Some Things to Think About

I'm not really a political activist but the business man in me has long understood the actual mechanism by which this country's economy has been assaulted. The allowance of far eastern trade goods to be imported without high tarrifs or limits. Japan was able to wedge a foothold in the states by selling the cheapest cars available. Period. In order to make a profit selling their cars so cheap, they were forced to streamline their manufacturing processes. After gaining market share it was the systematic aquisition of the key components that held their manufacturing costs high. With cars it was the steel. Later, with electronics, it is the control of the chip manufacturing. Always Americans not fully understanding the consequenses of not buying American made goods. Always goverment supporting the massive trade imbalance.

The icing on the cake would be the business practices of President B.C. His lasting claim to fame will not be the Monica issue. Later, when there is no American industry, people will understand the damage done by that simple minded twit. His sponsership of the NAFTA trade agreement and his fund cutting of security forces caused the stripping of American trade secrets thru Industrial espionage. What little we had we lost.

America has become the world's biggest consumer nation. In a relatively short time ( to Asians) our roles have been reversed China and India are the current Manufacturing giants. America's industrial age was puny compared to the rate that those two countries are growing. We are their market. They grow to feed us.

Here is a thought. How can they afford the fuel to transport the iron ore, the nickel, the coal,and other raw materials to China from the middle of the U.S. acrost half our country, acrost the pacific ocean, manufacture the stainless steel, forge it into augers, ship them back acrost the pacific, transport them acrost the entire U.S. to Pa. and still have the cheapest auger here?

This has to change soon before it's too late.

Here is a thought. How can they afford the fuel to transport the iron ore, the nickel, the coal,and other raw materials to China from the middle of the U.S. acrost half our country, acrost the pacific ocean, manufacture the stainless steel, forge it into augers, ship them back acrost the pacific, transport them acrost the entire U.S. to Pa. and still have the cheapest auger here?

It's simple, China doesn't have as many rules and regulations as we have in US. The average American steel worker probably makes $25 an hour, add to that the inspectors, taxes, lawyer fees, safety precautions, quality controls, EPA rules, DEC rules, OSHA, Unions, insurance, sick days, paid vacations, pensions, etc.. and he consumes probably $100 per hour or more every hour he works. The worker in China costs $0.10 an hour. Figure in the transportation costs and it still doesn't equal out. That's why an American made pipe fitting costs $25 and a Chinese one costs $5.00, and most of that $5.00 is store profit and transportation from the dock.

China solved their problem of not having enough steel, the salvage yards are paying $300 a ton for it in some areas! There is no shortage, hillbillies and executives alike are collecting every bit of it and cashing it in.

Richard S. wrote: Are we THAT stupid?

Granted, the war is expensive,, just how ridiculous is the above spending??

Greg L

.

Morning Greg,

A few Points:

1. Where are those figure from? (Where did you get them?)
2. If true, who's to blame? (we've had a Republican controlled Congress & WH for 7 of the last 8 years.
3. At least that money is being spent right here in the US.
4. The Iraq Occupation could be stopped "cold" tomorrow by getting out troops out of an Iraqi civil war. Those other expenses are much more difficult to stop.

Now I'll have my coffee!
(another cold morning up here with no coalstove )

Richard S. wrote:

Devil5052 wrote:
1. Where are those figure from? (Where did you get them?)

He's got links for them didn't view them all but the first one has the numbers and cites where the data came from.

Thanks Richard. The link brings me too: "The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR)", a group I never heard of & I think it unwise to just accept it's figures without verifying anyway. (You can have statistics support any position you want)

Even if the figures are overstated I have a real problem with illegal immigration of this magnitude. Mexico's population is approx 160 million. The last figures I saw was that illegal immigrants are estimated between 12 - 20 million. That's 10% of their population here illegally. I don't have a problem with immigration, my grandparents moved here from Italy to get away from Mussolini, but if we choose not to enforce our borders we really don't have a country.

I don't blame anyone for doing what they have to to feed their family. IMO we have taken the wrong course of action with the illegal immigration problem. We are trying to stop the effect and ignore the cause. The cause of all of this are the businesses paying minimum wage, no benefits and many times paying 'under the table' which means the employer doesn't pay the unemployment tax etc on those workers. The laws are already on the books to go after these companies all we, as a country, need to do is enforce them.

I hear that same tired old response that the illegals are doing what Americans won't do. That's dead wrong in most cases. They use construction as one of the examples. Are you kidding me! All of my wife's family make their living in construction, from general laborers, sheet metal mechanics and electricians. They'll do the work, just not for 9.00 an hour. The companies claim they are holding costs down. No they aren't, they are adding to their bottom line at the expense of society in general (US).

Enough of my babbling. I need to go dig a hole. I want to get my double flued chimney up before it gets to be 90 degrees outside.

Dam Richard you're making me nervous. Usually I get told I'm a lunatic about my political opinions. That's why I don't normally talk about this stuff.

Being from the (democrat) run state of RI this is amazing:
"Illegal Immigrants, Partly Blamed for State Budget Crisis, Face Crackdown in Rhode Island"

Gov. Don Carcieri (R) says illegal immigration has become such a problem — and cost the state so much money at a time that it is grappling with a $568 million budget deficit — that last month he signed an executive order directing state police to crack down on illegal immigrants.
The governor also supports bills pending in the legislature that would make English the official state language and make it a felony to rent a home to an illegal immigrant."

He will be fighting protesters along the way, but thank God for Governors like this.

The federal judge is re-writing law from his bench.

Ok just to change the subject a little. Do you guys remember being kids, having to wait until the adults ate before you ate?
I was thinking of this today. By the time I fixed my kids plates and got them sat down and eating.. Mine was cold. When I was a kid the adults ate first and then the kids. idk Did yall have to do this?