Free Trade: Fight It, or Embrace It

[JoeRedskin]

Originally Posted by firstdown

You must be a public school teacher.

Nope.

[Sheriff Gonna Getcha]

Originally Posted by firstdown

You must be a public school teacher.

I believe JR is an attorney, not sure what type though. JR?

[JoeRedskin]

Insurance defense for a large governmental unit. Just recently made the switch from insurance regulatory work.

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by JoeRedskin

I consider these individuals the casualties of the "US's adaptive economy" and the global free market competition. While I oppose creating incentives for non-work or rewarding the failure to adapt, I also believe that a significant percent of unemployed or working poor are in situtations that resulted from economic changes beyond their control. As a result, individuals and families with limited means attempting to operate within the system suddenly have the rug pulled out from under them. Yes, of course, we can all say "they should have prepared for change" with a sort of self satisfaction. In reality, however, humans are creatures of habit and few people can really spend their lives "ready to adapt".

As with any casualty of war (and the global economy is a war of sorts), the society must protect those who were injured while fighting the good fight. These same people helped create national wealth by providing a stable work force for a significant period of time. If we cannot find a way to maintain competition and our innovative economy while protecting those who accepted the precept that hard work = success, then all to soon the US workforce will feel betrayed and we will lose our competive advantage.

Tremendous post. The analogy to casualties of war is one I hadn't thought of, but very apt.

The "cause" has to go on, but we can certainly take care of our wounded. Education and training would be a great way to help those hurt by globalization, and one that would be a wise financial investment for the country in the long run.

[skinsguy]

Let's not judge people for wanting to work in textile mills. I realize some of you guys probably look down on the American factory worker, but there are/were those who truly enjoyed those jobs. Dad loved his job at Fieldcrest as a loom tech. And, he made just as much...if not more doing that than what some of us college educated people did/do on their jobs. In fact, he made enough to allow my mom to stay home and raise me and my brothers. We were not rich by any stretch, but we were not poor either.

Someone mentioned inflation being sky high if these people had kept their jobs. Well guess what? Inflation is going sky high as it is. The price of gasoline has double and tripled in the last couple of years, which also has affected the prices on everything else. Yet, we still just get 3% raise which is eaten up (and then some) by the rising cost of company insurance and having to contribute more to retirement because the company is matching less.

Yeah, things sure look rosey right now!

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by skinsguy

Let's not judge people for wanting to work in textile mills. I realize some of you guys probably look down on the American factory worker, but there are/were those who truly enjoyed those jobs. Dad loved his job at Fieldcrest as a loom tech. And, he made just as much...if not more doing that than what some of us college educated people did/do on their jobs. In fact, he made enough to allow my mom to stay home and raise me and my brothers. We were not rich by any stretch, but we were not poor either.

Someone mentioned inflation being sky high if these people had kept their jobs. Well guess what? Inflation is going sky high as it is. The price of gasoline has double and tripled in the last couple of years, which also has affected the prices on everything else. Yet, we still just get 3% raise which is eaten up (and then some) by the rising cost of company insurance and having to contribute more to retirement because the company is matching less.

Yeah, things sure look rosey right now!

Even with energy and food prices going through the roof, inflation is still below the historical average. The numbers don't lie.

The Consumer Price Index is consistently at 3% or below, with only the occasional blip above that. If we restricted trade, you'd see inflation like the 1970s all over again.

[Sheriff Gonna Getcha]

Originally Posted by skinsguy

Let's not judge people for wanting to work in textile mills. I realize some of you guys probably look down on the American factory worker, but there are/were those who truly enjoyed those jobs. Dad loved his job at Fieldcrest as a loom tech. And, he made just as much...if not more doing that than what some of us college educated people did/do on their jobs. In fact, he made enough to allow my mom to stay home and raise me and my brothers. We were not rich by any stretch, but we were not poor either.

Someone mentioned inflation being sky high if these people had kept their jobs. Well guess what? Inflation is going sky high as it is. The price of gasoline has double and tripled in the last couple of years, which also has affected the prices on everything else. Yet, we still just get 3% raise which is eaten up (and then some) by the rising cost of company insurance and having to contribute more to retirement because the company is matching less.

Yeah, things sure look rosey right now!

I don't think anyone is looking down on factory workers. In fact, I think you'll find that most, if not all, of us have a great deal of admiration and sympathy for factory workers. That some of us believe that certain jobs aren't sustainable in the U.S. is not a statement of belief about any workers, it is a statement of belief about the realities of the new global economy.

I think a fundamental problem with our country is that we expect the government to be able to "fix" just about everything. Anytime something goes wrong, we blame the government. We consume energy at an astronomical rate by driving SUVs, living in the suburbs and commuting 2 hours per day, keeping our thermostats at 78 degrees in the dead of winter, etc. and yet we complain to the government about the cost of oil. We fill our bodies with all sorts of toxins, live sedentary lifetsyles, smoke cigarettes, fail to take preventative steps to ward of illness, etc. and complain about the cost of health care. We want buy the cheapest goods regardless of where or how they are manufactured and yet we don't understand why U.S. companies are shipping jobs abroad. We complain about all sorts of things when the blame for many of our woes lies squarely on our own backs.

That's not to say our government should do nothing and has no place in regulating the market, corporations, etc., but we need to stop eating our cake and then complaining about cake shortages.

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by Sheriff Gonna Getcha

I don't think anyone is looking down on factory workers. In fact, I think you'll find that most, if not all, of us have a great deal of admiration and sympathy for factory workers. That some of us believe that certain jobs aren't sustainable in the U.S. is not a statement of belief about any workers, it is a statement of belief about the realities of the new global economy.

I think a fundamental problem with our country is that we expect the government to be able to "fix" just about everything. Anytime something goes wrong, we blame the government. We consume energy at an astronomical rate by driving SUVs, living in the suburbs and commuting 2 hours per day, keeping our thermostats at 78 degrees in the dead of winter, etc. and yet we complain to the government about the cost of oil. We fill our bodies with all sorts of toxins, live sedentary lifetsyles, smoke cigarettes, fail to take preventative steps to ward of illness, etc. and complain about the cost of health care. We want buy the cheapest goods regardless of where or how they are manufactured and yet we don't understand why U.S. companies are shipping jobs abroad. We complain about all sorts of things when the blame for many of our woes lies squarely on our own backs.

That's not to say our government should do nothing and has no place in regulating the market, corporations, etc., but we need to stop eating our cake and then complaining about cake shortages.

You are my hero.

I would add this about what we expect from our government. We expect our government to make everything "fair". I know it is cliche but realistically life isn't fair. The sooner people realize this the sooner they will realize that they need to take their own lives into their own hands. I may love my job but if I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and know my job has a good chance of not being around in 5 or 10 years then it is my responsibility to my family to account for that. There are too many people in this world who take control of their lives and are there own pilot. They don't rely on anyone else to give them anything or put them in a better situation. They make it happen. Before they need to. These are the people who "kill" the middle class. They "kill" it because they are adavancing themselves. They may never be millionaires but they make 6 figures a year and live nice comfortable lives. That is the new middle class. But I think too many of us look at these people as "rich". Hell our tax system treates them as rich but they aren't. I feel badly for those who missed the boat but most of them need to look in the mirror a little more.

[JoeRedskin]

Originally Posted by Sheriff Gonna Getcha

I don't think anyone is looking down on factory workers. In fact, I think you'll find that most, if not all, of us have a great deal of admiration and sympathy for factory workers. That some of us believe that certain jobs aren't sustainable in the U.S. is not a statement of belief about any workers, it is a statement of belief about the realities of the new global economy.

I think a fundamental problem with our country is that we expect the government to be able to "fix" just about everything. Anytime something goes wrong, we blame the government. We consume energy at an astronomical rate by driving SUVs, living in the suburbs and commuting 2 hours per day, keeping our thermostats at 78 degrees in the dead of winter, etc. and yet we complain to the government about the cost of oil. We fill our bodies with all sorts of toxins, live sedentary lifetsyles, smoke cigarettes, fail to take preventative steps to ward of illness, etc. and complain about the cost of health care. We want buy the cheapest goods regardless of where or how they are manufactured and yet we don't understand why U.S. companies are shipping jobs abroad. We complain about all sorts of things when the blame for many of our woes lies squarely on our own backs.

That's not to say our government should do nothing and has no place in regulating the market, corporations, etc., but we need to stop eating our cake and then complaining about cake shortages.

Well said.

Of course, if we run out of cake - we can always have pie.