Quote:
Originally Posted by miguel1626
People focus too much on manufacturing jobs (even people who really should know better). These guys should try working at a factory to see how they like it...
Even though most consumer electronics are manufactured outside the US, the (large) added value is accrued to american companies more often than not.
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Like working in a manufacturing job as compared to doing what? Compared to sitting in a board room twiddling your thumbs - no question what's preferable. Compared to flipping burgers in a fast food joint at minimum pay - manufacturing suddenly looks very appealing.
Well paid manufacturing jobs were the basis of mass prosperity in the West after WWII. We've been told that these jobs can be replaced by "service jobs". Well, they can as long as Asians are willing to pay for your consumption of manufactured goods in a sort of vendor financing system. As soon as they start to question if you will ever be able to repay your debt the system starts to collapse.
The claim that production of sophisticated products can easily be returned home or moved around is that sort of make believe economy that emanates from accounting folks who have never been involved in manufacturing. Boeing's Dreamliner fiasco is a prime example for that sort of thinking.