It is just more tax breaks for US corporations to remain competetive overseas.

I am a supporter of open markets. The one country that really pisses me off is China. They are playing games with their currency specifically to keep the trade balance in their favor and we keep letting them get away with it.

As long as you don't try to pin normal market cycles on the previous administration. And I won't put the blame on Bush Senior for the recession he experienced and so on. Markets are cyclical, we both know that.

-Don

 

Agreed. The problem is there are plenty of other leading indicators that haven't improved at all. One industry does not mean a recovery.

The biggest driving force in economics is public perception. When people start to believe the economy is getting better, it will get better. Right now the public is hopeful, but still weary of what the economy is going to do. That opinion has been getting better little by little. Unfortunately it is happening very slowly.

-Don

 

Sirket--
What does your business supply?

A quick mention of the differnet country's economies. I have been to countries where a person works 12 hour days every day and only makes $60.00 per month. That same person was VERY happy to have that job and said that it was decent pay. She worked at Baskin Robins to give you a comparison.

My wife and I did a lot of shopping on the economy and were able to have a food bill running about $70 per month(we didn't buy meat on the economy) and we ate ALOT of food each month. The other items: our electric bill was $8 our rent was high the area was equvelant to the high end in NYC (waterfront view on one side mountain view on the other) and we paid $600 including heat and water. There were easily houses for rent in decent areas for under $100 for Americans. So as someone said earlier just because the pay in other countries is low doesn't mean the workers are being exploited.

Eventually these countries with emerging economies will have an increase in their average wage. As more jobs come in the labor pool starts to shrink then the pay goes up. This will allow the companies who are currently saving money in the country on labor costs to have built up a loyal employee base and sell their products to the local people.

 

Here we go again, now I have to go and agree with sirket…

I couldn’t agree more about the people’s perception being a big force that drives the economy.

That is one of the reasons it really irritates me that so many liberals are trying to make things sound much worse then they really are and the fact that they basically completely leave out 9/11 as one of the main reason for the economy not rebounding sooner.

 

Hard to compete with countries like China, ect.
They pay their workers a bag of rice and a chicken once a month.
Not too many F150's parked in front of their mud huts.

 

It won't be long before nobody has an F150 parked out front and all of us are riding a chicken.

 

Don't worry Raoul...I'll ride a goat.

 

Maybe it’s time to look at the measure. The measures say we’re on the road to recovery, but some of us are saying the measures are missing something. The manufacturing productivity numbers (measure) is looking pretty good lately and is looked at as a sign of healthy business environment. Hmmm, all that measures is how much it cost somebody to make something this year vs. last year. If we outsource most of our production to a low wage country and lay off our (American) workers, we look more productive. Maybe that’s why some folks are calling this a “jobless recovery.”

Second point, some folks say we’re shifting from a manufacturing based to a service based economy. OK, next time somebody starts a world war, who’s going to make the bombs and weapons we need to fight with when we outsourced the manufacturing to Bangladesh? (Oh yea, and they’re on the “other” side.) What are we going to do, throw software at them? Words fail me.

 

Man sitting on a goat at a red light when another man pulls
up beside him riding a chicken. Since neither the chicken
or the goat make as much noise as a gas combustable engine
both men are able to conduct a normal conversation while
waiting for the light to change.

"Leading economic indicators are looking pretty good."

"Yep, stock market is finally making an up turn."

"Say, what kind of mileage do you get with that goat?"

"Oh, not bad but, he's a complainer no doubt about it."

"I've been looking to trade up. I've still got three more payments on this chicken."

"Why don't you leave the chicken home and we'll both ride the goat. We could ride in the carpool lane. Afterall we both work at the same place."

"OK, it would give us time to practice the corporate song...."

"...Do you want an apple pie with that?"
"...Do you want an apple pie with that?"

 

Gosh, Sirket, we agree on something!

Actually, I have been part of efforts to do business with China, and it is worse than that. In my business, it is nearly impossible to do business with the Chinese and make a decent profit. (perhaps liberals don't care about that? ) (just pulling your chain...)

China=big market, so companies want to move in there. As most who do business there get burned, the market is still pretty wide open. Gee, this is "low hanging fruit"!

After a number of bad deals intended "to develop relationships and get a foot in the door", they have learned the technology and no longer want to pay you at all. So you are out on your ear and they have the technology. "Let's just be friends." Pressure to level the playing field with China is called for, I think. I like buying low cost Chinese stuff as much as the next guy, but the costs are a lot higher than they look! Try buying any low-end electronic or electric appliance that is not made in China. Wal-mart must have a buying office in Beijing.

It will be a while before China is really our friend.

As if our unarmed recon plane was really a threat to anyone. With China, we really need to keep watching our backs.

TS

 

This has shaped up to be a great thread with informative contributions (and amusing stories) from a wide spectrum of people. Special thanks to ViperGrendal for his informative and thoughtful posts.

Sirket and I have actually found an issue we agree on, even if for me the glass is half full and for him the glass is half empty.

Keep it coming. This is great!

TS

 

That was a semi-rare moment.

Definitely not going to be doing that today, I feel like crap.

 

bush and the republicans= low paying service jobs=massive profits for companies.

 

Translation, Mcdonalds loves Bush.

You're gonna have to come up with some substance around this crowd.

 

translation, bush no friend of the working man or woman.