[TheForge] new book review

[Andrew Vida]

Chris Kilpatrick wrote:
> Dave,
>      This is the reason for steel prices skyrocketing.  I think it is a topical post. 

	It certainly can be.  And a good question it is to consider what will 
happen to smithing and the craft if steel prices keep going through the 
roof.

 > China is buying our steel and germay's steel plants to boister this 
economic boom.

	Question: should something be done about it?  If so, what?  What I 
don't understand is why don't they mine their own?  Is it lack of resources?

 > It is making bidding jobs a dicey prospect.

	If prices go up enough (assuming they haven't yet done so) and become 
unstable, this becomes a real problem.  It's been hard enough for small 
time operations to stay afloat with inexpensive and stable material 
pricing.  I suspect this evolving situation stands to bury many smiths. 
  The USA is slowing turning into a third world nation and it's our own 
damned fault for allowing treaties such as GATT and NAFTA to be passed 
into law.  In principle, there is nothing wrong with them, but we cannot 
work for $0.40 an hour and live.  If the rest of the world existed on 
the same cost of living basis as we, there'd be plenty of jobs still here.

	I wonder how far this will go before we change something.