maybe capitalism is flawed.

We blew up Japan and Germany, then paid to re-build them. When they were done, they had all new factories and a competitive advantage......
But what really gave Japan an edge was when they drafted their post-war constitution with virtually no military provision. No military, no military budget - thier tax money gets used for productive rather than destructive purposes.
Our federal budget consists of 42% to defense so we can be the world's SWAT team.

And what is it exactly that we are defending? Our nation was founded on the principles of our goverment serving OUR people. It seems to me that our military is used to protect financial interests these days.. I grow more and more skeptical every day of the way this whole show is run..

anyone got some cool-aid?

Not only that, we sent Japan our leading thinkers in processing. Japan used these processes to build their manufacturing. The concepts of Six Sigma and straight through processing were introduced and mastered by the Japanese.

So why did we do this?? Why has our country consistantly givin itself away?? Corruption?? Payofffs?? I doubt it is based on good will.

Ford Focus isnt bad. And those baby chevrolets are pretty durable. Most durable car I've ever known was my 98 black Chevrolet blazer. Tinted windows, leather seats, sun roof, power everything. I had a lot of fun in college with that car.

I guarantee you half of the focus is put together from asian parts...:hs:

...but enough with the nostalgia, most American car factories are in Ontario now. They just moved accross the Detroit River. Cheaper labor cost (company does not have to foot the bill on healthcare premiums, government healthcare is attractive to American car manufacturers).

and sadly, your right about the asian car parts

See. More lost jobs in the US.. And McCain says everything is fine?? :huh:

No,,,,he says all economic indicators are fine. Jobs lost in one sector are replaced with jobs in another. the unemployment data is not that bad,,,5.1%? But....it is trending down which is not good.

post WWII - i think it was goodwill and I think it paid off. Noone wanted to repeat the post WW1 disaster with Wilson's 14 points, so the US set out to rebuild. You have to remember that many people realized that WWII defeated Hitler, but made another enemy - Russia, much stronger. We needed all the allies we could get. Japan and Germany remain strong allies and trading partners and that can be atrributed to our treatment of them after the war.

ahh yes. That totally makes sense..

now back to opportunity, goverment opression and Obama

The increased prosperity of one country does not necessarily mean another must have lost wealth. Economies are not finite - the pie we are cutting from can be enlarged.
A car can be built anywhere, but the financing is usually domestic. There's quite a bit of money in lending money so someone can buy the car made in Korea - sometimes there is more profit in the financing than in the production.

man, you got to see this! This is McCains new add. Remember, I dont like McCain, but this add is DAMN funny!
stupid negative crap, but funny!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PetxaA42OuE

Yes. especially when the customer financing the car is broke, has lost his telecominications job to some indian and has bad credit...


man I am cynical today.. I apologize. :fury:

THIS hits in on the head as the problem with America these days and I think Obama is more likely to begin to change this than McCain.

:whackin: :wavey:

this is no fun without Spence

Sorry, I'm busy as a mother...I'll try to expose all the flaws in your comments later tonight when I'm on vacation.

thanks,

-spence

take your time Spence.. there are many to point out :humpty: :tm:

ha!
Dont waste too much time, I'll forget about the thread over the weekend and never read it again.

Any cool vacation plans?

I think he is going to a day spa where he will be rubbed down in olive oil by small fat men wearing nothing but linen man-skirts and will have cucumbers laid all over his face. Or at least that is what I think his dream vacation is ... Somehow I doubt its a trip to a NASCAR event :laugha:

I'll try to keep this short.
The way you drive jobs overseas is by making it harder for companies ( yes, big corporations) to make a profit. Close tax loopholes and make it less profitable and kiss the jobs goodby. It's why towns offer companies a tax break to move in. Obama will tax corperations right out of this country.

And while I'm on the subject. The rich people in this country put millions of us to work every day. They buy lots of things, they hire lots of services and they themselfs employ people to do everything.

This country was built on the premiss that anyone can make it with hard work. Not on the redistribution of wealth

Don't cry about unempoyment while your blasting the rich and the big companies. They are not your enemy here.:fury:

Yes and no.

Certainly the ability for anyone to achieve regardless of social status is what makes America special, but without the wealth redistribution that is our progressive tax system you wouldn't have a middle class, and without our middle class you wouldn't have the America of the 20th century.

-spence

Regarding the outsourcing comments above. Any American that thinks outsourcing is bad should really take stake in the glass house in which they live. This country and all of us have benefited from outsourcing in so many ways it's absurd to think about it.

The reality of today is that you have to be more nimble and accept that business as usual is in the past. We're in the middle of a huge paradigm shift and there are oportunities to exploit the needs of a growing middle class in many emerging nations along with our own.

Business has always been cylical and has always been about innovation. America's biggest problem today is that our pathetic leadership is inhibiting our ability to innovate as a NATION to maintain our position in the world community. As Tom Friedman writes, we're in a post 9/11 defensive crouch, and this isn't going to solve our problems.

-spence

There are no profitable corporations left in this country to tax.

Rich people don't get rich by spending money on things they don't have to. ;)

When most don't care about their employees? That they're all just numbers and the less they have to pay them and less benefits they give them the better?

Screw em, let em employ 12yo chinese.

Keeps me and friends employed.
MORE OUTSOURCING!
HOORAY HORRIFIC CODE!

You are wrong on everyone of your points Likwid. The rich do spend their money.

Yes, you are a number to most companies, but work hard, make yourself invaluable and see how well they treat you.

Most companies make a profit. they are not in it as a hobby.

Go to a flat tax or a national sales tax and do away with a progressive income tax. It's the only true way to make sure everyone pays their share, no more and no less.

OK Spence, Enlighten me...

Hey we agree on something! :grins:

rich people invest, putting there money into new technology, new business, etc. This is what fuels growth, not a damn thing the US GOvernment does. Spence, can you really blame "this administration"? :hs: You think that big business really cares who is in office? If they do, its more a matter of taxes.
You aint EVER gonna get new forms of energy unless some rich people put their money behind it.

I'm going into politicla hiding, there is no one out there reflecting my views, the "change" Obama is promoting is marketing BS for the I hate Bush Crowd, no substance and more "let the government fix things" for the losers of the world who cant get it done themselves. McCain, I have no clue what he stands for and is not going to do anything to move this country forward.

At a minimum, I hope whoever gets in, keeps us safe continues to keep terrorism at bay. The rest of the damage they may inflict can be reversed.