Hi quehubo; Re: "Have you noticed manufacturing in the USA is improving smartly now that the playing field is leveled."
No, more and more stuff gets imported all the time, while our exports are fairly level. In fact, here's government statistics showing the trend in trade deficit:
1990 -111,033
1991 -76,937
1992 -96,898
1993 -132,451
1994 -165,830
1995 -174,170
1996 -191,000
1997 -198,120
1998 -246,696
1999 -346,023
2000 -452,423
2001 -427,215
2002 -482,872
2003 -549,156
census.gov
Our trade deficit in the restricted category of "goods" is also getting worse, hardly an indication that we're manufacturing more:
U.S. Trade in Goods - Balance of Payments
Year Balance Exports Imports
1990 -111,033 387,401 498,434
1991 -76,937 414,083 491,020
1992 -96,898 439,631 536,528
1993 -132,451 456,943 589,394
1994 -165,830 502,859 668,690
1995 -174,170 575,204 749,374
1996 -191,000 612,113 803,113
1997 -198,120 678,366 876,485
1998 -246,696 670,416 917,112
1999 -346,023 683,965 1,029,987
2000 -452,423 771,994 1,224,417
2001 -427,215 718,712 1,145,927
2002 -482,872 681,874 1,164,746
2003 -549,156 713,788 1,262,945
census.gov
In the above statistics, I've bolded the record high figures. You will note that the high in US goods exports was 2000, a year that Bush wasn't in office, but that 2003 is the record year for both imports and negative balance. Since 1990, our goods exports (which includes a lot of non manufactured stuff like wheat and entertainment, and is not corrected for inflation) have increased by 84%, while imports are up by 153%. Jobs in manufacturing are fleeing overseas at a quite high clip, mostly to China. You want the word straight from the White House itself? Here it is:
N. Gregory Mankiw, Whitehouse.gov, October 23, 2003
...
Over the past three years, U.S. manufacturing exports have fallen by about 10 percent, while imports have remained flat.
...
whitehouse.gov
I mean Jesus Weeps! What planet are you on??? Here's what the White House says about Mankiw, the man I'm quoting above:
Dr. N. Gregory Mankiw was appointed by the President and sworn into office as Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers on May 29, 2003. Dr. Mankiw is on leave from Harvard University where he is Professor of Economics.
...
whitehouse.gov
The Congressional Budget Office says the same thing. They're controlled by Congress, which is in the hands of the Republicans, so if there was good news in manufacturing, they'd be sharing it with us:
What Accounts for the Decline in Manufacturing Employment?
Congressional Budget Office
The manufacturing sector of the U.S. economy has experienced substantial job losses over the past several years. In January 2004, the number of such jobs stood at 14.3 million, down by 3.0 million jobs, or 17.5 percent, since July 2000 and about 5.2 million since the historical peak in 1979. Employment in manufacturing was its lowest since July 1950 (see Figure 1).
...
cbo.gov
Re: "The recent change in the dollar is a temporary influence ..."
Cool! A prediction! Want me to remind you of it a year from now? Or is that too soon?
Re: "There never has been a country like the USA before Bilow."
This is trivially true about every country that has ever existed on this planet. If you prick them do they not bleed?
Re: "To say our economy is weak because our energy prices are going higher and our demand is increasing is ignorant."
Yes, that would be grossly in error. What's going on is that energy prices are going up because the dollar is going down. The connection to the inherent problems in our economy are somewhat complicated and I see no reason to go into it in this post. Frankly, I see no reason to debate with you what the likely future will be when you are unable to see what should be plain in front of your nose about the current reality.
Re: "Is our economy weak because manufacturing is increasing in the USA?"
Hey, the government says otherwise. I can open my eyes and see otherwise. I know otherwise. I gave you a link from your very own government, dated to January 2004 that says otherwise. The increase in manufacturing is only in your mind.
Why are you arguing when the numbers aren't on your side?
-- Carl |
