Good Article...

[The Dad Fisherman]

Definitely says a lot to what is wrong with the economy these days..

'Made in America' must make a comeback

Charlotte, N.C. – One thing the financial crisis shows is that the United States is in trouble because Americans have stopped making stuff.

It used to be that we made a lot of stuff: televisions, clothes, washing machines, radios, typewriters, shoes, telephones, and furniture. And we also used to make the stuff out of which stuff was made: steel, aluminum, plastic, rubber, glass, and electrical components. Today that's largely made overseas. They send us their stuff and we send them our money.

It also used to be that Americans liked to make stuff. Think of all the things Thomas Edison invented. Or consider Henry Ford, who made the car affordable, perfected the assembly line, and paid workers a decent wage. Countless others, such as my grandfather, worked as toolmakers and machinists because they liked to work with their hands. Today we rely on people around the world to do that innovation for us.

To be sure, outsourcing has some benefits, but the danger in abrogating our desire to make things is that, in doing so, we forget what made America great. It wasn't manipulating money; it was hard work and persistence. It wasn't "flipping houses"; it was having a dream and being patient and self-sacrificing to achieve that dream. It wasn't speculative gambling; it was belief in a line of labor that rewarded honest risk. Forgetting that contributes to America's deterioration.

Nowadays, young people want to work in the financial industry (at least until recently). While money managers may be worthy occupations – we do need capital to meet payroll and buy the goods and machinery used to make stuff – focusing solely on such jobs removes us from the mainstream of making useful things, which, in turn, provide jobs and help to make everyday life more enjoyable and productive.

This is where we have to start questioning what's at stake. Are we truly satisfied with letting someone else make everything we need? If so, when the time comes for repair and maintenance, who will do the work?

Young people today are not encouraged to work with their hands. It's thought to be demeaning. But working with your hands to create something new is energizing and rewarding. It boosts self-esteem. Even better, it helps you see how something can be improved. Let's not forget that Ford and the Wright brothers were mechanics before they became innovators. They saw first hand how things worked so they could make them work better.

Historically, young people were encouraged to learn a trade. This not only taught them the value of hard work, it also gave them a sense of self-reliance and community. The farmer could not only plow the ground, he could also fix the plow and help his neighbors.

Today's schools must help teach our young people the value of manual labor and help us take advantage of the greatest place to be for innovation. A Japanese neighbor visiting a US factory told me once that he envied Americans because they did not accept cultural limitations in improving the way something is made. He said that you could never go against the grain like that in Japan.

The US just can't afford to squander this perfect climate for jobs and progress by not placing value in innovation or the act of working with one's hands.

This current financial mess brings with it a lot of challenges: energy, housing, crumbling infrastructure – to name just three. But the "can-do spirit" is still alive in America.

We just need to encourage it in our young people. We can begin by testing students for a mechanical aptitude. Those who show promise should be encouraged by a coalition of schools and industry to work on real-world projects. That step alone will help place the value back in making stuff and pave the way to return to innovation at a time when we need it most.

• Paul Sedan is an artist in North Carolina. His day job is in carpentry.

[ProfessorM]

I have been saying that exact thing for the last 15 years. I haven't met a single young person who is in my trade in a decade. I feel like a dinosaur. I have always luved to get my hands dirty. The sad part is my trade was a very high paying job 30 to 40 years ago. Now it is sad that my wife makes 3 times an hour what I do pushing a pencil, going to meetings and talking on her blackberry. It's caught up with us. A whole generation of a skilled, mechanically inclined, workforce has gone by the boards and it will take 20 years to train people to get their hands dirty again. You don't learn these skilled trades over nite and the people left doing it are dying, retiring, and getting older so their go your mentors and teachers. Very sad situation. Get used to made in China.

[Crafty Angler]

Young people feel themselves to be too clever to be forced to debase themselves with learning a skilled trade involving any sort of manual labor. After all, isn't that why we tacitly approve of illegal immigration - it provides business owners with cheap labor for 'menial' - which is code for physical - labor.

Hmmmmm...let's see, exploiting immigrants for substandard wages...I've heard something like that before...yup, that's it, from my grandparents and great-grandfather. Little changes, it seems.

I really hope Obama will require that young people be given the choice of either military service or public service for perhaps a 2 year period. It would do them, the less fortunate and the country as a whole a world of good, maybe even teach them some pride and self respect. And the country will respect them back, rather than resent their lack of ambition and sheer sloth.

And what if we were to concurrently give all the unemployed money market managers, bankers and others of that ilk the opportunity to find honest, and I repeat, honest work in a WPA type program to help repair our infrastructure that was allowed to fall into ruin. Maybe a day's worth of real labor would restore a little humility to the avaricious little pricks.

The age of money for nothing may be drawing to a close for good in the very near future. Starvation can be a fairly effective motivational tool - like their forebears it may soon be a matter of survival for them to actually work for a living. Too goddammed bad if they don't like it - neither, I imagine, did our immigrant ancestors.

Hope they're clever enough to figure out how to grip a shovel, swing a hammer or mix concrete by hand. If I could learn those skills along the way over the last 45 years I've worked, I'm sure they can too.

Hey, like the comedians say, don't get me started...

[Raven]

but they can text message .....real good

[eastendlu]

Originally Posted by ProfessorM

I have been saying that exact thing for the last 15 years. I haven't met a single young person who is in my trade in a decade. I feel like a dinosaur. I have always luved to get my hands dirty. The sad part is my trade was a very high paying job 30 to 40 years ago. Now it is sad that my wife makes 3 times an hour what I do pushing a pencil, going to meetings and talking on her blackberry. It's caught up with us. A whole generation of a skilled, mechanically inclined, workforce has gone by the boards and it will take 20 years to train people to get their hands dirty again. You don't learn these skilled trades over nite and the people left doing it are dying, retiring, and getting older so their go your mentors and teachers. Very sad situation. Get used to made in China.

Me too

[BigBo]

That is exactly what's wrong. The manufacturing jobs we've let go in this country are jobs that we can never get back.
Right now as we speak, I'm in jeopardy of losing my job next year because our parent company feels it's in our best interest to ship all of our equipment and manufacturing capabilities overseas. This company sent us e-mails before the presidential elections urging us to vote Democrat. Their fear was that there would be higher taxes imposed by the Republican Party on goods maunfactured by "US" companies outside of the US. In that e-mail they boast how 70% of their profits came from overseas manufacturing and they wanted to increase that percentage rate in the next few years. I'm supposed to believe that it's in my best interest to go along with a 30% US based work force reduction (of which I'll most likely be a part of) to make them more profitable.

[Striperknight]

USA = Tourist destination. thats about it.
oh yea we make weapons.

[Nebe]

I totally agree.. Im pretty sure most of you know what I do for a living and i am finding that lately people have lost much appreciation for the kind of work I make. Most would rather have an Ipod than a vase.

I made this on monday..Its a sample for a lamp base. Hopefully the lighting company who asked for the sample will approve it and they will order from me as opposed to an over seas factory. its tough to compete with a chinese factory that pays their employees $5 a day

[Crafty Angler]

Originally Posted by Nebe

I totally agree.. Im pretty sure most of you know what I do for a living and i am finding that lately people have lost much appreciation for the kind of work I make. Most would rather have an Ipod than a vase.

I made this on monday..Its a sample for a lamp base. Hopefully the lighting company who asked for the sample will approve it and they will order from me as opposed to an over seas factory. its tough to compete with a chinese factory that pays their employees $5 a day

Duuuuude...pretty amazing work as always, Nebe

Good luck on landing the new account

[justplugit]

Originally Posted by ProfessorM

I have been saying that exact thing for the last 15 years. I haven't met a single young person who is in my trade in a decade. I feel like a dinosaur. I have always luved to get my hands dirty. The sad part is my trade was a very high paying job 30 to 40 years ago. Now it is sad that my wife makes 3 times an hour what I do pushing a pencil, going to meetings and talking on her blackberry. It's caught up with us. A whole generation of a skilled, mechanically inclined, workforce has gone by the boards and it will take 20 years to train people to get their hands dirty again. You don't learn these skilled trades over nite and the people left doing it are dying, retiring, and getting older so their go your mentors and teachers. Very sad situation. Get used to made in China.

P., you have to expand your skills and start making metal teeth like Paul Revere did.

[striperman36]

I would love to setup a small shop with CNC equip and do piece work

[ProfessorM]

Me too I've been saying that for years. but very expensive to get into. The machines are expensive enough but the tooling will kill yeah. If I had the place for it, garage or shop area, I could stay busy just from work from my boss. We sub to 3 other real small shops as it is now. Easier to just stay working where I am now. Besides I don't want to work that hard. Go for it Bill I'll work Saturdays in the winter.

[BW from AZ]

Prof, I took the plunge in 83. Was best thing to do at the time as i was on call 27/7 helping to care fo my grand father. Would have lost a regular job doing so.
It's been good and bad. Most years its been better money wise. The hours SUCK. Your right, one machine leads to other needs $$$ tooling and suport machines. It's a fine line between "self employed and unemployed". If i wasnt so old i would go get a regular job and let some one else have all the head aches and worries.

[Nebe]

Originally Posted by BW from AZ

It's a fine line between "self employed and unemployed".

aint that the truth

[TheSpecialist]

This country has become an overeducated, underpaid workforce.

[ProfessorM]

Originally Posted by BW from AZ

Prof, I took the plunge in 83. If i wasnt so old i would go get a regular job and let some one else have all the head aches and worries.

Basicly been my thinking. See the stress in my boss all the time trying to keep 25 guys workin. I am and have been part time nights for 8 years. I am Mr. Mom. My wife is the bread winner. My boss allows me to work as many or as little hours as I want. He needs me plain and simple. Someone in the shop needs to do things with his hands. It works for both of us. I like him, most of the time, and he likes me. Besides if i owned my own headaches it would eat into my fishing which I get to do a lot now that the daughter is in 2nd grade. Just don't get to sleep much but being tired from fishing is a hell of a lot better than being tired from working. Good luck to you.

[Joe]

The auto industry represents the largest remaining manufacturing sector of our economy. Several million manufacturing jobs are tied to it.
Most Americans are against saving it.

Truth is, most manufacturing jobs don't provide a living wage or decent health benefits.

[RIJIMMY]

Originally Posted by Crafty Angler

Young people feel themselves to be too clever to be forced to debase themselves with learning a skilled trade involving any sort of manual labor.
And what if we were to concurrently give all the unemployed money market managers, bankers and others of that ilk the opportunity to find honest, and I repeat, honest work in a WPA type program to help repair our infrastructure that was allowed to fall into ruin. Maybe a day's worth of real labor would restore a little humility to the avaricious little pricks.

The age of money for nothing may be drawing to a close for good in the very near future. Starvation can be a fairly effective motivational tool - like their forebears it may soon be a matter of survival for them to actually work for a living. Too goddammed bad if they don't like it - neither, I imagine, did our immigrant ancestors.

what a load of crap. Young people eat what was fed to them. My father would have kicked the crap out of me if I told him I wanted to be a machinist, plumber , whatever. So I'm to blame? Math, science and other subjects are what are FORCED on kids in school.
First, I'm not young, but I am in the easy investment business.Money for nothing? Are you f'in kidding me? Thats an ignorant comment. My wife and I bust our asses. We work 9 hour days, bring our computers home and work almost every night until 11 after the kids go to bed. I have worked through some part of every vacation I have had for over 15 years. I spent all of last weekend at work and guess what crafty? I carry a blackberry with me daily. When I am taking a dump, I get paged and have to dro everytihng (literally!)I dont get paid one freaking DIME for all of this extra work. I am not the exception I am the norm in this industry.
Honest work? Do you have any clue how ALL of americans pensions, 401ks, are managed by people BUSTING there asses? Do you know how much time people spend away from their familes traveling to research companies, implement new plans etc? theres no overtime. The day my Dad passed away, I flew from Florida to San Antonio fo work, got in at 3am, got teh call on my Dad at 7 am, flew back to Florida and stayed up arll night on my computer catching up on work! there was no time to mourn, noone who could hop in on my "unskilled" job. Big money would have been lost if I screwed up. Millions of people get checks every week because there are people in the investment indusrty doing all they can so that people can retire. WE dont drink martinis and have 2hr lunches. Life is not what hollywood portrays. Seriously, think before you jump to conclusions. the fact that you have a world wide web is because lots and lots of young people busted their asses working 80hr weeks to bring you the internet and computers you have today. Show a little gratuitude

[ProfessorM]

You sound very unhappy with your chosen job. I know I would be with that type of job. Probably should have ignored your father and became a machinist or a plumber, tradesman. Much more satisfying doing things with your hands and we get paid overtime. The money is not up there with the pencil pushers but money is overrated. I grew up with the bear minimum so I am used to it. A roof over my head and food on the table is fine by me.

[RIJIMMY]

I'm satisfied, just dont like people thinking its easy. As technology has advanced, nothing has gotten easier, the expectations get higher.
Just heard a report today that since the 1970s, Americans leisure time has been reduced close to 40%.

[ProfessorM]

Take time for yourself. Life is too short. Pay yourself first. Work for a living don't live for work is my motto. Don't work so much looking towards retirement as when you will do things. Many have died before they even can.