Some would argue that all of our blue collar jobs going over to China is a bad thing. Others claim that this leaves the US in a new position to refine itself as a white collar nation that focuses on the “high end” stuff. Like designing rather than building.
Right now China and the US need each other. China provides the US cheap goods. The US provides China a market. But is this sustainable? Can any country be simply a designer and not a builder and yet still retain it’s size and status as a super power?
We hear about China building stealth fighter jets after having bought secret documents pertaining to our B2 stealth bomber. China is also looking to buy our automobile brands. Some say that in 20 years or so we’ll “see the USA in our (Chinese made) Chevrolet”.
These things don’t scare me like they do some people. I’m just curious what the outcome of all of this will be 50 years from now.
Do we as Americans need to step up to the plate and take back our manufacturing? Can we still? Or have we all outgrew it? Are we above it now?
What is China and the US going to do when robots are as capable as humans for manufacturing? Are we going to discover that it’s suddenly cheaper to build things in the US again with robots versus shipping it overseas from China?
A whole lot of manufacturing is already done by robots. Cars, for instance. And it isn’t keeping things on the American shores.
to accept manufacturing back in the USA – we’d have to be able to accept the pain of higher prices don’t know too many people who would want that.
@NikBv – Yes. What I’m referring to here is really humanoid robotics a full range of movement even in delicate things. Beyond that a higher level of intelligence to sort things and troubleshoot better.
@roxics – Ah. Anyway, manufacturing isn’t everything. Just 90% of it. And the terrorists are proving that 10% can still be pretty effective at dealing with manufacture-heavy international forces.
If robots do it cheaper than the Chinese, then that still doesn’t bring American jobs back because they have been replaced by machines anyways. Besides, the robots will probably be made in China.
After taking a few economics courses, I can see how outsourcing allows U.S. companies to expand and offer more jobs. This documentary explains a few aspects of it. Although creative destruction isn’t entirely painless.