importing companies or government is doing much to ensure quality or safety.)

What do you propose?

As to the independent capability, I don't know what the answer is. If we subsidize it, it's inefficient and backward. Competition would be needed. I didn't say I had the answer, but my eyes are open enough to know that a problem exists.

Smart people learn to leverage the situation as it is to their advantage. Many smaller operations exist only because they can afford to manufacture their product overseas -- it would be impossible in the USA.

They're short-term smart, but long term, they may find the domestic market disappear because no-one can afford their product. And I hope the small operation getting things manufactured overseas have the intellectual property locked up and are testing everything here. It would be double-bad if the overseas manufacturer starts copying the thing and selling it everywhere but here (which is why the Germans are quietly pulling out of China) or the products start killing people (oh, we thought you'd LIKE the melamine we put in it...)

Tariffs financed the Federal Government for more than half our history. Maybe it's time to try again. ...and don't bring up Smoot-Hawley, their are just as many studies that show it DIDN'T have an effect on the depression.

When the next big war comes, and we can’t get foreign-supplied gas or oil spare parts for our foreign-made aircraft and weapons, and our foreign-grown food supplies are cut off, and our foreign-built and foreign-ported merchant ships won’t carry our troops, I hope someone is still around to remind you of your love for the big integrated world market.