NYT: How U.S. Lost Out on iPhone Work

[AdHocSolver]

12. A couple of decades ago, that high-tech manufacturing was concentrated in the US.

Then the multinational corporations shipped that high-tech know-how to low wage countries.

I worked for some of the companies that did that.

The main reason for concentrating high-tech manufacturing in one area is to maintain monopolistic control over technology so as to prevent competition from "upstarts".

With computers, the internet, and automation, most products can be manufactured in many places. In fact, distributed manufacturing is far superior economically since one need not incur shipping costs of raw materials and finished products. Local production also is better for the environment since it "distributes", and thus reduces, the negative effects of pollution.

Even more importantly, distributed manufacturing provides jobs for people, and prevents monopolistic control of the world's economies.