Thursday July 29, 2010, 9:33 am
We stopped making things when the psychology of the "credit" economy kicked in, if America is to make it as a country with rights in tact, then we must focus our efforts at home. Use a large part of the military budget and rebuild this country, jobs training, infrastructure, sustainable energy, all look to a future not the past.

Thursday July 29, 2010, 1:11 pm
Thanks for the comment Kit

Saturday July 31, 2010, 1:09 pm
good article, thanks!

Saturday July 31, 2010, 1:58 pm
Buying your household stuff from a church rummage sale, a Salvation Army or Goodwill store, or even a garage sale does more for the American economy than buying the same stuff from a brand new store that ships it here from overseas. That "Oak" furniture from China aint oak, folks! It's endangered Southeast Asian mahogany, palmed off on us dumb gringos who think mahogany is dark red. It is assembled by poor peasants in hamlets and they are supposed to pay for the glue to put it together, but instead, they use rice paste, the dregs of their cooking pots. These joints often fail after a spell of damp weather and then Americans throw it away and buy new. In addition to buying American-made products, we have to stop this throwaway habit. Basic woodworking skills can fix the furniture, basic sewing skills can mend your wardrobe. Basic cooking skills can bring you a healthy diet. CHANGE YOUR HABITS, CHANGE THE WORLD!!

Saturday July 31, 2010, 4:16 pm
thanks

Saturday July 31, 2010, 5:06 pm
We all can help get America back to work by purchasing only American made products ----- also if the self proclaimed leaders in Washington would increase the tariff on merchandise from China and other countries then we all would have more American products to shop for .

BUY AMERICAN whenever possible .

Sunday August 1, 2010, 3:56 am
Thanks.

Tuesday August 3, 2010, 7:14 pm
Long ago, after the second world war, we were smug as one of the most powerful industrial countries. We didn't worry about who was number 2, until the quality of foriegn products started to overtake us. Labor unions had a lot to do with this. Look at the "old China" where everyone got the same pay wether one worked more than the other. This is not the China of today as they have entered the capitalist game. Now that our production quality has moved up in international recognition, labor pricing is forcing manufacturing out of the country. Not so much because of the labor unions, but our unwillingness to pay more for what is manufactured here.

Thursday August 5, 2010, 2:16 am
Australia makes very little of its own products - hasn't done so for years. A young country like Oz should be producing most of what it needs - and it could since it is very wealthy in minerals, agriculture, cattle, sheep etc.
Problem is and has always been - wages are too high - people get four weeks holiday per year with 17-1/2% holiday loading. When I worked in the Liquor Industry in the 70's - we were paid 50% loading(4 weeks holiday but paid for six). Consequently it is cheaper for us to buy in foreign goods instead of producing our own.