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the job losses that have led to the election of Trump have very little to do with automation, and much more to do with international corporations shipping manuf

the job losses that have led to the election of Trump have very little to do with automation, and much more to do with international corporations shipping manufacturing jobs to countries with lower costs like China. Coupled with China's ongoing one-sided trade warfare against the West (see for example China's tariffs on British steel), this has resulted in higher profits for manufacturing corporations at the cost of American and British jobs. This is partly why I don't understand the left's animosity towards Trump's economic plan - he intends to bring jobs back to the US by hobbling corporations that have been exploiting poorer countries for profit. If you doubt that Chinese manufacturing is exploitative, harken back to the reports on suicides and worker abuse at Apple's Foxconn plants.

joeyespo 10y ago
> This is partly why I don't understand the left's animosity towards Trump's economic plan - he intends to bring jobs back to the US by hobbling corporations that have been exploiting poorer countries for profit Because it won't work. Tell a company to pay higher wages for the same positions by bringing them home, and that'll push them toward automation even faster. These jobs may return for a short while. But that only brings false hope. And then we're right back to where we are today, hurting even more people in the process. It's extremely short-sighted. Here's just one article on the matter https://www.technologyreview.com/s/602869/manufacturing-jobs-arent-coming-back/ https://www.technologyreview.com/s/602869/manufacturing-jobs... Also note that Foxconn has already begun automating their plants. http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-36376966 http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-36376966 So it's already a demonstratably viable option for these companies. What we really need is to bring _automation_ home and have some serious discussions around solutions for these real struggling people instead of spouting the hand-wavy "bringing jobs back to the US" rhetoric.
- flukus 10y ago
  > Because it won't work. Tell a company to pay higher wages for the same positions by bringing them home, and that'll push them toward automation even faster. We're nowhere close to 100% automation. To create a successful return of manufacturing jobs doesn't mean replacing every single job that went overseas.
  - joeyespo 10y ago
    > We're nowhere close to 100% automation It doesn't have to be 100% for it to affect people depending on this industry. > doesn't mean replacing every single job that went overseas Sure. But again, assuming there will be enough manufacturing jobs that do return, this is still a _short-term_ solution. You're fooling yourself, and a lot of hard-working people, if you believe these jobs will stick around another 10 years. Let me take a step back for a moment. If doing this eases the daily struggle for real people nation-wide, that's convincing. But let's not then sweep the real discussions around automation under the rug. Let's address this now before the jobs inevitably dissolve again.
- flukus 10y ago
  > Because it won't work. Tell a company to pay higher wages for the same positions by bringing them home, and that'll push them toward automation even faster. We're nowhere close to 100% automation. To create a successful return of manufacturing jobs doesn't mean replacing every single job that went overseas.

joeyespo 10y ago

> This is partly why I don't understand the left's animosity towards Trump's economic plan - he intends to bring jobs back to the US by hobbling corporations that have been exploiting poorer countries for profit Because it won't work. Tell a company to pay higher wages for the same positions by bringing them home, and that'll push them toward automation even faster. These jobs may return for a short while. But that only brings false hope. And then we're right back to where we are today, hurting even more people in the process. It's extremely short-sighted. Here's just one article on the matter https://www.technologyreview.com/s/602869/manufacturing-jobs-arent-coming-back/ https://www.technologyreview.com/s/602869/manufacturing-jobs... Also note that Foxconn has already begun automating their plants. http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-36376966 http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-36376966 So it's already a demonstratably viable option for these companies. What we really need is to bring _automation_ home and have some serious discussions around solutions for these real struggling people instead of spouting the hand-wavy "bringing jobs back to the US" rhetoric.

flukus 10y ago
> Because it won't work. Tell a company to pay higher wages for the same positions by bringing them home, and that'll push them toward automation even faster. We're nowhere close to 100% automation. To create a successful return of manufacturing jobs doesn't mean replacing every single job that went overseas.
- joeyespo 10y ago
  > We're nowhere close to 100% automation It doesn't have to be 100% for it to affect people depending on this industry. > doesn't mean replacing every single job that went overseas Sure. But again, assuming there will be enough manufacturing jobs that do return, this is still a _short-term_ solution. You're fooling yourself, and a lot of hard-working people, if you believe these jobs will stick around another 10 years. Let me take a step back for a moment. If doing this eases the daily struggle for real people nation-wide, that's convincing. But let's not then sweep the real discussions around automation under the rug. Let's address this now before the jobs inevitably dissolve again.
flukus 10y ago
> Because it won't work. Tell a company to pay higher wages for the same positions by bringing them home, and that'll push them toward automation even faster. We're nowhere close to 100% automation. To create a successful return of manufacturing jobs doesn't mean replacing every single job that went overseas.