I began reading through the latest issue of Time Magazine today and found something people already know is happening, but a majority of corporate media isn’t forcefully telling the story.
American job outsourcing is killing America while helping other countries like Germany – our World War II foe – become economically stronger. Don’t believe me?
The family-owned firm (Stihl), based near Stuttgart in Germany’s south, could shift more production to its lower-wage factories in China and Brazil, but management is committed to manufacturing many of its most advanced products at home. In contrast to the American habit of outsourcing as much as possible, about half the parts in a German-made chainsaw — from the chain to the crankshaft — are produced in Stihl factories, and many of them are made in Germany. And instead of laying off staff during the Great Recession, as so many U.S. firms did, Stihl locked in highly trained talent by offering full-time workers an employment guarantee until 2015. Stihl even added specialists to its product-development team during the downturn. The result is high-quality products that command price tags big enough — professional Stihl chainsaws cost as much as $2,300 in Germany — to make manufacturing profitable even with the nation’s high wages. U.S. companies “don’t try hard enough to keep production inside the country,” says Stihl chairman Bertram Kandziora.
That’s right. Germany is keeping jobs at home and improving their GDP by importing products rather than jobs, the latter American companies do frequently. Let’s look at facts.
American export growth from 2000 to 2009 as a portion of the GDP only rose 1 percent. Get that? Germany’s, however, increased 22 percent. China followed with 15 percent.
Georgia-based lighting company Lithonia (an AcuityBrands company) exclaims “buy American” to customers, but has products made in Mexico.
Acuity Brands has domestically manufactured products that comply with Buy American requirements.
Not so. A lot of products are in fact produced in Mexico.
So, as Germany’s jobless rate moves downward because of employing people to produce at home while America sends jobs away and wonders why so many are unemployed at home, how long is it going to take for people to realize we need to stop the trend and invest back at home?
It’s really scary knowing we have elites who’ll ship jobs overseas for huge profits, run away from pride over profit and scratch heads over the fact so many are unemployed.
Psst… You sent their jobs to China and Mexico.
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Michael Moore outsources his production to Canada, in case you’re smart enough to care.
Well considering there wasn’t an American Company willing to produce a documentary of Truth, then it took taking it to Canada, the only North Americans that Like truth and Enjoy Freedoms. Well except when American F.e.d.s.(Fascistly Educated Drug Sleuths) go to Canada To Arrest them for Marijuana Hypocrisies.
Comparing apples to oranges I see. That’s OK. I don’t expect too many to get manufacturing since it’s being killed off each and every day.
What is interesting about this article is that yes the companies are keeping jobs in Germany but still the middle class is not sharing in the benefits of the export boom. Wages are stagnant and at least the one worker interviewed is afraid his job is going to China.
It is also worth noting how the government and the private sector worked together to keep Germans employed during the down turn. The author applauded this in the article. Sad that similar attempts with GM and Chrysler and smaller programs funded by the stimulas package have been widely criticized in the US.
one of the worst aspects of “outsourcing” US jobs, in particular to China, is that the so-called “national security expert” Neo-Conservatives (“neo-cons” for short) who infest the US government and “national security” think tanks, work hand in glove with their fellow “outsource US industry to China for OUR short term profits” Wall Street, AIPAC lobby, and Big Finance Neo-Con types.
There really is no difference between the big finance PROFITEERING from outsourcing Neo-Cons, and the “China is a growing threat” ‘national security neo-cons’; they are often the same people (eg, US Asst. Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, later appointed by Pres. Bush to World Bank President) pretending “expertise” in national security, even as they HARM America’s long term real economic security with sweet heart DESTROY US INDUSTRY with OUTSOURCING sweet-heart deals & rules for Wall St.
At some point in the future, the “National Security” Neo-Cons will declare China to be a “threat” if not “THE ENEMY” of America – and will tag as “TRAITORS” those who don’t go along with their ratcheting up war talk (or even bigger military budgets) even as they conveniently FORGET the period, today and past decade – where they QUIETLY SUPPORT outsourcing US jobs & industry to China.
pick & choose “concern,” having their cake (billions in profits buying & selling cheaper made in China products today) and eating it too
(pretending they are concerned with America’s long-term national security.)
The point of no return is soon approaching. Americans are quickly losing skill sets needed to run manufacturing operations as young people are not being trained to take over for the older generation that is retiring and dying. Machinists, tool-an-die and even manufacturing engineering are evaporating. Who will be left who knows how to run the machines that make shoes, furniture or automobile componenets? Yes, even some “American” cars may be assembled in the US, put their parts come from outsourced plants. The time will come when the United States will be totally dependent on China for its basic needs. An elite group of American enablers are making enormous profits for themselves and the Chinese at our expense.
The only way to stop it all is to propose HUGE Tariffs on all things Chinese, I will never buy a Made in China Product, and I will never buy or participate in the businesses that threaten to outsource more if they don’t get their way with Obama. example; George Buckley, chief executive and chairman of 3M-
“Politicians forget that business has choice. We’re not indentured servants and we will do business where it’s good and friendly. If it’s hostile, incrementally, things will slip away. We’ve got a real choice between manufacturing in Canada and Mexico – which tend to be pro-business – or America.”
Well I say then ,they may not sell their products to US the Largest Consumer Market in the World, without paying HUGE tariffs/taxes after they Outsource. NO matter where they keep their Head-Quarters. I know , sounds Isolationist, but Guess what, this whole Embrace the whole world with OUR money thing hasn’t worked out for US one bit, so screw the Chinese let them figure out their own economy without letting them Drain ours completely in the Process.
Quote thanks to(Source): http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/bd9b4100-429b-11e0-8b34-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1FHC1eDhe
These threats they make, Obama takes seriously, but i\f he would think about it, in Canada they will need to pay into the Single payer Health system they say makes a Country Communist…LOL.. so have fun, oh and Mexico, better hire some AMERICAN bodyguards to escort you anywhere you go cause you WILL be kidnapped and Beheaded CARTEL style, try telling US consumers we are more “HOSTILE” of an environment then that!!
it is clearly a Bluff, they are already in the works to send it all to China, not Mexico or Canada. I can only hope that all the CEO’s and Owners of these out-sourcers move to China with their companies, cause they will be Targets here when we collapse as a Nation. I know of many angry Americans that need to know where these guys live, oh ya…. thanks Google!!!
Good find. This is something I have thought for a long time. The businesses that ship jobs overseas in the u.s. could care less about the american worker, all they care about is money. They still find time to complain like their the victims while they get away without paying taxes and leaving the american worker unemployed. Its nice to read an “economy” story on your site, there is a lot to discuss.
With all the sqawking about the alleged power unions have, and the supposed freeloading of us unionized employees, I never hear a word of complaint about this outsourcing which is one of the major problems causing unemployment in this country. The defenders of Walker and his ilk are always saying the companies need tax breaks because they are the ones producing the jobs. In fact, I understand that during the 2010 elections, money was contributed by some of these same countries to mainly Republican campaigns. Yet, these folks talk about unions and government taking their “freedoms” away!!
I’m researching for a paper on the outsourcing of jobs from the USA.This is the first website I have seen where people are actually awake. Congratulations!I don’t understand how companies expect Americans to buy their Chinese products, when the country is unemployed.Where is the purchasing power going to come from?I might add also that I see now they are starting to kill unions, the last fighter for the working person.