If we want manufacturing jobs back, that means hiking import tariffs, which invokes that dirty word: "protectionism."
It also means punishing American companies that offshore, giving them tax penalties or whatever.
I would say that is one very narrow way of doing it. Taxation is not the only thing a government can do but no one seems to want to take the blinders off. One thing is that government agencies should start working with businesses instead of against them. They have imposed so many restrictions on US business that they cannot compete. There would not be the need for tariffs if not for this. Tariffs are not the answer.
People need to accept that the world is a somewhat dangerous place. We can not be protected from everything, and we should not be throwing money around in the futile pursuit of making the country "childproof".
Industries can do better if they are not regulated so closely. The egg industry, in particular. It is unfair that a few hundred citizens getting sick from salmonella have lead to losses to this company and the industry from bad PR and egg recalls.
Bad meat, contaminated lettuce.... we are a people strong enough to deal with these things without imposing regulations over a few "broken eggs".
Faulty brakes or exploding oil wells- get over it. Too much attention and money has already been spent on these issues. With less regulation, it is clear that these things would not have happened.
In the same vein, deaths from terrorist activity is a fact of life in many parts of the world. Americans should toughen up. We'd have more money to use stateside (and keep in the pockets of our taxpayers) if we would give up these fool's errands policing in other lands and beef up our own security measures on our own soil. Terrorism will always be out there. Stop throwing all this money at preventing the unpreventable. Toughen up!
........ to be clear, I do not believe what I wrote above, and I went on too long to make a point. Al these things we all seem to want cost money.
The truth is, much of our older infrastructure is in very sad shape. Too many times things that should be replaced are only being patched. It is only a question of whether we want to make preventative efforts now, or wait until more bridges collapse and more water and sewer systems deteriorate.
Workers in other parts of the world seem to be willing to work longer hours for less money. Whether American companies choose to relocate their factories in other countries or make changes to keep their industries here, I do not see how the
situation can not lead to anything other than Americans getting used to a lower standard of living with fewer toys.
I actually AM serious here. How do we compete in a world where workers in other lands are willing (and are content?) to work harder for less? Seriously? How?
What, specifically, do industries need more from the government such that the government would be working WITH them? Removing which regulations will not lead somewhere to some individuals being less safe or healthy?
I should have expected as much. I forgot, the only way we can compete with China is to strip away all regulation and worker protections.
YEARS!! of Republican mismanagement and its hands-off approach to business regulation.
