Is U. S. Manufacturing In Bad Shape?

[Adrienne Selko]

Editor's Note: A reader sent us some thoughts on U.S. manufacturing.

The manufacturing sector is in very bad condition. Having talked to a number of people who are planning to be at the upcoming IMTS they are expecting it to be a bust. There is just little or no U.S. expansion.

The truth being released about the Commerce Department numbers "adjustment" by the White House must be really pissing off Bush. Glad to see that Manufacturers News used the "freedom of information act" to get the truth released.

Isn't it funny what the White House doesn't want the general
public to know. It just confirms what we already know - business sucks.

Ah another day in paradise.....

[Abogle]

What all these free trade at all costers, open borderers, and globalists like our president either don't understand or don't want to admit is the huge impact that manufacturing has on economic health and national security of our country.

No other industry can produce financial growth, technological advancements and have more wide reaching benefits than manufacturing. Take a look at the rapidly growing economies of India and China - they are not doing it with just retail and food service alone - the big growth is from manufacturing. For each direct manufacturing job there are 3-4 indirect jobs that supply service and support manufacturing with raws materials, subassemblies and components, transportation, sales and marketing and many others. No other industry has had a greater impact on creating the middle class lifestyle than manufacturing.

I continually shake my head in disgust when I hear the politicians and the media all proclaim how great the economy is when the reality on the ground, at least in the manufacturing sector is telling quite the opposite story - the continuous drip drip drip of plants closing and going overseas or succumbing to cheaper foreign competition, downsizings, and layoffs. Many mfg companies simply are not investing in capital improvements, thus harming the tool, die and machine builders.

In my own analysis, I have seen our manufacturing base decimated and eroding, with little to come in and fill the shoes. Another telling indicator is the studies that show that adjusted for inflation wages for those under $70k, which are the bulk of the middle class mfg type jobs have declined 3%, while those wages over $125K are seeing 20-30% increases.

How can we maintain our status as the arsenal of democracy when we will no longer be able to produce that arsenal? How will we maintain our prosperity when we are all flipping hamburgers at McDonalds or sacking cheep chinese junk at Walmart? Or will we all become lawyers all running around suing each other?

Very few economists would argue that an economy must actually produce something to continue to grow.

[Abogle]

A comment on trade show attendence.

Many issues are conspiring to the obsolescence of the trade show.

We got out of the trade show business about 5 years ago because there simply was no noticeable return on the money spent. In years past at IMTS and Assy Tech we literally got hundreds of leads. In the last few years of show participation it was counted in the small dozens.

Recent shows I have walked were like ghost towns. The focus has also seemed to have shifted from potential customers shopping for new suppliers and new ideas to vendors and salesman trying to sell stuff to the exhibitors.

Higher travel costs, staffing cut backs, and new venues such as the internet have lowered the priority and viability of the show in many companies eyes.

I am sure a major factor is the decline of the US manufacturing base making fewer potential customers in the pool to draw leads from.

[M. Longviewer]

What all these free trade at all costers, open borderers, and globalists like our president either don't understand or don't want to admit is the huge impact that manufacturing has on economic health and national security of our country.

No other industry can produce financial growth, technological advancements and have more wide reaching benefits than manufacturing. Take a look at the rapidly growing economies of India and China - they are not doing it with just retail and food service alone - the big growth is from manufacturing. For each direct manufacturing job there are 3-4 indirect jobs that supply service and support manufacturing with raws materials, subassemblies and components, transportation, sales and marketing and many others. No other industry has had a greater impact on creating the middle class lifestyle than manufacturing.

I continually shake my head in disgust when I hear the politicians and the media all proclaim how great the economy is when the reality on the ground, at least in the manufacturing sector is telling quite the opposite story - the continuous drip drip drip of plants closing and going overseas or succumbing to cheaper foreign competition, downsizings, and layoffs. Many mfg companies simply are not investing in capital improvements, thus harming the tool, die and machine builders.

In my own analysis, I have seen our manufacturing base decimated and eroding, with little to come in and fill the shoes. Another telling indicator is the studies that show that adjusted for inflation wages for those under $70k, which are the bulk of the middle class mfg type jobs have declined 3%, while those wages over $125K are seeing 20-30% increases.

How can we maintain our status as the arsenal of democracy when we will no longer be able to produce that arsenal? How will we maintain our prosperity when we are all flipping hamburgers at McDonalds or sacking cheep chinese junk at Walmart? Or will we all become lawyers all running around suing each other?

Very few economists would argue that an economy must actually produce something to continue to grow.


There is more to a "Developed Economy" than its INDUSTRY. Way too many Americans have been caught in the trap of a schooling "SYSTEM" that was only designed for the Industrial revolution. The whole world is now reaping the results of Mahatma Gandi's effort. Have a look at David Pink's " A Whole New Mind". By the way, did you thaink there would NEVER be a consequence to the Peculiar Institution? Hello!

[M. Longviewer]

Editor's Note: A reader sent us some thoughts on U.S. manufacturing.

The manufacturing sector is in very bad condition. Having talked to a number of people who are planning to be at the upcoming IMTS they are expecting it to be a bust. There is just little or no U.S. expansion.

The truth being released about the Commerce Department numbers "adjustment" by the White House must be really pissing off Bush. Glad to see that Manufacturers News used the "freedom of information act" to get the truth released.

Isn't it funny what the White House doesn't want the general
public to know. It just confirms what we already know - business sucks.

Ah another day in paradise.....

What is the real message about the MORALTY of a nation's leadership when "freedom of information act" pressure must be used to get info that TAXPAYER MONEY was sued to collect?

[M. Longviewer]

What America's industrial age schooling system was able to hide from most Americans' consciousness is the successive long range and inevitable implications of these boys' imperialist tendancies. Remember the 10 Commandments? The thefts and murders under the theme 'Manifest Destiny'? The Dust Bowl. Well, the backlash from passive complicity in ignoring those 10 Commandments is a long way from over. We see the hundreds of thousands of Iragi civilians murdered, where are the Weapons of Mass Distruction? Most German Citizens turned a blind eye to Auswitch, " Could'nt be bothered with all that." You know, its a funny thing about "empires" based on theft and violence. They regularly collapse around the heads of the imperialists Children:) :cool: