Pine Barrens Mafia Posted June 28, 2005 Posted June 28, 2005 Didn't they say the same thing about Japan about 10 years ago? yawn... 369855[/snapback] Yes, because complacency did so much to help the US Auto and Electronic industries. Not to mention Steel. But hey, keep thinking China's not going to pwnerize us.
/dev/null Posted June 28, 2005 Posted June 28, 2005 Workers at a Honda factory in China receive the equivalent of $1.50 per hour, while his American counterpart gets an average of $55 per hour (I assume this figure includes health care, pension, and other benefits).369443[/snapback] $1.50 an hour you can't afford to buy HotPockets® on that!
Kevbeau Posted June 28, 2005 Posted June 28, 2005 Somewhat related to this thread, but it does point out China's thirst for resources and what they'll do to get ahead. The company I work for was losing something to the tune of 20 million a year in plastic pallets, crates, totes, etc. We end up getting involved in an FBI investigation involving numerous companies having the same problem and come to find out the Chinese have set up shop in Minneapolis...are stealing all sorts of industrial use plastic items, grinding them up and shipping the regrind to China to help meet their plastic demand. I never did find out if the FBI was able to determine if the enterprise was set up by the PRC's gov't or just individuals.
ExiledInIllinois Posted June 28, 2005 Posted June 28, 2005 Somewhat related to this thread, but it does point out China's thirst for resources and what they'll do to get ahead. The company I work for was losing something to the tune of 20 million a year in plastic pallets, crates, totes, etc. We end up getting involved in an FBI investigation involving numerous companies having the same problem and come to find out the Chinese have set up shop in Minneapolis...are stealing all sorts of industrial use plastic items, grinding them up and shipping the regrind to China to help meet their plastic demand. I never did find out if the FBI was able to determine if the enterprise was set up by the PRC's gov't or just individuals. 369900[/snapback] Funny how things come full circle. Right before WWII, my father's mother (my grandmother) would donate (recycle drives?) used pots and pans to Japan. In 1941, she almost had a meltdown with guilt. Things today are more subtle... Who knows what is going on?
blzrul Posted June 28, 2005 Posted June 28, 2005 Funny how things come full circle. Right before WWII, my father's mother (my grandmother) would donate (recycle drives?) used pots and pans to Japan. In 1941, she almost had a meltdown with guilt. Things today are more subtle... Who knows what is going on? 369910[/snapback] funny the same thought popped into my head. And we are lazy and I am scared. One thing we've ALWAYS had is technological innovation but given the lousy state of our schools, spiralling college costs rendering them inaccessible to many, and the apparent lack of interest by our government in science (unless you count going to Mars), we may not have that to buoy us.
EndZoneCrew Posted June 28, 2005 Posted June 28, 2005 Our corporations are greedy....how can you fault the public for taking that kind of money.....if they offered those wages to the chinese people, I am sure that they would take them
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted June 28, 2005 Posted June 28, 2005 Our corporations are greedy....how can you fault the public for taking that kind of money.....if they offered those wages to the chinese people, I am sure that they would take them 369969[/snapback] Right. Someone who turns a bolt over and over and over again every day doesn't deserve $25-30 an hour.
ExiledInIllinois Posted June 28, 2005 Posted June 28, 2005 Right. Someone who turns a bolt over and over and over again every day doesn't deserve $25-30 an hour. 369991[/snapback] Do I detect a little jealousy? Don't begrudge your fellow American. At least they are producing something tangible, real. For that they deserve it. And besides Joe... You NEED to drive (if automobiles is what they are making)!
Alaska Darin Posted June 28, 2005 Posted June 28, 2005 Do I detect a little jealousy? Don't begrudge your fellow American. At least they are producing something tangible, real. For that they deserve it. And besides Joe... You NEED to drive (if automobiles is what they are making)! 370006[/snapback] So are their counterparts from other countries, who are making better products for less money.
Reuben Gant Posted June 28, 2005 Posted June 28, 2005 Our corporations are greedy....how can you fault the public for taking that kind of money.....if they offered those wages to the chinese people, I am sure that they would take them 369969[/snapback] There is no right to bargain collectively in China. So who is the better negotiating partner for a corporation: those with that right, or those without it?
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted June 28, 2005 Posted June 28, 2005 Do I detect a little jealousy? Don't begrudge your fellow American. 370006[/snapback] I most certainly will, when my "fellow American" has destroyed the heavy industry in this country through his intense greed and shortsightedness.
ExiledInIllinois Posted June 28, 2005 Posted June 28, 2005 I most certainly will, when my "fellow American" has destroyed the heavy industry in this country through his intense greed and shortsightedness. 370024[/snapback] Who moved business over seas... Was it the 40k worker or the multi-million exec? Heavy industry would have been destroyed no matter what... Once lower labor is found. You think paying people lower wages here would save their job? Ha!
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted June 28, 2005 Posted June 28, 2005 Who moved business over seas... Was it the 40k worker or the multi-million exec? Heavy industry would have been destroyed no matter what... Once lower labor is found. You think paying people lower wages here would save their job? Ha! 370097[/snapback] We'll never know, now will we? Why? Because the Unions were totally inflexible.
Adam Posted June 28, 2005 Posted June 28, 2005 Where things get manufactured is of little importance to me. However, if we continue with the decline in our educational system, that is when we lose our edge in the world economy 369706[/snapback] Glad to see that I'm not crazy- or maybe we both are then! lol
Hardy Pyle Posted June 28, 2005 Posted June 28, 2005 History has taught us that every great empire falls. ie. Rome, etc.
ExiledInIllinois Posted June 28, 2005 Posted June 28, 2005 We'll never know, now will we? Why? Because the Unions were totally inflexible. 370101[/snapback] Was the United Airlines union not flexible? What is gonna happen to people's pensions in this country?
Reuben Gant Posted June 28, 2005 Posted June 28, 2005 Was the United Airlines union not flexible? What is gonna happen to people's pensions in this country? 370195[/snapback] from Business Week 6-20 "There's a time bomb ticking in America's private pension system. Although the airline industry's hefty $32 billion in unfunded pensions has captured headlines in recent months, the problem extends much further. Automotive companies, for instance, have about $60 billion in pension shortfalls. The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. says U.S. pension underfunding at large companies grew 27% last year, to $354 billion. The deficit for all companies was a staggering $450 billion. Compare that with a total shortfall of less than $50 billion in 2000, and it's clear that this fast-growing crisis must be addressed while the PBGC -- already facing a $23 billion deficit after taking over terminated plans from the likes of Bethlehem Steel and United Airlines -- can still shoulder the burden." so you can't say Unions are killing anyone- the pensions they negotiate aren't getting funded anyway.
Alaska Darin Posted June 28, 2005 Posted June 28, 2005 from Business Week 6-20 "There's a time bomb ticking in America's private pension system. Although the airline industry's hefty $32 billion in unfunded pensions has captured headlines in recent months, the problem extends much further. Automotive companies, for instance, have about $60 billion in pension shortfalls. The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. says U.S. pension underfunding at large companies grew 27% last year, to $354 billion. The deficit for all companies was a staggering $450 billion. Compare that with a total shortfall of less than $50 billion in 2000, and it's clear that this fast-growing crisis must be addressed while the PBGC -- already facing a $23 billion deficit after taking over terminated plans from the likes of Bethlehem Steel and United Airlines -- can still shoulder the burden." so you can't say Unions are killing anyone- the pensions they negotiate aren't getting funded anyway. 370241[/snapback] Don't worry, the government will bail them out.
Reuben Gant Posted June 28, 2005 Posted June 28, 2005 Don't worry, the government will bail them out. 370248[/snapback] Chalk that up to the fiscal resposibility going around these days.....wait...there is a letter here....yes...... Mastercard just upped my credit limit.
UConn James Posted June 28, 2005 Posted June 28, 2005 So are their counterparts from other countries, who are making better products for less money. 370011[/snapback] In some areas, I'll grant you. Electronics, cars.... But have you ever used the cheapo tool sets they make in China? I'd rather buy a quality Husky set (I did and they're friggin great) or Snap-on and never have worry again about stripping my sockets b/c they're made of cheapo alumo-steel. Same goes with the screws coming out of Japan. One really good thing Bush did was the steel import tarriffs, and then he dropped them.
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