October 24, 2012

Buying American -- Does It Matter?

This blog post argues yes -- that it's not just a slogan your grandfather throws around. To help create demand-lead growth (as opposed to supply-side, trickle-down, voodoo economics), you can take small steps to buy local, buy union, & buy American. And your efforts will add up!


Wear Jeans? Why "Made in America" Matters to You

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“Buy American.” “Made in America.” In today’s interconnected world, those ideas might seem more like leftovers from the Cold War – not important maxims for America’s future. After all, young Americans are drinking Colombian coffee in the morning, skyping with friends in the UK at lunch, buying a made-in-China iPhone in the afternoon, and drinking Italian wine in the evening. The idea of “Buying American,” or economic patriotism, might seem quaint, if not outright ridiculous.

Fact is, making things in America isn’t an obsolete idea. It’s how we built this country into the largest economy the world has ever seen. And it’s imperative for America’s future.

In 2011, the US had a trade deficit of nearly $560 billion, fully $295 billion of which was a deficit in goods trade with China. These deficits are not just about dollars; they represent our ability as a nation to make the things we consume and the products and technology we need to defend ourselves. The iPhone may represent itself as proudly “designed in the USA,” but for how long? Eventually, the designers and engineers want to be close to the production lines—it’s simply more efficient. And if none of those production lines are in the US, the good design and engineering jobs soon won’t be either. And for those of us concerned about job creation, giving up on manufacturing is simply silly—there’s not a one-to-one relationship between designers and those who physically make the product anyway.

When we rely on other countries to make the products we want—from food to clothing to computers, our own capabilities and technical, innovative, and productive capacity decline. The US did not become the wealthiest country in the world by accident. It happened because of deliberate policy choices, hard work, and ambition. We can ensure there are good jobs, with decent pay and benefits, for Americans of all levels of education and ability, but we need that hard work and ambition—the right policy choices—and to avoid accepting that the current state of affairs is the best we can do.

More at link: http://www.wearvenley.com/blogs/youthmonuments/6772026-wear-jeans-why-made-in-america-matters-to-you

September 30, 2012

I am a job creator: A manifesto for the entitled

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/i-am-a-job-creator-a-manifesto-for-the-entitled/2012/09/28/756f2e90-07ee-11e2-858a-5311df86ab04_print.html

Best thing you'll read in a week. Things you thought and said yourself, read elsewhere, and a bunch you know are true but never thought of before -- all in one place and completely convincing!!! Please share this widely!

I am a job creator: A manifesto for the entitled
By Steven Pearlstein, Published: September 29

I am a corporate chief executive.

I am a business owner.

I am a private-equity fund manager.

I am the misunderstood superhero of American capitalism, single-handedly creating wealth and prosperity despite all the obstacles put in my way by employees, government and the media.

I am a job creator and I am entitled.

I am entitled to complain about the economy even when my stock price, my portfolio and my profits are at record levels.

I am entitled to a healthy and well-educated workforce, a modern and efficient transportation system and protection for my person and property, just as I am entitled to demonize the government workers who provide them.

I am entitled to complain bitterly about taxes that are always too high, even when they are at record lows.

***more at link***

June 25, 2012

Artur Davis: Voter ID Laws Don't Disenfranchise Anybody

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In case you missed this earlier this week, which was probably easy to do unless you subscribe to the Heritage Foundation's Youtube Channel (ick) or caught it on CSPAN radio like I did, Artur Davis gave a nauseating interview to the Heritage Foundation explaining why he is now a Republican. It included all the usual stuff about how Democrats are out of touch with mainstream America, the healthcare bill sucked, Obama broke his promises, etc.

What really galled me of all the horrible things he said, however, was when he talked about how all the new Voter ID laws don't disenfranchise anybody. Unfortunately, as you can tell if you watch this clip, this is an edited interview. They played a longer version on CSPAN radio which was even worse than this. His reasoning included that he himself "needed an ID to get into a recent TV interview," that "we all need them to get on an airplane," and that he "could not go to work in Washington without showing an ID." The final one is a blatant lie. He used to work at the US Capitol, which everyone can get into without showing an ID. Why? Because we have a constitutional right to petition the government. They can't screen us out by requiring that we have an ID on us, and they don't (massive security, magnetometers, and X-ray machines, yes, but ID no).

Likewise, we don't have a constitutional right to get on a plane or into a TV station, but we do have a constitutional right to vote, so those are not even comparable (as a former member of the Judiciary Committee and Harvard Law Graduate should know). These comparisons to "we all show our ID every day" kill me. Yes, if you live a certain lifestyle, you may show your ID many times a day. But if you are 85, let your driver's license expire 10 years ago, do not travel out of the country or by plane, or write checks, you may not have any government issued photo ID. I.e., these people assume "all Americans" are middle class, so they cannot comprehend someone who isn't. It's bullshit.

I was just appalled and wanted to throw up at how much he has abandoned the people he used to represent.