Making It In America

There was a fascinating article in Monday's New York Times about manufacturing in America. Troubling was the news that we are almost dead last among so-called developed nations in manufacturing. Last is France. This is not good news.

If we want to develop an economy that does not experience the ravishes of boom and busts, we simply must wean our reliance off of cheap products from overseas. And we must develop those manufacturing jobs which create and sustain a middle class.

An added component in this discussion about the economy has got to be health care and whether we want to continue, as a society, to rely upon employers to provide it as a benefit, whether it is taxed as income, and how to address the reality that very few people stay in the same job their whole lives.

We have succumbed to the flame-throwers who say by advocating "made in America" we are shutting the door to free-trade. I believe we are taking control of our money, just like families who are weaning themselves off of credit card debt. China, who has tons of cash, keeps taunting us as the world's largest market. But what, really, do we have to market to them? What do we build here that they need? We have got to at least equalize the trade deficit so jobs, good jobs, are created here at home and we're not supporting some repressive toy factory in China.

Our failure to figure this out may result in a further deepening of the depression, despite the current glimmers of hope.