The Cancer Killing the United States.

Greetings ATSers.. As the campaigns are starting up I see a lot of perspectives being brought up. Interesting. I voted for Obama and can't say I regret it. Whoever took over that office had a monumental if not impossible job. I never expected miracles.

I feel whoever takes over or stays in place, it doesn't really matter at this point. They're at the wheel but the ship has been dealt a mortal wound and is taking on water. Not even the best captain can save her.

The problem is two-fold. The first and most discussed is NAFTA. When a company has a choice between paying you $15 an hour or someone in a 3rd world country $5 a month, they're going to go. When NAFTA was enacted this country lost it's entire manufacturing base. Every bit of it. Sure some people go off to college but a lot don't so what's to happen to them? The ordinary everyday joes? Those jobs are gone and being somewhat replaced, but by far lower paying jobs. For every mill that shutters and closes, one new WalMart is having a grand opening..

Which leads me to a lesser talked about albeit very critical issue...

Technology.

In the 80s and 90s most kids were shipping off to college. The writing was on the wall as far as manufacturing jobs disappearing. So tons of kids shipped off to school and got fancy little diplomas that they thought guaranteed them a bright future. Now move forward 20 years and they are getting hit now too. Technology has moved at such a pace that much of the neccesary human involvement is disappearing. While its more efficient and cost saving, it ultimately is costing us jobs.

But the same people who scoffed at the working guy and reveled in their smug sense of superiority and job security suddenly have their job outsourced overseas. They are no longer needed either. When you hear BOF is laying off 4k people, I mean.. what is happening?

A publicly traded company is legal bound and exists for the sole purpose of making their investors the maximum return on investment. That means if they have to pack the whole thing up and move it over to China, so be it. I mean, look at your iPhone or pad or whatever... Just look at it and think they have more money than the US. And ask yourself why? Tax cuts and spending? Or the screwing of the American Citizen?

And yet we do nothing. We line up to buy the next iPhone and throw our dollars away. We stand in the line and complain about debt ceilings or drug tests for welfare. They give us the scraps they want us to chew on but the real problem goes undiscussed...

I agree that corporations are certainly a big cause of the downfall of America. However, I think it goes many layers deeper, in fact. I think that the moral compass of this once great country is in the dumpster. We were, primarily, a Scripture believing people when this country was formed. This has since been demonized, ripped apart, analyzed, and scrutinized, but it's a historical fact. References can be seen in many, many historical documents that used to be important in this country.

I think even corporations can be run responsibly, but until man stops sinning and returns to follow the guidance of a set of morals and standards, we'll be left awash in a sea of sin and self gratification. I believe that although this will probably not happen by our own accord, that outside forces will force change.

Americans need to wake up once again and realize our roles on this planet as leaders, thinkers, teachers, workers, inventors and followers of Christ and His set of standards.

Just a thought.

Not to flame here but I couldn't disagree more! This country was not founded on any sort of religion. The founding fathers weren't Atheists but they were smart enough to know not to mix the two. Thomas Jefferson went so far as to rewrite the new testament. He took out all the Jesus-miracle stories and called it "The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth"

That being said there is moral decay here too and it contributes but to me it seems more of a symptom and not the problem.

This is nothing but another thread of somebody complaining that a company is doing things to make money, which is kind of why they are in business.

It looks like you are trying to imply that corporations should be in the business of building up America at the cost of doing what they were created too.

The world is an ever changing place and nothing will stay the same.

Manufacturing went to China as a war tactic.

Why does China now have a obesity/diabetes epidemic?

We've destroyed their DNA....bought America's soil, air, and water some time to heal.

It was a war tactic. The people at the top know what their doing. The last step in their plan they've been putting off.....nobody wants to do it...but it must be done.

Boxer Rebellion Part II.

reply to post by Pervius


Quick arm the Big Macs we are going to war

The world is going to globalization very quickly and there will be changes to all ways of life, jobs moving from one place to another is going to happen until or if things equal out over there. The OP didn't give any solutions so it's kind of hard to debate on this subject since we all know what the problem is.

Originally posted by kro32
This is nothing but another thread of somebody complaining that a company is doing things to make money, which is kind of why they are in business.

It looks like you are trying to imply that corporations should be in the business of building up America at the cost of doing what they were created too.

The world is an ever changing place and nothing will stay the same.

In 2010 the S&P 500s index of CEOs were pain on average about 11.5 million a year. That was a 23% increase from the previous year. Through the recession the economy lost about 8 million jobs.

When taken into consideration that part of the CEO's pay package includes stock options, one must wonder what shearing the payrolls down to nothing do for their stock values... Apple anyone?

reply to post by spliff4020


So what? It's their company and if they want to pay Mickey Mouse 50 billion a year that is up to them. What gives you the right to say how they should run their company?

If people don't like it they can choose not to work there or buy their products. Simple as that. Don't like them shipping jobs overseas than don't buy their products.

I have no solutions, that's why I used the word cancer in the title. Its hard to hear a job report in the morning and not cringe. I mean a solution is America needs a manufacturing base. A solution is a balance. The american worker shouldnt be forced to competing with a 3rd world nation for jobs. I dont really know. And no one is addressing the technology concern. What will America do if unemployment hits 12 or 15%. I wish I had the answers.

reply to post by spliff4020


Fair enough. There really isn't anything that can be done to compete with that other than passing legislation either punishing the corporation or the consumer for that action. Both of those would create other problems themselves.

A big thing that could be done is what you hear from republicans which is corporate tax breaks. Give them incentives to stay in country but once again the people will cry foul at this so it's basically off the table.

Good post though so thanks for asking the question