[fintstone]

Originally Posted by BE911SC

More like the demands of American business, now globalized more and more every day, with compliant enabling by government.

Men, specifically American men, cost too much. Before globalization opened up large low-cost labor pools around the world and technology had shortened distances and reduced the number of people needed to perform work, American men had it pretty good. Especially after WWII when we had bombed our industrial competition into the stone age. Today's American worker has been, or is quickly being priced-out of the job market. There are many sound business reasons why Apple builds their products in China, not the least of which is a vast pool of very compliant low-cost labor.

Any task that can be performed cheaper by someone else or even performed by a robot (robot technology is exploding as we speak) is at risk. Capitalists seek the lowest cost in every aspect of their business. (Except in the corporate boardroom. Cost is not discussed where they themselves are concerned.)

We had a good run here in America, especially in that golden window between 1945 and about 1970. The rest of the world caught up (and rebuilt) and offered us their cheap labor and "emerging markets."

The Asian Century is here, specifically the Chinese Century. They recently passed us as the #1 economic power and will rule the economic system for decades to come.

How can they "cost too much"? They cost exactly the value they bring to the employer (unless you are talking bout government mandates like the ACA or minimum wage). Very many are choosing not to work at all over a job they don't like or doesn't pay as much as they think they are worth. It seems that they only cost too much because their lives/lifestyles are funded in other ways (usually someone else's money/social welfare). If they would accept the jobs that are available, (which we have to import people to fill...legally or not) they would have jobs.