> No doubt about it, although this isn't *necessarily* a
> bad thing - if its better for them to do it in China than in
> the US, it makes sense for them to go there. Frankly, I
> think that for most of the jobs that are "lost" overseas, a
> huge portion of blame can be placed squarely on conditions
> which make it unfavorable for those jobs to remain in the US,
> such as opressive taxation, regulation, a tort system run amok, etc.
>
Sure, in a strict business sense, it would be a better deal for
manufacturers to go overseas. However, there is more to this than
money. I blame Clinton and the GATT/WTO disaster for tilting the field
in favor of China. Removing the trade regulations and tariffs while
granting permanent normal trade relations with the PRC was and is an
embarrassment. Every dollar they "earn" from us is an endorsement of
their horrific behavior. I would simply like the opportunity to not
engage in that endorsement of an oppressive dictatorial regime even if
others support it. If some of you wish to sell your souls for a few
bucks and get a marginally "better deal", then by all means, go ahead.
I just want my freedom to exercise some economic patriotism and opt out.
>
>
> That's an unenviable position for those people to be in,
> but people must evolve with the times or they will find
> themselves in those circumstances. In a time of automobiles,
> there is not much call for buggy whip manufacturers. I know
> it sounds harsh, and I suppose it is in a way - life is not
> fair. Just because mankind taught itself to build luxury
> condos and airplanes does not mean that they are not living
> in the same harsh environment as the wolf or rabbit trying to
> find shelter from the storm and simply stay alive through one
> more day.
Channeling Ayn Rand again? The Life-is-Not-Fair meme is a modern
conservative cop-out. We've got these large primate forebrains. We don't
need to be surrendering them to the base animal instincts of greed and
opportunism at every turn. I thought we had evolved farther than that.
Perhaps I should not be expecting so much.
Perhaps I need more caffeine and I'm mis-interpreting the tone of the
discussion...
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