The idea you can do it rationally is wishful thinking.
If we want other countries to buy our products we have to allow them to sell theirs here. After WWII we had all the manufacturing in the world and people had to buy from us. We will never return to that paradigm. And bitch as we may against China, and I agree there is lots to bitch about, many things are now too expensive to make there because their workers are being paid more and have higher expectations. They truly have lifted 700 million people out of poverty and it is a sight to see. Was there twice in 2016.
Higher wage countries can make and sell high end products and more importantly services.
Germany is thriving yet aren’t making Blue Jeans and Nike’s. But high end industrial equipment.
And the only reason we started believing that manufacturing has some magic that makes it higher paying is because they were unionized and fought for those wages. Other trades or crafts not so much.
There is no reason that if we had renewed support for Unions Wal-Mart workers would not make a living wage. They are profitable enough.
Those on the left blaming the loss of high paying jobs on exporting work have bought into the right wing narrative that unions make workers too expensive. Not all work can be offshores and all worker should get a decent wage. And we still make some good high end stuff here. Deere and Caterpillar being only 2 examples. Hell, even my Toyota Tundra is considered one of the top 10 most American made vehicles. Not a unionized shop, unfortunately, but the union wages others pay keep their pay high.
Look at GM. Two tiered work force made up of many part time Union members with no hope of ever being full time. Meanwhile in Germany auto workers make over $50 an hour. And unions are supported strongly by law and even have members sitting on the Board.
Before Unions we were the most dynamic industrial nation on earth. And those manufacturing employees were treated as disposable commodities.
Have a nice evening. Interesting conversation.
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