Immediate Gratification "The World is Tilted"

I am still in the middle of the chapter titled "America After Reagan".

China has a substantially lower cost of labor than the US and other developed countries. If the yuan were pegged to the dollar, it would be skewed maybe six or eight times less, but still major labor "efficiencies" would tilt the industrial production to China, as this lower labor cost transcends all levels of business and management for industrial production. American companies, in haste to maximize shareholder value, and management's resultant bonus income, have exported all of our industrial capital overseas, where, quite possibly, it might be held hostage one day. We were in such a hurry to "realize" savings by producing overseas that we have cut our middle class off at the knees. Only the American industries that our highly automated can survive in a highly competitive global economy.

I also took the political leanings test. I took it realizing that my views were now affected by the first section of the book that I had read. I was amazed how far from the right my views had shifted, as, I too, found myself slightly left, near centrist. My views have changed drastically towards free trade and international competition, as we have already let all the air out of our sails, and we will be left to drift, a target of mockery for all the world to hound for its derisive amusement. Or, we can pull our heads out of the sand and take charge of our economic future.

Original post consolidated into one blog

Thursday, November 08, 2007, 2:12:26 PM Cliff
I thought that I was a liberal Republican, until I read the Intro and the first 22 pages of this book, the Hollowing of America. Wow, I may not be a full-on left wing democrat, but there is no way I can classify myself as a Republican in light of the political implications exposed in the first of chapters of this book. America is exporting its industrial capital, intellectual capital, and financial capital. We are exporting our competitive advantage. We are rotting from the inside out, and we will continue to unless we drastic measures to reverse course.

Initial post. Intro 1/2/3

The author says basically what I have been thinking for a very long time. That America on its present course is doomed to serious economic collapse. He also states that there should at least be a debate on this subect before we proceed with the direction we are taking. Unfortunaely, this debate is not taking place... For instance this book which was written barely 2 years ago is currently out of print and one MUST buy it through used book warehouses.

He does however, grant his opposition some breathing room by saying the current system will work temporarily but to the benefit of the economic elite and not the average american.

Apendix 1:
He gives you a political questionaire to see where you lie in your political leanings. I took my lense (see below) and answered the questions. My answers gave me a score of being leftist/centrist but have slight leanings towards the right. These were all in the areas of gun control, crime, war on drugs and the military.


That being said my idealogy is by far the furthest left wing of all of my classmates. However, I am a realist and thus can see the proper choices that need to be taken with the current systems to achieve the greatest economic gain for America. Thus though I am extremely socialist in my personal views, I can looks through the lense of capitalism and see appropiate proper course.

Consequently, I feel it proper to explain the lense through which I will examine this book.

1: Good for 'America' means the the good for the MOST Americans not the economy as a whole.
2: Socialism and controlled economies are not the answer to this problem.
3: The current state of the economy can change.
4: Laws setup the means for businesses to work in thier environs, thus for any change to happen in our economy, the laws have to change.

As time goes on these posts will be written better as I find the template that I will use.