The Return Of The Giant Sucking Sound

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.sfgate.com/columnists/sparks/

Since 2001, the United States has lost 2.8 million manufacturing jobs. Hello! Is anybody listening? This is a crisis. Our house is on fire, and few in Congress are paying attention. And, at the rate things are going, the only jobs even college graduates will be able to get will be in the service industry. That's political lingo for flipping hamburgers.

Manufacturing jobs have long since vanished because companies have established factories overseas or have simply outsourced the production, contracting with existing overseas companies. Companies were finding themselves incapable of competing with the flood of imports from Third World countries such as China, where an hourly wage is between 10 and 20 cents. How can American workers compete with that? Since 1990, the number of manufactured goods made overseas and consumed in the United States has doubled.

The political blame is bipartisan. It was President Clinton who signed the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which accelerated the "giant sucking sound." The curmudgeonly presidential contender, Ross Perot, correctly predicted that NAFTA would shift millions of manufacturing jobs south of the border. Perot was right. Now, ironically, even the jobs of those dollar-an-hour Mexican workers are being lost to China and other more impoverished nations.

President Bush has done little to stem the stampede of manufacturing jobs that are leaving and bleeding this country. Instead the president is busily touting the increase in "service sector" jobs. Yes, these jobs did in fact increase. However, properly translated, that'll mean we will soon be able to all sit around in a circle and shine each other's shoes. Service jobs are dominated by the restaurant sector, and these jobs are at wages that are typically just 50 percent, or less, of the lost manufacturing jobs. Big deal, Mr. President -- get serious.

[ngGale]

1. Reality will set in good when...

2.5 million more jobs are lost,Tech support going to India by 2007.
Also, from now until June, another 2.8 million American's will use up all their 'unemployment insurance.' Then we will be counted as 'being employed' because of the lack of a check. Economy should look good by the election. Mr. President doesn't know what get serious means, we have to change that.

[shance]

2. This is what they want....to starve the dog so to speak.

Meaning the American people.

The saying, if you starve a dog, they will follow you everywhere.

That is why the jobs are leaving and the economy is going to probably tank. That appears to be part of their overall plan.

When are Americans the most vulnerable for a takeover? When the economy is tanked, people will do whatever it takes to make ends meet.
Desparation ensues.

We need to get our jobs back PRONTO.

[mac2]

3. Sucking sound returns.

That sucking sound never went away. It was the reason for the discussion that the economy was good for some but bad for others during the Clinton years. Parts of NJ had 10% unemployment. The computer, financial, and housing sectors did well. The low wage earner was suffering from too much competition for their jobs.

The difference today with that sucking sound...professionals are being hit hard..like doctors, engineers, software experts, etc.

Why go to college I might ask? There aren't many jobs out there. You can join Georgie's military if you don't want to strave.

NAFTA, GATTS, WTO, IMF are ruining us. Why can't they admit they made a mistake?