[silverc4s]

I spent my early working years (20's & 30's) in a high tech manufacturing environment. Surrounded by some very bright, one might even say mechanical & electronic geniuses (genii?) that worked every day with their hands, and were amply rewarded for their skills and talents. This was circa 1960 to 1980 or so.
In that time, I saw US companies go from very domestic in focus, to more international, then from manufacturing/ product focus, to marketing/service focus in most things. Saw the manufacturing core of the USA hollowed out, as nobody fought to keep those jobs here, they just moved on to "other things". I am guilty of this myself, so I understand how it can happen.
Transition from Engineering, to Marketing, to Sales, to Sales Management, to Management, etc. away you go.
I look around now, and the main manufacturing companies in the US are Japan or European based, in Automotive, Chemical, Healthcare products, etc.
Skilled labor is no longer valued, desk jobs are the norm, and it will be very hard to go backwards from here.
I hope this makes sense, I am kind of rambling, but this is an area of great concern to me these days.