Purported Five Myths About the Death of U.S. Manufacturing

[Jon Katz]

I came across a Washington Post editorial recently that downplayed the role manufacturers have in determining their own destiny.

Instead, writer Gilbert Kaplan contends that the real culprits are tax breaks provided by other nations to their manufacturers for their exported goods, trade talks that focus more on the agricultural and service sectors, and U.S. manufacturers being overburdened by health-care costs.

He even says good, lean management can't overcome the current inequities.

I'm not sure Kaplan is saying anything groundbreaking, here. He actually turns common perceptions about the state of manufacturing -- i.e. China undervalues its currency and doesn't have to comply with stringent environmental and safety laws like the U.S. -- into hidden facts that everyone should know about.

Even so, it's worth checking out.

To read the entire editorial click here.