Nice study in selective reasoning. You conveniently leave out some 200 years of American history. Even before the industrial revolution America's economy grew rapidly and by the onset of WWII America had the largest, most prosperous economy in the world. This all took place when America had tariffs in place to protect and nurture the growth of its industrial base.
Germany has tried your protectionist plan and it is a disaster. The few jobs they have left are centered around the employee. This article says 12.7 % unemployment. You can protect all the jobs you like but your products will never sell when you drive the costs through the roof.
You are attributing the wrong cause to Germany’s current economic malaise. Much of Germany's employment woes are attributable to the high costs of reunification with East Germany. Turns out that when people grow up in a communist system they forget how to compete. It's still going to take another generation for Germany to assimilate their east block kin.
If your point is that socialism in general is hindering Germany I agree but I got the sense at times that you were talking about some other country other than Germany. While railing about the high costs of protecting jobs in Germany (presumably extending the point to America) you then implied such costs make it impossible for such countries to produce competitively priced products.
Seems to me Germany, despite its current economic problems, does very well indeed in selling their products to the rest of the world. They are by far the leading industrial power in Europe and like Japan and China run huge trade surpluses with us. In addition to having a large world market share of luxury autos and motorcycles Germany also is an export leader in industrial machinery, tools, medical equipment, precision instruments and a bevy of other manufactured products including pharmaceuticals.
How can this be with all their job protections and protectionism itself? Oh did I mention that despite their problems Germany also has one of highest standards of living in the world. Amazing!
'Oh did I mention that despite their problems Germany also has one of highest standards of living in the world. Amazing!'
Funny, then why are young people fleeing the country(see below)? It sounds like things are getting very ugly in Germany. Why don't they all sign up for those high paying export jobs that we give away. One would think Americans would be fleeing to Germany. Oh, the flight is in the other direction. Amazing!
Ischgl Journal; Nation That Once Drew Guest Workers Now Sends Them
By RICHARD BERNSTEIN (NYT) 1029 words
Late Edition - Final , Section A , Page 4 , Column 3
ABSTRACT - Germans, especially young people from former East Germany, are traveling abroad in search of work; just as Germany set up recruitment offices in Anatolia 40 years ago to persuade Turkish workers to take unskilled factory jobs in Germany, now there are job placement services in Austria seeking young Germans for positions as nurses, hospital orderlies and waiters; many Germans feel what is driving young Germans to Austria is German economic reform aimed at reducing unemployment insurance enough to make it impractical for person to remain unemployed rather than take low-paying job; photo; map (M)
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0F11F8385A0C778DDDAD0894DD404482&incamp=archive:search