"Apparently" we've lost two major industries under Schrub (Perspective?)

[DaveJ]

First off is is accurate to say we've lost 2 major industries under * -- the computer/I.T. industry and now the auto industry? Based on that assumption, what conclusion can we draw on that?

It is repugnant that * offers no acknowledgment of the lives and dreams that have collapsed as a result.

My question is, can Dems put things into perspective? Can we at least entertain the insane notions that Repugs put forth -- I imagine they are thinking that it's the U.S.'s obligation to move onto bigger and better things. Based on that notion, what can Dems offer as a way to lead the U.S. into the future? I ask this in a semi-confrontational way because I know Dems are smarter, so what is the answer? The auto and I.T. industries are lost, what now? Switchgrass?

[Patchuli]

1. And I heard that pineapple growers

are leaving Hawaii...that is sad. Hawaii needs the money!

[DaveJ]

4. Can they grow switchgrass?

Apparently the lives of the majority of people in the U.S. make no difference to Schrub. The important thing is the lives of the massively small number of people who can entertain his futuristic and distraction-ary agenda. Okay but what can Dems do to entertain neocons' insane notions like these?

[Mnemosyne]

11. What is switchgrass anyway? n/t

[Canuckistanian]

9. Interesting, considering pineapple isn't Hawai'ian

Pineapples come from Brazil originally.

[KittyWampus]

31. Hawaiian Pineapples, IIRC; Are Dying Off Due To A Blight Or Disease

[Lorien]

2. Alternative energy would certainly be a good thing to start with

There is a privately funded "New apollo project" happening, but nothing substantial that our government has invested in.

[GreenPartyVoter]

34. Agreed. Alternative energy, hemp farming, and recycling stations

are all good ways to put people to work.

[ms liberty]

3. Also the furniture industry...gone to China n/t

[sam sarrha]

5. the textile industry is nearly totally gone, they gave all of NC's textile

industry to Pakistan to bribe them to help us invade Iraq.

my wife is in the textile industry and has had 3 jobs outsourced to china.. during shrub, she got into another aspect of pattern making, ..soon there will only be 4 corporations running the textile industry in the usa.
we are presently also losing the airplane industry.. Boeing is going to china..

[sam sarrha]

6. china owns us, they can blackmail us now that we have boxed up our

entire manufactoring base and sent them the factories and machines to..

it is a matter of national security to keep our manufactoring base intact and in country..

we are screwed..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DaveJ]

7. But what about management?

If you can get a Chinese worker to produce a product that you want to make for 1/4 the cost of an American worker who would you chose? My point is can the U.S. exist as a management economy? There is nothing to prevent you from hiring your own foreign labor and starting your own company. I say this in a semi-confrontational way because I know Dems are smart enough to face the 'insane' (edit) notions that Neocons have. Stop relying on Democratic politicians to make everything the way things were in to 50-70's. What can Dems do to face the current economic situation and move our world into the future??

[sam sarrha]

26. what crap .. you just cant start a company if you dont have a fuck'n job.!

[JanMichael]

29. Look the Textile Industry was abandoned by Clinton.

It's been used as the trading chip for other industry negotiations for years now. Bush sucks, yes, but regarding Textiles he's no worse than Billie Boy.

[lpbk2713]

8. Most of our citrus now comes from South America

Thanks to Shrub and his Simian Sibling.

[DaveJ]

12. Can you tell me why that is bad?

I think I would rather have my citrus from South America. Sounds rather exotic. I really am getting frustrated with anyone who complains that they cannot work in a citrus field and instead must work in an air conditioned office managing the slave labor that provides us orange juice every day. Come on Dems can do better than that. We need to face economic reality, and come up with ideas on how to succeed in a science and technologically based economy.

[KittyWampus]

32. S.American Citrus Requires More Petrol To Get Here

Also grown by laborers who labor in unsanitary conditions and thus increase the potential for e coli in our food substantially.

But I agree with the thrust of your post. :)

[Blue_Forney05]

10. I have a question to ask everyone...

So GM and Ford are laying off like 60,000 people. However Toyota and Honda are growing. The question I have is Toyota and Honda hiring as many workers as GM and Ford are laying off? Just curious because I never hear in the news of when a company is doing massive hiring. Thanks..

[JDPriestly]

13. lost my job, finally got another over a year later - at l1/2 the pay

Actually it's less than 1/2 the pay. And I'm really working hard under much more difficult circumstances. I think that is rather typical of what happens. Big Business and the Bush administration welcome lower wages. But what they don't realize that, especially with the tax cuts for the rich, it is going to mean lower tax revenues and less money for things like defense, to say nothing of all the things we really need like education, transportation, healthcare, clean water, clean air, crime prevention and law enforcement, etc. We are simply being turned into a third world underdeveloped country. You don't see it yet, but, in fact, we are at the top of a real steep descent. You will be shocked at how fast it will go once we really get into the decline that is coming. With half the salary, I pay more than half the taxes -- that is because, proportionately, a greater percentage of my lower salary goes into social security and Medicare, but the real taxes, the part the government can spend as it wishes is much smaller than it was when I was earning twice this salary.

[area51]

18. Excellent points, JDPriestly.

And as another poster said, "it is a matter of national security to keep our manufacturing base." Notice the republinazis staying far away from this obvious point.

[JohnnyRingo]

15. Keep in mind that Toyota and Honda hire few American workers

Their manufacturing policy joins components from around the world to a basic assembly plant in a host country. Just enough to gain "Made in America" status.

A Japanese Auto plant employs a fraction of workers as an equivalent US plant because the assembly requires fewer steps. Most components are pre-assembled in the "least expensive country".

It's unfortunate for us that the "big three" are following suit.
Also unfortunate for us are the unfair trade laws that encourage manufacturers to build cars elsewhere without paying a re-importation tax.

I'd think if GWB gave a rat's ass about anyone with a job, he'd do something about it.

And welcome to DU

[newyawker99]

30. Hi Blue_Forney05!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[JohnnyRingo]

14. The FIRST two

It's the saddest social era in my life.
I live in the rust belt and it wasn't this disheartening when the steel mills closed.
It's like taking the car and supplier plants away removes the very last hope of gainful employment here.

What's next?

[jillan]

16. What IS America known for anymore?

Is there anything that other countries want from us?

It seems like we are at a standstill.

I just pray it's not a downfall.

[TankLV]

17. You forgot STEEL under raygun and king george I.

That CRIPLED democratic "blue" towns like Buffalo NY.

[Gin]

19. New US Label............"Assembled" in America

G

[jeannicot]

20. We lost IT?

News to me.

Last time I checked, Microsoft is still in Redmond.

[MadHound]

21. Actually if you take a close look

It was Clinton who delivered the death blow to the IT industry, what with his expansion H1B visas and NAFTA, and the auto industry has been going downhill and overseas for a long while now. Bush didn't cause either one of these to die in this country, but he certainly didn't help.

[sendero]

25. That's is true...

... but in Clinton's defense the IT industry was beyond healthy at the time and we could actually absorb more IT workers, there was excess demand.

As of now, I'm a displaced IT worker who cannot get a job, and Bush** claims that jobs cannot be filled. He is nothing more than a fucking liar.

BTW- I love the song Shantytown - my copy is on the soundtrack for the movie "The Harder they Come". This soundtrack contains 3-4 songs from Jimmy Cliff, who is a good songwriter and vocalist but IMHO his songs sound more like American soul than reggae. The remainer of the songs are from various true authentic reggae acts and every one of them is a gem!

"You're gonna run to the rock for rescue, there will be no rock" :)

[MadHound]

27. Yeah, IT was beyond healthy at the time

But the seeds for the destruction of IT were already sown, and taken root. We have another great boom left in this country, that being alternative energy productions, both in infrastructure, such as turbines and panels, and also actually producing the energy(our Great Plains are an untapped wind energy treasure house). Hopefully we don't fuck up and outsource this one when it hits.

If you liked the Harder They Come soundtrack, you really should check out 'This is Reggae Music: The Golden Era 1960- 1975". It is a boxed set of four CDs, with lots of great music, many classics and some obscure yet wonderful gems from the Trojan/Sanctuary catalog. <http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00064LOV4/002-6542125-4715246?v=glance&n=5174>

[Nay]

28. There will be no more "booms" in this country, in alternative energy

or anything else.

Don't you get it? The MINUTE something gets invented/engineered here, it and its accompanying manufacturing components will be shipped whole over to a cheap country for mass production. This country will NEVER EVER have a manufacturing base in ANYTHING unless we change the attitude that we must chase cheap labor. NEVER.

[sendero]

33. Thanks..

... for the recommendation, I will check that out. I've always wanted to find some more of that raw/basic reggae like those tracks on THTC, but have not had much success. That is some of the most heartfelt and moving music I've ever heard.

[Skidmore]

22. And don't forget to toss in the destruction of the infrastructure

of a couple of major cities while we're at it.

[dailykoff]

23. Short-term profit, long-term catastrophe.

It's called predatory capitalism, and thanks to our MBA-in-chief, it's currently the American way. See you on the breadline.

[ComerPerro]

24. I hope Bush is remembered for all he has done to cripple

the American auto industry.

[Dees]

35. Dirty greedy Repugs have sold everything

this country stands for, ever was, ever produced and any potential for the workers to regroup and survive under an umbrella of a middle class. Why have the Super CIA/GOP gov/Corporations pulled the rug out from under America? Stinking short term profits and money. No more no less. You see Repukes don't care about America or fellow Americans. It is complete and absolutely about money to a Repuke. Every friggin breath and motion of a Repuke can be reduced to money.