I can’t help but think of Kissinger when reading this. Kissinger knew that opening up China (1979) and NAFTA would eviscerate the US middle class, and were wspecifically designed to maximize the wealth of the ownership class and decrease the wealth of all other classes. I know a lot of my libertarian and conservative friends will disagree, but free trade policy is only good for a small fraction of the populace, and it results in more pollution, worse employee well being and lower quality products. This is a huge divide in the MAGA movement (just like H1B), and the Bannon America First types will be demanding tariffs which will incentivize onshoring. We are still the biggest consumers, there is a massive American market that can lead to American jobs in servicing if American businesses don’t have to compete with third world competition (this includes ag products). I would prefer us to remove all government regulations, but since I know that won’t happen, tariffs are a good number 2 solution.
A very intriguing conversation that is too rarely had.... I agree, but believe the solution is complex. NAFTA destroyed Mexican agriculture, and our own economy is being destroyed by cheap foreign labor. Kissinger was the King of Scoundrels, his work being carried on by Soros, Schwab, Al Gore, and John Kerry. It ends badly....
A friend of ours traveled back to Germany to visit family. She had been there in the last 5 years. She said she couldn’t believe how her hometown had changed. No one was working and the only activity she witnessed was at the cafes ,where people loitered . Another couple of years of the madness we’ve endured would put in the same boat
As with most people I'm sorry to see such needless waste being thrust upon the masses, but I'm not surprised it's happening. There are the people who championed the mechanisms that are creating said waste, say 25%+/-, there are the 65%+/- who sat by in total clueless indifference and there are the 10%+/- who actively attempted, through scorn and ridicule, to sound the alarm related to the needless waste.
It's the 10%+/- who I'm sorry are having to experience the fruit of the 90%/-'s destructive labors. The rest are welcome to their new reality.
I used to own a shop in Mass about 20 yrs ago and I got into a discussion with my accountant during my pre tax evaluation or end of year assessment. Like he always did he asked me what the outlook was for my business for the upcoming year. This time I told him that it wasn't good and started listing off all of the industry that had closed or left the area, yet my competition was still operating and their customer base was shrinking so the were aggressively pursuing my customers. His response was "those jobs are not coming back, we are now a service economy". Which my company was a service company, but if the companies are gone who do you service? I told him that if those jobs didn't come back, we as a country are screwed. Look where we are now.
I had a similar conversation 30 years ago with a friend and contractor. Basic economics -- all economies require production of goods, which then feed the service sector. Some services import wealth (eg Indian phone workers serving US customers), but most US
service jobs simply swap wealt between citizens. A steady drain....
I can’t help but think of Kissinger when reading this. Kissinger knew that opening up China (1979) and NAFTA would eviscerate the US middle class, and were wspecifically designed to maximize the wealth of the ownership class and decrease the wealth of all other classes. I know a lot of my libertarian and conservative friends will disagree, but free trade policy is only good for a small fraction of the populace, and it results in more pollution, worse employee well being and lower quality products. This is a huge divide in the MAGA movement (just like H1B), and the Bannon America First types will be demanding tariffs which will incentivize onshoring. We are still the biggest consumers, there is a massive American market that can lead to American jobs in servicing if American businesses don’t have to compete with third world competition (this includes ag products). I would prefer us to remove all government regulations, but since I know that won’t happen, tariffs are a good number 2 solution.
A very intriguing conversation that is too rarely had.... I agree, but believe the solution is complex. NAFTA destroyed Mexican agriculture, and our own economy is being destroyed by cheap foreign labor. Kissinger was the King of Scoundrels, his work being carried on by Soros, Schwab, Al Gore, and John Kerry. It ends badly....
A friend of ours traveled back to Germany to visit family. She had been there in the last 5 years. She said she couldn’t believe how her hometown had changed. No one was working and the only activity she witnessed was at the cafes ,where people loitered . Another couple of years of the madness we’ve endured would put in the same boat
As with most people I'm sorry to see such needless waste being thrust upon the masses, but I'm not surprised it's happening. There are the people who championed the mechanisms that are creating said waste, say 25%+/-, there are the 65%+/- who sat by in total clueless indifference and there are the 10%+/- who actively attempted, through scorn and ridicule, to sound the alarm related to the needless waste.
It's the 10%+/- who I'm sorry are having to experience the fruit of the 90%/-'s destructive labors. The rest are welcome to their new reality.
Very good article and kind of scary about everyone's future. Hope all is well with you.
Mary Daly, Peacham, VT,, now living at the Atkinson House in Newberry, VT
Thanks Mary! I pray all is well for you also. We face a terrifying future of which most Americans are oblivious. The old Vermonters knew....
I used to own a shop in Mass about 20 yrs ago and I got into a discussion with my accountant during my pre tax evaluation or end of year assessment. Like he always did he asked me what the outlook was for my business for the upcoming year. This time I told him that it wasn't good and started listing off all of the industry that had closed or left the area, yet my competition was still operating and their customer base was shrinking so the were aggressively pursuing my customers. His response was "those jobs are not coming back, we are now a service economy". Which my company was a service company, but if the companies are gone who do you service? I told him that if those jobs didn't come back, we as a country are screwed. Look where we are now.
I had a similar conversation 30 years ago with a friend and contractor. Basic economics -- all economies require production of goods, which then feed the service sector. Some services import wealth (eg Indian phone workers serving US customers), but most US
service jobs simply swap wealt between citizens. A steady drain....
Thanks!