My hubby hit it on the nail.

[The Backlash Cometh]

I told him that it was hard to believe, but that it looked like China and Europe were going to get hit worse than we were with this economy downturn. He added Japan to that list. And then said, "That's what they get for taking American jobs. They dried up their consumer base when they took our jobs."

[Kalyke]

1. American manufacturers should read some Henry Ford biographies.

http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/bates/060103

The average wage in the auto industry then was $2.34 for a 9-hr. shift. Ford not only doubled that, he also shaved an hour off the workday."

Whether that was Henry's greatest contribution is questionable. Less uncertain is what his primary motivation was in raising employee wages and reducing work hours.

It wasn't, as has been argued, because he wanted to establish a solid-middle class to buy his product. Nor was it an act of charity. In the magnate's own words, it was "one of the finest cost-cutting moves we ever made."

Henry Ford was acting in his company's best interests. His factories had been plagued with very high turnover rates and excessive absenteeism. This was to be expected. Almost all jobs (at least the ones I've had) are monotonous, but assembly line work, performing the same procedure over and over all day long, must be extraordinarily tedious. Many employees looked for, and found, better alternatives.

Hiring replacement workers and training them were too expensive. Something needed to be done.


While this cite says Ford didn't pay his employees more so they could purchase his product, the fact is, that was the end result anyway. Good pay for employees means retention of skill and knowledge AND a market for a company's products for the employer. Win=Win.

[CJCRANE]

3. I read somewhere that Porsche

sell the majority (or at least of large proportion) of their cars to their own employees.

[theoldman]

2. I do not think you can blame these countries for our problems.

The Europeans and Japanese did not take away our jobs. Do you seriously think Americans want to work in sweat shops for low wages like the people in China and India?

[Hello_Kitty]

5. The fault mostly lies with multi-national corporations

They designed free trade deals to maximize the ability to take advantage of wage differentials and lax environmental standards in certain countries.

But the countries themselves are not off the hook. They clamored for a share of our consumer market AND for jobs and factories to be sent to them. At the same time they were slapping tariffs on our goods. Some of them had the nerve to talk about "decoupling" from the U.S. economy. As if. When the American consumer could no longer buy stuff on their Visa card, the whole thing came crashing down. Yet this is not stopping other countries from screaming about "protectionism" because of a Buy American clause in the stimulus package. While hypocritically implementing protectionist policies of their own. I'm looking right at you, India.

[dflprincess]

7. No. Amercians do not want low wage sweat shop jobs

But the low wage sweat shop jobs in China and India used to be living wage, often union, jobs in the U.S.

[The Backlash Cometh]

9. It was a knee-jerk response.

You're right, of course.

[JuniperLea]

14. If it means they don't lose their home and they can eat three squares a day

Yes.

And these aren't all low wage sweatshop jobs... there are customer service call centers, and manufacturing jobs that don't even come close to sweatshop conditions.

[CANDO]

17. Because of organized labor in this country...

these jobs were not sweatshop type jobs. That's why they were taken to the world's lowest bidders, to be turned into sweatshops.

[seabeyond]

4. oh... yes i love it. i have used this on corps sending jobs out. how stupid is that

to take the money away from the consumers,. ... but yes, this is another angle. excellent. give hubby a hug

[MindPilot]

6. I work for a Japanese company that employs over 5000 US workers

Japanese companies, Toyota, Nissan, Sony all create American jobs.

[The Backlash Cometh]

10. Yes, you're right.

[SmileyRose]

16. Unfortunately

They create American jobs at 2/3 the pay and vastly lower lifetime benefit packages than the Union jobs they replaced. Japan "Walmarted" the auto industry. If you want to honor them for that it's your right to do so. I'm sorry, but I can't join you in that.

[FreakinDJ]

8. Taking our jobs was "Killing the Golden Goose"

Every Country in the World wants accesss to the american consumer base - for 1 reason and 1 reason only - It is Profitable

RATpubliCON lawmakers and Wall St worked feverishly towards the goal of selling this access until finally they "Killed Off the Golden Goose"

[Orsino]

11. They *took* our jobs?

No. Some rich old white Americans sold those jobs overseas.

[Lex]

12. Yes, they were sold by CEOs to the lowest bidder. No foreign country "took" them.

nt

[JuniperLea]

15. They bid on them...

They share in the stupid.

[Vinca]

13. You're husband is exactly right. No jobs, no money to buy "stuff."