Where are the good jobs?

Flopper

Diamond Member
Mar 23, 2010
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Washington
There is much discussion about unemployment and job creation, however we fail to ask the most important question. What kinds of jobs are being created? For the most part they are temporary jobs, and contract work. But this is nothing new. For decades, American employers in increasing numbers have been filling permanent positions with low paid less skilled temps and contract workers. Aren't employers concerned that they are not building a loyal highly skilled work force? No! Today’s employers don’t need as many highly skilled workers because they don’t produce products that require it. Just how much skill does it take to flip a burger, pack a shipping carton, operate a cash register, or empty bedpans? So where are the good jobs? They have gone overseas along with many American industries. Over the last 50 years we watched the greatest industrial nation on earth transition into a service based economy. Forty percent of the economy produces no real goods. This has to change if we expect the 21st century to bring real economic growth and prosperity to the country.

Neither party offers any viable solution. What is needed is a trade policy that benefits American businesses and workers. We need to stop treating China, Japan, Korea, and EU countries as partners. They are not partners. They are competitors, whose goal is to kick our economic ass, and they are doing a good job of it. Free trade and NAFTA have been an economic disaster for the US. While we have opened up our boarders to foreign trade, they have created laws and regulation to protect local industries from completion. While we have refrained from putting government money into private industry, they have poured government funds into product research and development. Some say we can't compete because our wages are too high. This isn't true. In Japan wages are 10 times that of China, yet the Japanese export 90 billion plus each year to China. All American businesses needs is a level playing field to successfully compete abroad. The question is who has the guts to do what is needed.

http://www.squidoo.com/eamonn-fingleton#module44585322
The U.S. Trade Deficit
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Japan's Trade Buddies: Top 15 Japanese Export & Import Partners
 
I had lunch with a very smart, wealthy friend who is one of those global citizen types.

He went to a seminar in Europe recently in which the global jobs environment was covered. The presenter's thesis was that in the Developing World, 20% unemployment is the norm. As we become more globalized, this high level of unemployment will become the norm around the world.

Why that is the case is an interesting topic for debate. I'd argue that the growth of Big Government is letting the air out of the tires of the developed world's economies so that new jobs to replace the ones moved over seas are not being created.
 
The good jobs are in the minds of wise entrepenuers waiting for the day when the Governmenet won't try to rob them of everything they work for before they can even get up off the ground.
 
Protectionism is not the answer.

Trade benefits both parties.

Only when it's equal and balanced.

What does equal and balanced mean?

Should the government define those terms, or should the parties involved in the transaction define those terms?

When one government defines terms, and the other does not - that leads to a trade imbalance.

For "equal and balanced" trade, we'd have to eliminate the minimum wage, pay workers 50 cents a day for 12 hour days, and remove all environmental protections.
 
The "American Jobs Creation Act" basically gave tax breaks to move US factories overseas. Lobbyists paid-off the DC whores, and there went the US standard of living. China now "creates wealth" by manufacturing goods. The US "consumes" and borrows from producers to cover entitlement costs....sounds a lot like Greece doesn't it????????????
 
Only when it's equal and balanced.

What does equal and balanced mean?

Should the government define those terms, or should the parties involved in the transaction define those terms?

When one government defines terms, and the other does not - that leads to a trade imbalance.

For "equal and balanced" trade, we'd have to eliminate the minimum wage, pay workers 50 cents a day for 12 hour days, and remove all environmental protections.

Yeah, I guess that's the reality of the situation, for better or for worse. Global transport has become cheaper and easier over the long term, and American consumers have, for the most part, shown that prices mean more than the "made in ___" label.

I think it's important to point out that, while base-level manufacturing is moving to less-developed economies, developed economies still have value-added production. An example is the iPod. The thing is put together in China, but it reaches our shores as nothing but a useless piece of plastic; the value is added by the software developers in Silicon valley. These later stages of production usually require a high-skill labor force that isn't available in less-developed economies.

In the long run, I think a more-educated higher-skill workforce would be better for our economy than tax manipulation, subsidies, and preferential trade agreements. But maybe I've read too much Milton Friedman.
 
What does equal and balanced mean?

Should the government define those terms, or should the parties involved in the transaction define those terms?

When one government defines terms, and the other does not - that leads to a trade imbalance.

For "equal and balanced" trade, we'd have to eliminate the minimum wage, pay workers 50 cents a day for 12 hour days, and remove all environmental protections.

Yeah, I guess that's the reality of the situation, for better or for worse. Global transport has become cheaper and easier over the long term, and American consumers have, for the most part, shown that prices mean more than the "made in ___" label.

I think it's important to point out that, while base-level manufacturing is moving to less-developed economies, developed economies still have value-added production. An example is the iPod. The thing is put together in China, but it reaches our shores as nothing but a useless piece of plastic; the value is added by the software developers in Silicon valley. These later stages of production usually require a high-skill labor force that isn't available in less-developed economies.

In the long run, I think a more-educated higher-skill workforce would be better for our economy than tax manipulation, subsidies, and preferential trade agreements. But maybe I've read too much Milton Friedman.

Great! An economy where everyone has to have a PH.D for basic survival.

Look at what has happened to the American people over the last 30 years:

Instead of a society where one family member with a minimal education and some job skill can support a wife and any number of children, we now require two beyond-college educated family members who can barely support a couple of kids.

Normal human behavior is for people to marry in their late teens or early twenties and start a family. Now people can't afford to marry and have kids until their late twenties or thirties.

Normal human behavior is for people to want to get married and have kids - the human race is monogamous by choice - everyone gets married and starts a family as soon as they are financially capable.

In our soceity, we over glorify and paganize sex - simply because young people must have a sexual outlet - marriage an child rearing are out of the question.

It is a very sick soceity!

Yet at the same time, Americans are the most productive workforce that has ever existed. We produce 24% of the total world production. We work the most hours. Yet our standard of living is steadily declining.

Now they're raising the retirement age to 65! Based on productivity, it should be lowered to around 55 - and if it's a two worker family retirement should be at 50 the latest.

Americans need to wake up and see how badly they are getting screwed by the wealthy.
 
Highest paying jobs in the U.S. - AskMen.com

The top 24 according to the U.S. Department of Labor:

Surgeon: $181,850

Anesthesiologist: $174,610

OB/GYN: $174,610

Oral and maxillofacial surgeon: $169,600

Internist: $156,790

Prosthodontist: $156,710

Orthodontist: $153,240

Psychiatrist: $151,380

Chief Executive Officer: $140,880

Engineering Manager: $140,210

Pediatrician: $140,000

Family or general practitioner: $137,980

Physician/surgeon, all other: $137,100

Airline Pilot: $134,090

Dentist: $132,660

Podiatrist: $111,130

Lawyer: $110,590

Dentist, any other specialist: $106,040

Air Traffic Controller: $100,430

Computer and Information Systems Manager: $100,110

Marketing Manager: $100,020

Natural Sciences Manager: $97,560

Sales Manager: $96,950

Astronomer: $96,780
 
The good jobs are in the minds of wise entrepenuers waiting for the day when the Governmenet won't try to rob them of everything they work for before they can even get up off the ground.

Great! Pay me fairly and I'd become a wise entrepenuer creating good jobs for lots of people.

The notion that the wealthy don't have sufficient financial resources for investment is a load of B.S.

Never in the history of the human race has there been people as wealthy as the current economic elite in the U.S. They have plenty of investment capital.

We'll continue to support a government that taxes the hell out of the wealthy and takes from them the wealth that they have robbed from the American workers which WE HAVE WORKED FOR!
 
Ah the marxist class warfare philosophy. It worked really well in the former Soviet Union.
 
The good jobs are in the minds of wise entrepenuers waiting for the day when the Governmenet won't try to rob them of everything they work for before they can even get up off the ground.

Great! Pay me fairly and I'd become a wise entrepenuer creating good jobs for lots of people.

The notion that the wealthy don't have sufficient financial resources for investment is a load of B.S.

Never in the history of the human race has there been people as wealthy as the current economic elite in the U.S. They have plenty of investment capital.

We'll continue to support a government that taxes the hell out of the wealthy and takes from them the wealth that they have robbed from the American workers which WE HAVE WORKED FOR!

Yes, Comrade. The proles will rise up and take from the rich until there are no more rich to take from. That's the American eff'n Way, baby!
 
Highest paying jobs in the U.S. - AskMen.com

The top 24 according to the U.S. Department of Labor:

Surgeon: $181,850

Anesthesiologist: $174,610

OB/GYN: $174,610

Oral and maxillofacial surgeon: $169,600

Internist: $156,790

Prosthodontist: $156,710

Orthodontist: $153,240

Psychiatrist: $151,380

Chief Executive Officer: $140,880

Engineering Manager: $140,210

Pediatrician: $140,000

Family or general practitioner: $137,980

Physician/surgeon, all other: $137,100

Airline Pilot: $134,090

Dentist: $132,660

Podiatrist: $111,130

Lawyer: $110,590

Dentist, any other specialist: $106,040

Air Traffic Controller: $100,430

Computer and Information Systems Manager: $100,110

Marketing Manager: $100,020

Natural Sciences Manager: $97,560

Sales Manager: $96,950

Astronomer: $96,780

Great! PH.ds, MBAs, Law degrees or starve.

Not one of the above produceds a physical item of value. All are services. What about things like food, housing, automobiles, clothing, T.V. sets. sewer systems, bridges, roads and everything else that a scoeity needs to survive?

It guess the people that produce things of real physical value are just shit.
 
The good jobs are in the minds of wise entrepenuers waiting for the day when the Governmenet won't try to rob them of everything they work for before they can even get up off the ground.

Great! Pay me fairly and I'd become a wise entrepenuer creating good jobs for lots of people.

The notion that the wealthy don't have sufficient financial resources for investment is a load of B.S.

Never in the history of the human race has there been people as wealthy as the current economic elite in the U.S. They have plenty of investment capital.

We'll continue to support a government that taxes the hell out of the wealthy and takes from them the wealth that they have robbed from the American workers which WE HAVE WORKED FOR!

Yes, Comrade. The proles will rise up and take from the rich until there are no more rich to take from. That's the American eff'n Way, baby!

Yes, moron, the American people are waking up and realizing what a load of crap the wealthy have been giving them for the past 30 years - and they're changing it real quick.
 
Highest paying jobs in the U.S. - AskMen.com

The top 24 according to the U.S. Department of Labor:

Surgeon: $181,850

Anesthesiologist: $174,610

OB/GYN: $174,610

Oral and maxillofacial surgeon: $169,600

Internist: $156,790

Prosthodontist: $156,710

Orthodontist: $153,240

Psychiatrist: $151,380

Chief Executive Officer: $140,880

Engineering Manager: $140,210

Pediatrician: $140,000

Family or general practitioner: $137,980

Physician/surgeon, all other: $137,100

Airline Pilot: $134,090

Dentist: $132,660

Podiatrist: $111,130

Lawyer: $110,590

Dentist, any other specialist: $106,040

Air Traffic Controller: $100,430

Computer and Information Systems Manager: $100,110

Marketing Manager: $100,020

Natural Sciences Manager: $97,560

Sales Manager: $96,950

Astronomer: $96,780

Great! PH.ds, MBAs, Law degrees or starve.

Not one of the above produceds a physical item of value. All are services. What about things like food, housing, automobiles, clothing, T.V. sets. sewer systems, bridges, roads and everything else that a scoeity needs to survive?

It guess the people that produce things of real physical value are just shit.

I kind of think a surgeon, anestheologist, or a general physician saving someone's life or keeping them in good health, is producing good value. What profession produces better falue?

Also an air traffic controller keeping planes from crashing, kind of is valuable too.

In fact, all those professions produce good value.
 
The good jobs are in the minds of wise entrepenuers waiting for the day when the Governmenet won't try to rob them of everything they work for before they can even get up off the ground.

Great! Pay me fairly and I'd become a wise entrepenuer creating good jobs for lots of people.

The notion that the wealthy don't have sufficient financial resources for investment is a load of B.S.

Never in the history of the human race has there been people as wealthy as the current economic elite in the U.S. They have plenty of investment capital.

We'll continue to support a government that taxes the hell out of the wealthy and takes from them the wealth that they have robbed from the American workers which WE HAVE WORKED FOR!

The wealthy are the only ones who start businesses?

The problem isn't the wealthy having too much money. The problem is the government doing everything it can to prevent poor and middle class people from ever becoming wealthy. When you tax income, you aren't hurting the wealthy you are hurting the people who are actually being productive.
 

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