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Recursion

(56,582 posts)

44. There's nothing magical about manufacturing.

Thu Feb 13, 2014, 10:12 PM

Feb 2014

Worst of all, jobs in the US today are more often service jobs than they were before NAFTA.

So? Is there something magical about manufacturing? Do the "good economic activity pixies" sprinkle magic dust on that contribution to the GDP and not the rest?

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Bill Clinton and Republicans promised NAFTA would create jobs.. [View all] livingwagenow Feb 2014 OP

I tend to agree with a couple of exceptions Armstead Feb 2014 #1

Many jobs created in Clinton years Cicada Feb 2014 #2

ultimately he delivered them to China Armstead Feb 2014 #4

What would you have recommended as a China policy at the time? An embargo? pampango Feb 2014 #14

Protectionism. Armstead Feb 2014 #17

So a modified "US only" embargo? Should we put tariffs on Cuba when the embargo is removed? pampango Feb 2014 #19

"high tariffs serve as a barrier to trade" brentspeak Feb 2014 #48

a pat on the back? reddread Feb 2014 #38

According to the bureau of Labor Statistics, Clinton holds the record for jobs created Agnosticsherbet Feb 2014 #5

Clinton was incredibly lucky Spider Jerusalem Feb 2014 #6

The dot.com boom which as could be expected inevitably went bust. JDPriestly Feb 2014 #11

Every President will face a handful of fortuitous or disastrous events Agnosticsherbet Feb 2014 #31

Record jobs were created. Wages rose. -- He was just lucky. Democratic presidents just can't win. ;) pampango Feb 2014 #15

+1 JoePhilly Feb 2014 #51

Really? Alkene Feb 2014 #57

Barack Obama and the Republicans are promising the same thing with TPP. pa28 Feb 2014 #3

It did create jobs, and raise wages Recursion Feb 2014 #7

How much of the manufacturing consists of simply assembling parts JDPriestly Feb 2014 #10

It's a simple question, "did employment and wages go up or down after NAFTA"? Recursion Feb 2014 #21

Realy? JDPriestly Feb 2014 #33

OFFS Recursion Feb 2014 #41

You and your silliy facts. JoePhilly Feb 2014 #52

At the cost of wages. joshcryer Feb 2014 #12

Then why did wages go *up* after NAFTA was passed? Recursion Feb 2014 #22

Because most entry level manufacturing jobs were outsourced, leaving older, more skilled workers Romulox Feb 2014 #29

Yup. And the entry-level people found higher paying jobs outside of manufacturing Recursion Feb 2014 #42

At much reduced rates of pay. You seem to forget that the past leads us to this point. Romulox Feb 2014 #71

So Bush and Republicans are at fault and not Democrat? treestar Feb 2014 #67

Those charts don't speak to the 1,000,000 manufacturing jobs lost since NAFTA, MFN China. Romulox Feb 2014 #28

What are you talking about? Recursion Feb 2014 #43

You aren't an honest debater. Manufacturing employment is down by almost 1,000,000. Romulox Feb 2014 #72

"Today the US manufactures more than at any point in our history" LOL L0oniX Feb 2014 #50

How about "Global warming is real. Tell that to the people of Detroit today." pampango Feb 2014 #54

I wouldn't use the phraze "Global warming". It's global climate change. L0oniX Feb 2014 #55

It did not create jobs markme88 Feb 2014 #63

I didn't say "it created manufacturing jobs" Recursion Feb 2014 #65

Ok Let's look at the two charts markme88 Feb 2014 #66

Your chart shows a huge decline in manufacturing jobs over the period Recursion Feb 2014 #68

No markme88 Feb 2014 #69

Ah, so you're posting right wing propaganda on DU Oilwellian Feb 2014 #73

That never passed the smell test and they dropped that claim like a hot potato, switching their meme Populist_Prole Feb 2014 #8

K&R. I agree 100%. JDPriestly Feb 2014 #9

The real power of NAFTA: it lowered wages for 20 years before it was enacted. And manufacturing jobs pampango Feb 2014 #13

Inflation adjusted household income in 1995 -- $50,978 JDPriestly Feb 2014 #34

Great link. Shows that AHI increased more in the 7 years after NAFTA than in the 20 years before it. pampango Feb 2014 #36

But the economy was too weakened by the boom that it went bust. JDPriestly Feb 2014 #37

Why do you think there is a time limit on the benefits? The "bust" was due to pampango Feb 2014 #39

There's nothing magical about manufacturing. Recursion Feb 2014 #44

Congrats on Dumb Post of the Day brentspeak Feb 2014 #46

Poorly paid manufacturing workers in right-to-work states are not going to support our economy pampango Feb 2014 #56

Of course, large-scale manufacturing isn't coming back to the US brentspeak Feb 2014 #59

And only fools believed them. nt LWolf Feb 2014 #16

It seems Ross Perot had it right about that "giant sucking sound". idendoit Feb 2014 #18

As is typical, Perot was a republican politician who used existing trends to fear-monger. pampango Feb 2014 #20

LOL. So--he was right (no way of arguing against *that*!).... Romulox Feb 2014 #24

He could read a chart. And he knew how to scare people. Typical republican. pampango Feb 2014 #26

He was correct, and Al Gore/Bill Clinton/CATO institute/Heritage/Pampango were wrong. Romulox Feb 2014 #27

You saying he was correct does not make him correct. pampango Feb 2014 #35

Nearly a million jobs lost, pampango. Reality...remember? Romulox Feb 2014 #30

Details, details n/t brentspeak Feb 2014 #47

Why institute policies that made the problem worse? Armstead Feb 2014 #32

Don't forget Al Gore's shameful roll in pushing this crap. Romulox Feb 2014 #23

Did they mention WHERE? WinkyDink Feb 2014 #25

K&R! This post should have hundreds of recommendations! Enthusiast Feb 2014 #40

Detroit Detroit Detroit Detroit Detroit Detroit Detroit Detroit Detroit Detroit Detroit Detroit L0oniX Feb 2014 #45

Thank you. Enthusiast Feb 2014 #49

Hey now! NAFTA created jobs. Le Taz Hot Feb 2014 #53

Record numbers of American jobs were created under Clinton and he is scorned for NAFTA. pampango Feb 2014 #58

Well, then, if you like NAFTA Le Taz Hot Feb 2014 #60

In terms of annual percentage increase, the best job-creation presidencies were: El_Johns Feb 2014 #62

. Egalitarian Thug Feb 2014 #61

Looks to me like the problem was the tax incentives, not NAFTA. jazzimov Feb 2014 #64

I love a post that blames "Bill Clinton and Republicans"... gulliver Feb 2014 #70