Would 10 Cents/HR Labor Costs Be Low Enough For Some MultiNatl Corps to be Competitive?

[Blackhatjack]

It is ridiculous for these Corporate entities to insist that they have to export jobs to low paying countries in order to be 'competitive' in the American marketplace.

IF you reduce the 'labor costs' to $1/hr, or 50cents/hr, or 10cents/hr --the Corporations still will say they 'have to move' jobs to even lower cost labor markets in order to remain 'competitive.'

I suspect that nothing short of 0.00/hr will satisfy these bastions of corporate profit, UNLESS they can figure a way for the workers to be paid by the Government OR for the workers to PAY for the right to work.

There is absolutely no possibility of satisfying the corporate beast.

And jobs and a living wage are a natiional security priority. IF you don't think so, just wait until these unemployed workers have no job, no income, no home, and no prospects .... I doubt they will just sit on their hands.

[midnight]

1. Money should never trump peace.... Families and livable wages should trump profits....

[Blackhatjack]

2. Well Corporations are the Tail that Wags the Dog .... and it is obvious

We have little chance of changing anything until the massive corporate profits are blocked from consolidating the power of the Corporations on Capitol Hill.

[Catherina]

3. Yes I think so, but to be sure, let's offer them .09/hr

All of this is happening by design.

[Scuba]

4. Their desire for slave labor explains why pot is illegal.

[Blackhatjack]

5. Compare All-Time Highest Corp Profits With Ever Lower Wages and Jobs Exports ....

... and you begin to understand that 'competitive' has a unique meaning to these Corporate Officials who have received billions in bonuses.

They have dare the US Govt to stop them from paying themselves billions in bonuses while taking taxpayer bailout $$.

Kind of says it all....

[havocmom]

6. So long as they have payroll, they will complain. Slaves mean never having to do payroll work

Payroll work is a cost they could do away with and get even more profits, see? Of course, who they think will have money to buy product/service is beyond their quarterly attention span, but they will save a bundle right up to when they go outta business.

[rucky]

7. Corporations should get rid of labor completely

and just sell futures on the potential value of hypothetical goods and services.

[Blackhatjack]

9. The idea of robotic manufacturing was predicated on just such a theory of eliminating labor costs

But we know that the human element cannot be fully eliminated in the manufacturing process, so there will always be a 'few human workers' needed to make the process as efficient as possible.

[alfredo]

8. They only pay us because slavery got bad PR over the years.

[Blackhatjack]

10. Recall that the old 'company store' paradigm could be coming back...

... where workers were charged more to live than they could earn from their wages, and their employers provided those necessaries at rates which made it impossible for the workers to ever pay off their debt and leave their low paying jobs.

[alfredo]

12. Sounds like credit cards.

[CrispyQ]

11. Another question:

If Nike is paying their workers in China $2 a day, how come their shoes are still so fucking expensive?

Has the consumer really seen a decrease in prices of goods by shipping jobs overseas or is that just a lie they tell us to justify shipping jobs overseas while the C-level execs rake in huge salaries & bonuses?

When they've exhausted the global worker pool & driven everyone's wages down to levels no one can live on, how long before they realize that only the rich can afford to purchase their goods & there aren't enough of them to make up for the millions & millions of middle class folks who used to buy their goods?

It's the curse of thinking only one quarter ahead.

[Blackhatjack]

13. You DON'T Subscribe to "The Markets Reward Those Who Drive Costs Through The Floor?"

Well if the cost of producing shoes is less than $10/unit, and the sale price per unit is $100/unit, then those profits have to go somewhere, Right?

It has never been about making sure workers and consumers could earn a living wage.

It has always been about 'greed' .... get mine now before the gravy train runs out.

[Populist_Prole]

14. Was discussing with a neocon dope at work

The very issue. Gets ALL his talking points from Limbaugh and Fox News, and worships that raving lunatic Cramer on CNBC. Says he can't see where _I_ don't see how a more "competitive" company is vital to our economy. I said how vital can a company be to our economy if they're not employing wage earners, or if they are, are underemploying them? He says, so what, that's capitalism. I asked if he wanted to recant his or "what's good for company xyz is good for you" type position, and why he framed his argument that way in the 1st place. He just snarled at me. This happens a lot: either he snarls, or just moves on to another red herring talking point. Funny thing is he's constantly complaining about the company we work for.

I couldn't get over on how intellectually lazy someone could be, not to think the "talking points" through to a conclusion. I'm guessing that listening/watching RW pundits makes it look easy since they control the debate and don't allow any effective counter-arguments. I am an ex-Republican that used to listen to Limbaugh avidly ( though I never agreed with him all the time ). Now I hate the bastard with every fiber of my being; But I know all the tricks he uses to prevent a good counter-argument to his usual strawman BS.

[glitch]

15. Just curious - what do they "pay" US prison labor? nt