[TheForge] Copper-Yak

[Andrew Vida]

craig.schaefer at verizon.net wrote:
> "....that we would become a second-rate industrial player? "
> 
> 
> I disagree.  We are on par or better than anyone in the world, 
> technologically.  It's costwise where we have trouble competing.

	Which is why we have little industry remaining and therefore are a 
second-rate player.  The reason we cannot compete is because China 
maintains an artificially low wage.  Therefore an artificial arbitrage 
market exists for Chinese labor and it will drive the US and Europe into 
the toilet in time.  Chinese income is growing, but abnormally slowly. 
Try forming a union in China for better wages and see how fast a bullet 
is put in your head, courtesy of the masters... erm, I mean, government.

	Anyhow, being smart and having a good work ethic doesn't buy us much 
when playing on China's terms, which are those of wage and even chattel 
slavery.  they have a billion people, most of whom are available for 
factory work, whether they want to be or not.  At $0.66/hr average wage, 
the USA could never compete on a general basis.

	Our markets are not free and this will be the undoing of us all in the 
long run.  Scoff at your own peril.