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Politics : View from the Center and Left -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: neolib who wrote (28230)	9/8/2006 2:16:30 PM
From: TimF	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 542203

True, productivity contributes to that process, but more imported goods is a larger factor. I disagree. If imported goods were a larger factor than we would be manufacturing less than we used to manufacture, but we manufacture more (measured by real dollar value of output). Productivity also affects the service industries, but employment there is up. Probably less than productivity in manufacturing. And yes the fact that services aren't as traded as goods plays a role, but the fact that we can produce food and goods with less people plays a larger role. People consume more services now than they used to, and the larger production of services requires more service employees. That doesn't mean the US will shrink in response to their growth. It most likely means the US will be under worse competitive pressure. Competitive pressure isn't all bad. It forces the US to improve its net combination of price, service, and quality. Remove that competition and the consumer is harmed. Its competition but its not war. The competition is a net creator not a net destroyer.

To: neolib who wrote (28230)	3/10/2008 5:28:35 PM
From: TimF	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 542203

re less manufacturing employment "True, productivity contributes to that process, but more imported goods is a larger factor." I think you have that one backwards. Productivity also affects the service industries, but employment there is up. Over the decades productivity growth in manufacturing has been higher. Also even though both manufacturing and services, in the Us have increased output, the increased output of services has been higher. Because powerful special interests want to keep getting their pork. The powerful special interests in this case are a few million family farmers. A large part of it goes to large agribusiness companies not to family farms. And on the whole the farm subsidies might contribute to the consolidation of farming and thus hurt the small family farm that is trying to stay independent.