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I don't think the parent meant otherwise. Or are you suggesting that Americans looking for unskilled factory work can just move to China and get a job? Aside fr

I don't think the parent meant otherwise. Or are you suggesting that Americans looking for unskilled factory work can just move to China and get a job? Aside from the cost and language barrier and family ties and other challenges of relocating, I think legal barriers alone (visa issues, work permits) would make that hard. It's already hard enough even for highly skilled professionals to get work permits in another country.

leereeves 7y ago
I just think it's important to properly identify the nature of the problem, so we can try to solve it. Many people assume that we don't have factories anymore because of automation, but worldwide, manufacturing employment is still enormous. An import economy is good in some ways, but it's bad for people who would like to have a factory job.
- jbay808 7y ago
  Ah... It was beyond my imagination that GGP would believe, or intend to imply, that there's any shortage factory work to be found in China. But since you find that you do meet people who actually believe that... Then all I can say is I'm just very amazed!
  - leereeves 7y ago
    It's Andrew Yang's whole platform: automation is putting us all out of work. But it's not true - China is putting Americans out of work, not automation. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/27/us/politics/andrew-yang-automation.html https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/27/us/politics/andrew-yang-a...
cmdshiftf4 7y ago
>are you suggesting that Americans looking for unskilled factory work can just move to China and get a job? Aside from the cost and language barrier and family ties and other challenges of relocating, I think legal barriers alone (visa issues, work permits) would make that hard. It's already hard enough even for highly skilled professionals to get work permits in another country. I'm saying this just to play devil's advocate here and propose something slightly contradictory - many people who were facing the same issues (no work, or poor work) in other countries jumped those same hurdles to find work they found meaningful and could provide for themselves and their families in the US and Europe. If there's an opportunity for a better life elsewhere now - sustainable work paying a sustainable living which can provide for life sustainably elsewhere - what puts American's above picking up and doing their best to go there?
- leereeves 7y ago
  > what puts American's above picking up and doing their best to go there I think many Americans would be willing to go, but I don't think China would allow that. They have a billion people already, the last thing they need or want is more labor.
imtringued 7y ago
I have thought about a welfare scheme that combines working abroad in a cheaper country + low basic income (tied to your work). The obvious problem is that you can't prevent welfare fraud in a foreign country without strong cooperation with the destination country.

leereeves 7y ago

I just think it's important to properly identify the nature of the problem, so we can try to solve it. Many people assume that we don't have factories anymore because of automation, but worldwide, manufacturing employment is still enormous. An import economy is good in some ways, but it's bad for people who would like to have a factory job.

jbay808 7y ago
Ah... It was beyond my imagination that GGP would believe, or intend to imply, that there's any shortage factory work to be found in China. But since you find that you do meet people who actually believe that... Then all I can say is I'm just very amazed!
- leereeves 7y ago
  It's Andrew Yang's whole platform: automation is putting us all out of work. But it's not true - China is putting Americans out of work, not automation. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/27/us/politics/andrew-yang-automation.html https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/27/us/politics/andrew-yang-a...

cmdshiftf4 7y ago

>are you suggesting that Americans looking for unskilled factory work can just move to China and get a job? Aside from the cost and language barrier and family ties and other challenges of relocating, I think legal barriers alone (visa issues, work permits) would make that hard. It's already hard enough even for highly skilled professionals to get work permits in another country. I'm saying this just to play devil's advocate here and propose something slightly contradictory - many people who were facing the same issues (no work, or poor work) in other countries jumped those same hurdles to find work they found meaningful and could provide for themselves and their families in the US and Europe. If there's an opportunity for a better life elsewhere now - sustainable work paying a sustainable living which can provide for life sustainably elsewhere - what puts American's above picking up and doing their best to go there?

leereeves 7y ago
> what puts American's above picking up and doing their best to go there I think many Americans would be willing to go, but I don't think China would allow that. They have a billion people already, the last thing they need or want is more labor.

imtringued 7y ago

I have thought about a welfare scheme that combines working abroad in a cheaper country + low basic income (tied to your work). The obvious problem is that you can't prevent welfare fraud in a foreign country without strong cooperation with the destination country.