[central_va]

I think fast food workers are considered manufacturing now.

[raybbr]

I think fast food workers are considered manufacturing now.

That interpretation was hyperbole.

The BLS site I linked above lists that as a separate industry.

[Red6]

I think the real death to American manufacturing was the legal framework for environmental policy, labor, and tax code.

You have firms being sued left and right for BS, you have to hire morons to get you quota of minorities, you have to make sure your firm supports some queer cause and the gubbermint has 26 various entities all looking to justify their existence and grow their programs you have to make sure you're in compliance with........ They will tax the crap out of you and vilinize the CEO, bad mouth you if you're making a profit......... To me, the US is simply adopting a way of thinking that will guarantee mediocrity and poverty in it's future and it's all a cultural phenomena in reality. A culture that is becoming more technology critical, socialist and rejecting the Judea Christian value system.........