What makes you think textiles made in US are higher quality than those made in Turkey? Or a Sony made in the US would be higher quality than that made in Taiwan?
Well... I do not doubt that the quality would be the same, but given NO price advantage, and little promo from the image that things would come from the ole' US of A...
Would you buy REAL AMERICAN COWBOYS jeans or some Turkish knock-offs? (Remember, no price advantage)
I mean, you have the entire power of Madison Avenue at the feet of the US industrial machine. What could be the meaning of real "working together" --not the BS from the US unions (a real attempt at bribery, in my eyes)--
My point is the US has the goods and the marketing to sell whatever they want... it is just that given the surplus of cheap labor in the third world forces you to be competitive in that area...
But the skill is there, now we need the will power. I know, there will be some downside in lower wages... but again, what is the alternative? NO wages?
I don't think Americans would like their new standards of living at those salaries, though.
Understood, but again, what is the alternative? In my eyes, there are certain segments of the labor world that would accept lower wages; there could also be areas (say, along the border, or depressed areas elsewhere that incentives could be implemented to house "preferential export-geared manufacturing facilities, employing those who are unskilled.
These are things that in the past it would be unthinkable, but this is a situation where we are facing major risks if no action is taken, or the status quo were to remain.
If you try to enforce this, my guess is that there will be a brain drain in the US towards countries with higher wages, and the only people you will see working in America will be illegal Mexican workers :-)
And this has nothing to do with the "relevance" of any trade organization, imho.
The brain drain you are making reference to has already started. First, to the inland states, (I am not familiar with the details of the East coast). In the West coast, a combination of the overzealous bureaucrats imposing rules and laws on everything in sight, plus the rapidly growing Hispanic population, are literarily driving away the rest of the population in search of "Nirvana” defined as "small town America"... again, in these areas, the value of homes is being pushed up, not by speculative buying, but by real demand of people living in these homes.
The profile of these "pioneers" into rural America are (in general) people that have the resources to establish themselves and remain employed (many times self-employed) because they have found a "niche" that allows them to make a living and/or is skilled enough to keep a job. It is a hard environment, very competitive, but it has worked so far. (Ah yes, the magic and power of the individual, the real hero of the American society).
The next level, if the situation gets worse... will indeed be to flee to other countries. At this time, for many, this seems a crazy idea... But there are a few who have already starting to make their moves.
Search for a number of real estate developments in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and the like... many retirees, facing prohibitive medical costs in the US HAVE already moved (some partially, some part time) to Mexico... and other Latin American countries where medical costs are a fraction of the US cost... the technology is not bad, except for specialists... a measured risk?
There is also a law... (I am not sure if this was repealed, I believe not) that if you are a US citizen/resident working/living abroad you (and your spouse, if there is one) get a no tax card for the first $80,000 of income... EACH... that is a cool $160,000 allowance... so in a way, the US treasury is subsidizing --to an extent-- this migration... I wonder how many "compatriotas” -LOL in the US know about this little gem...
I bet you that the radicals will say this is a scheme by the evil Mexican infiltrators to push the American population OUT of the US and the IRS is their UGLY conspirator in this ---lololololol...
I just read about a prominent American scientists who set up a stem cell research in UK. It did not look like he was about to go back.
Yes, I understand you perfectly, more than you think. I KNOW the dangers of the extreme right, particularly if they get hold of [more] power. Morons with initiative, a very dangerous combination.
As I have been saying, it is not a risk free ticket, one must make wise choices. But I believe you understood my point, and I am understanding yours.
US will not be on the train when science takes off in that direction, and make no mistake, it will.
Indeed, however, I am betting on that the religio-wackos get booted from power and are sent to the Galapagos Islands for some meditation and real education in the matters of science. -ggg
Of course, if they don't, then I agree with you 100 %
re "competitiveness", we are not talking about US vs EU, but rather US vs rest of the world (ex: Asia) where wages are much cheaper, and in some cases, so are energy prices (ex: Russia).
And so am I, I was just making the point that of the two western civilizations, which one is more ready to make sacrifices. I have never implied that it would be an easy task for either.
Oh I see. I feel like making a couple of jokes here, but it occurs to me that you might actually be serious :-)
I do not mind jokes; it keeps the exchange lighter and amusing.... and I have a few of my own -gg
as for being serious... yes, and the Cocaine example perhaps was a stretch, but one that eventually could be achieved.
PARTICULARLY... if you take the PROFIT out of the drug trade....
Of course, that is another subject in itself, another parody of the blindness of the ultra-conservatives... the so called war on drugs... what an idiocy...
NO, originally, we would not have needed to legalize drugs, had we taken a swift action in terms of a better educational system and guidance of resources towards "family oriented" programs... (I am not an expert on such, so I really do not have specifics...)
However... ANYTHING would be better than:
1. Continue to give irrationally disproportionate funding between the military and the educational system. (Particularly on the pretense that the military is under funded... LOL !!) Jeeesuus H. Krist ! What the hell ? What do they want? To bomb every frigging ant and microbe in sight? They can surgically bomb every living person in his/her own bedroom already... what else do they want??? Under funded, my arse; again, particularly when you are leaving behind the educational system to mindless robots...
2. QUIT the stupidity of the War on drugs... EDUCATE young people about the stupidity that drugs are... QUIT training the entire population that DRUGS (legal or otherwise) is the answer to every single ailment/need...
Is it not ironic? The authorities fund this war on drugs... yet the entire psychiatric establishment bombard the same population with.... DRUGS... except, they call it legal? DUH ?
Then, as a result... we have this policy of forcing millions of non-violent "criminals" crowding prisons, MAKING them real criminals and draining yet, more resources...
BRILLIANT!
Why would they want to grow, say, cotton, if that means making a fraction of what they are making through cocaine, not to mention getting a number of bullets in several body joints for refusing to plant cocaine?
As I said, it was a stretch, but look at it from this side...
Perhaps not cotton, but coffee... they grow the best in the world anyway... next, teach the Chinese to drink coffee... or simply market it to the Europeans, they'll drink it all and the rice will not be affected, as supply was increased... follow that line of thought...
In the particular case of coca... it is a pre-requisite to take the profit out of the trade... if that means to legalize it, so be it... at least you will have a better control of it, the price is lowered and on top of that it gets taxed... I mean they are getting stoned ANYWAY, you might just as well get a larger benefit for society.... and the violence will be greatly diminished...
As I said, anything with a little bit of common sense would be better than the current situation.
I met a dark little man in St Tropez three years ago, who served us copious amounts of tequila
Tequila... is the drink of the devil -gggg (assuming there is one), he invented that thing... it is the nastiest tasting beverage I have ever taken...
I have been smart enough to never get drunk on that thing, but from what I have seen, it has got to be the worst torture anyone can possibly endure...
The amazing thing is... they actually have some "añejo” stuff (very old)... and they succeed at selling it....
The success of selling old tequila has got to be a combination of:
1. Bad taste (for drinking the stuff)
2. Inordinate desire to get drunk (you can achieve this very quickly drinking this feuer-wasser).
3. Incredible marketing skill (to convince, otherwise, normal people, to actually articulate that they think it "tastes good")
4. The absolute proof that "patriotismo" damages your brain. If you have ever seen a Mexican, arguing about how good (or bad) tequila is --particular on the day of the Mexican independence (Sept. 15)... then you will understand what I mean... -lol It makes you say insane things, like... "Tequila is better than cognac or single malt Scotch, and even wine” --LOL
would hate to be the stupid farmer Jose who would go up to that guy and inform him that he will no longer plant his cocaine but would now be an honest farmer of cotton :-))) Have you watched "Scarface"?
I barely remember the movie.... filled with violence, which somehow creates (for some strange characters, I assume) the "glamour" of the life of a gangster.
Yet... with the undeniable violence that the drug trade currently has... Think of the violence that the alcohol trade carried ? Today... alcohol is relatively freely traded and no increase in violence has resulted...
Why would coke be any different? Particularly if some degree of "limitations" or controls, monitoring, or whatever may work... my point is, the current status is insane...
In fact... I believe that Scarface was based in a work originally portraying Al Capone.. (not that this fact would change anything in the potential reduction of violence if one legalizes drugs...
The key is to take the [enormous] profit out of the trade...
Then your example of José turning to Escobar's relatives with the news that no more coke is forthcoming, may not have any consequences...
If anything, it will give some competition to Juán Valdéz... -g
Now.... as for the stripers and Champagne... that sounds more like the St. Tropez, some friends of mine have described.... -g |
