Where 0 Where

[SirCrimson]

John Smith started the day early having set his alarm clock (MADE IN JAPAN )for 6 am.While his coffeepot (MADE IN CHINA )was perking, he shaved with his electric razor (MADE IN HONG KONG ).He put on a dress shirt (MADE IN SRI LANKA ),designer jeans (MADE IN SINGAPORE ) and tennis shoes (MADE IN KOREA )After cooking his breakfast in his new electric skillet(MADE IN INDIA )he sat down with his calculator(MADE IN MEXICO )to see how much he could spend today. After setting his watch (MADE IN TAIWAN )to the radio (MADE IN INDIA )he got in his car (MADE IN GERMANY )filled it with GAS (from Saudi Arabia )and continued his search for a good paying AMERICAN JOB. At the end of yet another discouraging and fruitless day checking his Computer (Made In Malaysia ),Joe decided to relax for a while.He put on his sandals (MADE IN BRAZIL )poured himself a glass of wine (MADE IN FRANCE ) and turned on his TV (MADE IN INDONESIA ),and then wondered why he can't find a good paying job in AMERICA.

 

[rolltidescott]

John Smith started the day early having set his alarm clock (MADE IN JAPAN )for 6 am.While his coffeepot (MADE IN CHINA )was perking, he shaved with his electric razor (MADE IN HONG KONG ).He put on a dress shirt (MADE IN SRI LANKA ),designer jeans (MADE IN SINGAPORE ) and tennis shoes (MADE IN KOREA )After cooking his breakfast in his new electric skillet(MADE IN INDIA )he sat down with his calculator(MADE IN MEXICO )to see how much he could spend today. After setting his watch (MADE IN TAIWAN )to the radio (MADE IN INDIA )he got in his car (MADE IN GERMANY )filled it with GAS (from Saudi Arabia )and continued his search for a good paying AMERICAN JOB. At the end of yet another discouraging and fruitless day checking his Computer (Made In Malaysia ),Joe decided to relax for a while.He put on his sandals (MADE IN BRAZIL )poured himself a glass of wine (MADE IN FRANCE ) and turned on his TV (MADE IN INDONESIA ),and then wondered why he can't find a good paying job in AMERICA.

There's a lot of truth to that. It's sad...

 

[Tidewater]

The US imports a lot.
the US also exports a lot.
The United States is more able than any other country to live in conditions of autarky.
But why would you want to?
Living without imports and exports lowers the average standard of living.
Specialization and trade allow every country to live beyond its autarkic consumption curve.

 

[JAXFLBAMAFAN]

The US imports a lot.
the US also exports a lot.
The United States is more able than any other country to live in conditions of autarky.
But why would you want to?
Living without imports and exports lowers the average standard of living.
Specialization and trade allow every country to live beyond its autarkic consumption curve.

Thanks Wikipedia.

"An autarky is an economy that is self-sufficient and does not take part in international trade, or severely limits trade with the outside world. Likewise it refers to an ecosystem not affected by influences from the outside, which relies entirely on its own resources. In the economic meaning, it is also referred to as a closed economy."

You would think that with this much of a trade imbalance we wouldn't need to write any checks to other countries to help them develop.

 

[Ldlane]

Hey you ripped that off of another website! It's gone from "Joe" to "John"! At least give credit to the site you got it from! Even though it may be true!

 

[Bamaro]

The US imports a lot.
the US also exports a lot.

Unfortunately the numbers are not even close.
http://www.censusbureau.biz/foreign-trade/statistics/historical/gands.txt

 

[Tidewater]

Unfortunately the numbers are not even close.
http://www.censusbureau.biz/foreign-trade/statistics/historical/gands.txt

True.
Two points stand out.
1. How does this happen? What happens to those dollars that are sent to Chinese for DVD players and to Canada for oil?
2. Are you willing to live at a lower standard of living if it hurts other countries even more than it does the US?

 

[Bodhisattva]

We import a lot because we are (relatively) wealthy and (relatively) economically free. We are going to have a trade imbalance with just about every other country in the world because we are wealthier and freer, for the most part.

I've lived and worked in a fair number of protectionist countries. Paying 3x the going rate for everything from food to clothes to cars is not a preferable system IMO.

 

[SirCrimson]

I think the U.S. should be a stand alone country. I'm tired of our jobs being shipped overseas just so corporate America can make more money. We can do the job better right here in the good ole US of A and do it better than they can. Corporate America does this is because they dont want to pay someone a decent wage. They want us to work for nothing while their CEO's get rich.

 

[BamaDude06]

Sorry, but I enjoy my computer, cell phone, camera, iPod, etc. too much to want them manufactured here. Had they been made in America they would be too expensive for me to have bought them. Long live cheaper products.

 

[Tidewater]

I think the U.S. should be a stand alone country. I'm tired of our jobs being shipped overseas just so corporate America can make more money. We can do the job better right here in the good ole US of A and do it better than they can. Corporate America does this is because they dont want to pay someone a decent wage. They want us to work for nothing while their CEO's get rich.

That's the beautiful thing about free trade.
You have the option of paying more for American-made products.
When you want the Federal government to step in (in the form of protective tariffs) and prevent your neighbor from having the freedom to choose is when the policy discussion gets more, shall we say, "interesting."

As I asked someone else earlier, are you willing to live at a lower standard of living in the US in exchange for the privilege of hurting people in other countries more than the US citizens?

 

[Bodhisattva]

That's the beautiful thing about free trade.
You have the option of paying more for American-made products.
When you want the Federal government to step in (in the form of protective tariffs) and prevent your neighbor from having the freedom to choose is when the policy discussion gets more, shall we say, "interesting."

As I asked someone else earlier, are you willing to live at a lower standard of living in the US in exchange for the privilege of hurting people in other countries more than the US citizens?

You make an excellent point about free trade. So much of the hysteria about trade would cease if people would just think a minute. Being able to buy goods and services without extra taxation .... who in their right mind would choose a system where you pay more and get a poorer selection (in numbers and quality)?

About 10 years ago I was living in South Korea, which is known for its consumer electronics. I bought a Korean-made little boom box for 3x the price I could get the same thing in the States. The POS died on me after about a month. I found that this was a similar experience among my Korean friends. Why did this exist? Protectionism. The government, in the name of protecting local jobs and businesses, created a system where the locals paid through the nose for everything because there was no competition from foreign products. There is no doubt the damage to the economy done by siphoning off consumer wealth through protectionism greatly outweighed any local jobs protected. The government and the chaebols -- it's essentially facist economic policies.

And at the time Korea was the 10th largest economy (probably still about that ranking). Says a lot about the competence and benevolence of other governments and their economic policies if #10 is so predatory on its citizens.