American manufacturing

[SamSpade]

Trump has gone to great lengths to lure manufacturing back to the U.S. And for good reason.

But I’m still reading articles from lefties reciting the decades old mantra that the U.S. has advanced beyond being a manufacturing hub. I recall my boss in the 90s saying this frequently. That the progression of civilization is to go from agricultural base to manufacturing base- to services and information.

To which I said then - and now - complete and utter bullsht.

For one, it’s never gonna be the case that a nation can support itself exporting services. Secondly it’s a dangerous situation to have everything a whole nation needs to survive entirely dependent on other nations - some of them hostile. And others - just likely to use the opportunity.

But mainly - the world’s most robust, powerful manufacturing hubs are - China, Germany, Japan, South Korea - hardly nations that spring to mind when thinking of “pre-information age” nations.

The image Dems want to conjure is migrating from a nation of craftsman making stuff by hand or low tech machinery.

Idiots.

Does that describe Japan - or Germany? No. They excel not because they have an endless supply of low skilled labor. They have automated plants and robots.

And we’d be stupid to hand off the mantle of manufacturing supremacy to low tech nations just because some effete snob thinks it’s beneath us.

 

[Kyle]

… just because some effete snob thinks it’s beneath us.

It’s not just manufacturing that evokes that obnoxious behavior in leftist. It’s the same with anything that needs to be built. Cleaned. Repaired. Enhanced.

Anything that doesn’t require a bachelors degree in Transsexual Gender Studies, the Racist History Mathmatics or Art History and French Literature, or some other worthless field of study, they see as beneath them.

 

[SamSpade]

It’s not just manufacturing that evokes that obnoxious behavior in leftist. It’s the same with anything that needs to be built. Cleaned. Repaired. Enhanced.

Anything that doesn’t require a bachelors degree in Transsexual Gender Studies, the Racist History Mathmatics or Art History and French Literature, or some other worthless field of study they see as beneath them.

I suppose it helps me - somewhat - understand cultures where "manual labor" is considered so distasteful, to do any of it is repulsive.
To the point where certain persons in these cultures - CANNOT DO THEM.

My brother's wife is from Colombia. She has observed many times that one of the things she likes about American men is their willingness to do "women's work" - take care of the children, clean the house, cook or do the dishes. In her culture - at least, as she has said - such things are only to be done by women. Well what happens when there isn't a woman to do those things? You find one - or it goes without being don

To most Americans, that is idiotic but because we have a culture of strong SELF RELIANCE. You don't depend on others. You make sure that if need be, you can do it all yourself.

 

[Sneakers]

I suppose it helps me - somewhat - understand cultures where "manual labor" is considered so distasteful, to do any of it is repulsive.
To the point where certain persons in these cultures - CANNOT DO THEM.

Have you forgotten about the current generation of millennials here? Sounds pretty familiar.

 

[SamSpade]

Have you forgotten about the current generation of millennials here? Sounds pretty familiar.

I'm on the fence about criticizing them. We've taught our kids - even our son with cognitive disability - how to use the washer and dryer. And they're assigned days of the week, to DO them. We do not give allowances - while they all have assigned chores, we keep cash on hand so they can make money - and more money - if they WANT to - by doing any of a variety of jobs that arise. For example, we buy LOTS of five gallon bottles of water, and I pay them to bring them inside. They all know how to cook and we usually include them on big meals.

BUT - I don't do most of my own car repairs, even if I know how to do them - because if there's a chance I will destroy the car irreparably, I am going to pay someone to do it. Fix an interior door? Me. Fix the front door that if I mess it up, I have a door that is always open? Oh hell no.

And I am fast approaching the age where I will pay somoene to do most stuff, just because - I really can't get around so easily.

So I do know what some of that is like. In years past, I would have done my own drywall. Now I pay someone, because I suck at it.

 

[my-thyme]

.....
And I am fast approaching the age where I will pay someone to do most stuff, just because - I really can't get around so easily.

So I do know what some of that is like. In years past, I would have done my own drywall. Now I pay someone, because I suck at it.

And now that someone has an opportunity to make a decent wage.

A GOOD living if they are willing to hustle.

I am right there with you!

 

[SamSpade]

And now that someone has an opportunity to make a decent wage.

A GOOD living if they are willing to hustle.

I am right there with you!

Two times I've done that recently - hired a handyman (not a company) to do a repair.
First one - it was a young guy repairing a laser printer. He did great - and evidently had a good business going.
Second one - a lot more what I expect. An older guy who's either retired or nearing retirement.

 

[Sneakers]

I'm on the fence about criticizing them. We've taught our kids - even our son with cognitive disability - how to use the washer and dryer. And they're assigned days of the week, to DO them. We do not give allowances - while they all have assigned chores, we keep cash on hand so they can make money - and more money - if they WANT to - by doing any of a variety of jobs that arise. For example, we buy LOTS of five gallon bottles of water, and I pay them to bring them inside. They all know how to cook and we usually include them on big meals.

BUT - I don't do most of my own car repairs, even if I know how to do them - because if there's a chance I will destroy the car irreparably, I am going to pay someone to do it. Fix an interior door? Me. Fix the front door that if I mess it up, I have a door that is always open? Oh hell no.

And I am fast approaching the age where I will pay somoene to do most stuff, just because - I really can't get around so easily.

So I do know what some of that is like. In years past, I would have done my own drywall. Now I pay someone, because I suck at it.

And I'm the same. For my whole life I've always done things myself, partly because I could, and partly because I could not afford to pay someone. These days I take my vehicles to the shop for simple oil changes instead of doing it myself. I used to swap entire engines. My body is tired, and I can now afford to keep a local shop in business.
You are a good parent, taught your kids well. But there is still a whole generation out there that can do nothing for themselves. Wouldn't know how to load a dishwasher or do a load of laundry. Tons of vids out there about totally clueless kids struggling with the most basic of tasks. The "ask the man on the street" type interviews show just how the education system has failed. Yes, I realize that only the worst of the worst are shown, but even in my daily travels I fail to be impressed by a majority of young people, and it's uplifting when I hear how your family works, and @my-thyme 's kids are doing good things.

My days of self-repair are over. My only regret is that my brain trust will die with me.

 

[Kyle]

Well, I agree that education’s miserably failed in many respects, things like laundry, dishes, cooking, changing a tire, oil, changes, etc., are things their parents should’ve taught them.

There were many things I learned in my youth that weren’t taught to me, it was just a matter of taking the initiative to learn from books and others.

 

[Sneakers]

Well, I agree that education’s miserably failed in many respects, things like laundry, dishes, cooking, changing a tire, oil, changes, etc., are things their parents should’ve taught them.

Yes. I wasn't trying to imply it was the school's job to teach domestic life skills. Failing of the parents.

 

[LtownTaxpayer]

Yes. I wasn't trying to imply it was the school's job to teach domestic life skills. Failing of the parents.

Schools used to have home ec and shop at part of the curriculum. For the most part they were replaced (at least in St. Mary's County) with technology classes. And it has been a huge mistake.

 

[Kyle]

Schools used to have home ec and shop at part of the curriculum. For the most part they were replaced (at least in St. Mary's County) with technology classes. And it has been a huge mistake.

We had wood shop, metal shop, welding, electrical, Ag classes and I'm sure others that I forgot about.

 

[LtownTaxpayer]

We had wood shop, metal shop, welding, electrical, Ag classes and I'm sure others that I forgot about.

Home ec and shop were in the middle schools here in St. Mary's. Chopticon had Ag courses - the fields next to the Loveville DMV were some of their fields. Ag has moved to the Forrest Center which is where the others are offered and a lot more. But the Forrest Center courses take up multiple credits per year and multiple hours away from the home schools during the school day. Home ec and shop were also offered at the home schools as regular class periods. They didn't mean a disruption in the school day.

 

[Sneakers]

Schools used to have home ec and shop at part of the curriculum. For the most part they were replaced (at least in St. Mary's County) with technology classes. And it has been a huge mistake.

Yes, we did too in NY. Most of those classes were dropped by the time I graduated in'72.

 

[Hijinx]

I have always said that schools should teach how to do taxes, how to buy insurance---so many different kinds.
Kids come out of school knowing nothing about what adulthood means.

 

[Ramp Guy]

I have always said that schools should teach how to do taxes, how to buy insurance---so many different kinds.
Kids come out of school knowing nothing about what adulthood means.

... yep learned all I needed to know about taxes watching my dad -&%&*()^%#@$%^*) bull s**t!

lol

 

[Hijinx]

... yep learned all I needed to know about taxes watching my dad -&%&*()^%#@$%^*) bull s**t!

lol

Well you didn't learn it in a public school you can bet your ass on that.

 

[RoseRed]

I had cooking, sewing and woodshop classes in middle school. High school had mechanics, cooking and drivers ed classes. I'm sure there may have been more, I just didn't take them.

 

[vraiblonde]

My 6th grade teacher taught us how to balance a checkbook and a bunch of other things like that, field trips everywhere, and then there were the yule logs.....

We put together a business/financial plan, made yule logs, sold them door to door, then divvied up the profits. A bunch of 11 year olds. It's too bad not all teachers are like Mr. Fischer.

But back then it was a given that not all kids would go on to college, for whatever reason, so we got an education supplemented with a zillion electives so we could explore other avenues. It seems the required classes were a lot less so we had room to take things like Home Ec, and sewing, and shop, and a million different PE classes.

 

[Sneakers]

I remember back in 3rd grade, man that was so long ago now..., our teacher taught us the proper way to write a letter, date, heading, greeting, body, ending, signature..... and then how to make an envelope. We put the letter we wrote in the envelope we made, and actually mailed them.

Kindergarten... we had to show the teacher we could skip as we headed to the bus. Not skip out... Skip as in a walk/skip. They were watching for coordination and such. Today's teaches wouldn't give a damn if you fell on your face.