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It wasn't automation that destroyed US manufacturing

• Houshalter 12y ago
  Manufacturing only became the major source of employment after all the farm laborers had become unemployed due to automation. As another comment mentioned, just banning wheat harvesters alone would create thousands of jobs. If creating jobs was our only goal.
  • SixSigma 12y ago
    Farm labourers became unemployed as a result of govt. policy to undermine farm worker political power. More labour intensive farming would be a good thing. At the moment the US uses 10cals of energy to produce 1cal of food. Pre "get big or get out" it was 1 in 2 out. Back to manufacturing, it is free trade that has gutted US manufacturing capability. Just look at the trade deficit, the rest of the world benefits greatly, capitalists get great returns on their free movement of money. The US loses taxes, jobs, and wealth and is eroding its long term economy while the short term policy makers make hay.
    • Houshalter 12y ago
      >Farm labourers became unemployed as a result of govt. policy to undermine farm worker political power. No, in the last 2 centuries we have simple automated the vast majority of farm labor. >More labour intensive farming would be a good thing. At the moment the US uses 10cals of energy to produce 1cal of food. Pre "get big or get out" it was 1 in 2 out. This is an entirely meaningless metric. >Back to manufacturing, it is free trade that has gutted US manufacturing capability. Yes but my point was that banning automation would be more effective at creating jobs than banning trade. They are economically equivalent. A port is essentially a machine that produces stuff with less (local) labor.