Unemployement rate drops to 8.1 percent....

[dontworrybehappy]

Just what I thought. You say something to excuse the numbers, when asked for proof, you provide nothing. There is NOTHING saying that all of these numbers are college students back in school. After all, if 50% of college students can't get a job AFTER they graduate, how in the hell are so many finding jobs while still in school? You can't ignore the numbers.

Typical dem.

[The Comrade]

or, maybe, the dude is doing something because it's friday?

[Dylan]

[Dylan]

[The Comrade]

[The Dude]

[The Dude]

[The Dude]

[kyfho]

You aren't taking cultural realities into account. China will have to build up their version of a middle class, I agree, however there is a lot more emphasis in their social and governmental thinking on harmony as opposed to liberty. We've become complacent, to be honest, and are fiercely individualistic. We also feel entitled to specific standards of living, and a very advanced set of employee protections. These things are all in the infancy in places like China. They are still thrilled at the chance to live in factory dorms and work double time, and they realize that its the key to their competitive advantage.

I don't welcome competition with countries who work cheaper, faster, and far more dangerously. We've already seen how well that competition has worked out for us so far...and we've been blown out the water by it. Basically the choice boils down to: A-Reduce our standard of living and worker protections to the point where we maintain parity with a developing nation with a government with zero interest in human rights. Or B-Maintain our standards and protections, and try to tariff them into an equal footing.

Eventually there will be parity...but basically that means everyone loses. People in this country think the developing world isn't a threat to our standards because they produce cheap stuff we don't want to produce...because our sense of entitlement has elevated us above it, apparently. But the reality is that Boeing and Intel are going to have to fight uphill battles against state-sponsored firms without even the beginning of as much overhead or worker protections, or litigation.

I don't know where you get this idea that people are smarter or more or less innovative based on imaginary lines, but it just isn't the case. This is about dollars and cents.

Agreed. We are on a slippery slope here. This is where BOTH parties fail. Do we get into a trade war with China? Bad mojo there. Do we keep doing what we are doing? This is the path to failure. The fact that we have protections and safety standards hinders us. I do NOT promote lowering our standards. I think given the options, China would suffer more in a trade war than we would IF we have the national will to see it to the end. I lack faith in our national will though.

[dontworrybehappy]