<I can't get over the feeling that we've lost an essential element of our economy by losing those jobs, and that, more than anything else, will doom us - forget the Nasdaq bubble, forget the debt bubble. What kind of jobs are our children going to have? Flipping burgers and changing oil and cutting hair. >
CB ignores that there is now no such thing as 'our economy' for the USA. The USA economy is just part of the global economy. The jobs aren't owned by the USA government. Jobs are things people do for other people where they produce value for those other people. Her children will cut hair, flip burgers, change oil etc if they are capable of it or do something else if they are capable of it, want to do it and their prospective customers select their services.
Here is her better comment: <Or maybe El Mat is right. Those US jobs are being done by foreigners working for US companies set up in foreign countries, and some of that money comes back here to trickle down into the economy. Maybe we don't need manufacturing jobs in the US, maybe all we need are service jobs. It seems strange to me, BWDIK?>
It's not strange. But the scary part of her comments was the protectionist flavour delinked from how economics works and the effect of stopping international trade. Politicians will not be long climbing on protectionist bandwagons. As Jay says, that is a big warning signal - perversely, the biggest losers will be the 'protected' country.
"Our jobs", "Our economy" are false ideas other than in a narrow perspective. "Our" is the psychology of the collective. They are not 'our' jobs. The jobs are owned by the customer who chooses somebody to do something. The customer of USA companies is not necessarily in the USA.
Also, there is the subtle contempt for people doing those jobs - as though they are unworthy beings; a species of serf to service her SUV and clip her big hair.
Or, I could forgaddaabboutit.
Mq |
