Question do you think the world economy will collapse?

With a lot of American blue collar jobs gone overseas to cheaper labor markets leaving more and more Americans jobless and now the trend is more and more white collar jobs going to a cheaper labor market overseas as well and the powers that be doing nothing to stop it, do you think that it will eventually lead to the world economy collapsing? We Americans have a high standard of living and we consume a lot of goods, goods that these companys makes, we could afford it because we make good pay for our work, now the work is gone to a cheaper labor market, so the cheaper labor market is not going to be able to afford these items that their making and now Americans are not going to be able to afford them because we are going to be left struggling to make ends meet working for less money? So in the end do you think that these companies moving to a cheaper labor market are just eventually going to go bankrupt? Also, do you think that if Americans joined forces and only bought American made products, would it help and lastly are there any only American made products left? It questions like these that makes me wish I had taken economics in college. TIA for your opinions and thoughts.

I'm just sitting back and waiting for the economy to collapse. I completely disagree with our credit based economy, and people living beyond their means simply for the consumerist mindset that has been drilled into the American psyche. You can't make up for small penises, low I.Q.s, or whatever with SUVs and bling bling.

As for a worldwide economic collapse, I believe it will be more of an economic equalization. Now that our country has the ability to outsource jobs to lesser paying countries, their economies will benefit as ours degrades. At some point things would have to even out, so I don't think our economy can really get stuck in a never ending downward spiral. Unless we basically destroy most of civilization through warfare and have to start over from scratch.

i agree somewhat with goose. I think that a credit based society like ours is not good. However, our economy is sef-fufilling, that is, if people are afraid of a recession, there will be a recession becuase those people stopped spending. Also if people bought only american made products, i think corporate america would notice really quick and stop with all the outsourcing #. I completly disagree with all this outsourcing companies today are doing. Proof that this type of thing is readily apparant already, just look at the oil crisis we're in. If the U.S. hadn't shut down all it's oil fields and refineries, we wouldn't be as reliant on the middle east for oil. The same thing is gonna happen with all these companies now. Maybe it won't happen tomorrow, but this will come back to bite us in the butt down the road.
Just think, in World War II, GM, Ford, and all the other big industries stopped producing commercial things and started making military goods. What with all the violence in the middle east and the possibility for this war to escalate into a very large war very quickly, where would we be if we had no factories to help make tanks, or rifles, or ammo, or airplanes and other military goods?

P.S. there are still some things that are made in the U.S. examples: Hondas, Toyotas, Mitsubishis, etc.

Make a retroactive tax, yeah retroactive that would make the cost of getting items to sell into the US comparable to the actual cost of having to produce it in the US. Although it would make some items in the US more expensive, it would also save jobs and bring jobs back to the US. Ok it's not the best answer to the current US job and market problem but at the same time I haven't seen anything that would attack the problem in a way that makes it a null decision for companies who are thinking of moving to a cheaper labor market and penalties companies who have already moved.

good point, JOHNSmith.

Also, what about some sort of tax on companies that maintain outlets to sell their product in the U.S, but move the production facilities out of the U.S. A "relocation tax" I guess.

Make it a hefty tax, or equivalent to a year or two of the wages and costs that were associated with the facility that is moved- then the government can take a cut, and also use some of the funds to help out the people who's jobs were displaced with the move.

Is there a website that lists american made products? I do know that on Lou Dobbs website via www.cnn.com... there is a list of companies that have moved out of the USA. Ita too bad that we can't get a grassroots thing started where we ask people for 1 or 2 weeks to buy only american made products to protest the loss of our jobs.

Apparently the last five years have had the world economy on edge....

Moreso than they would admit, until today!

www.abovetopsecret.com...

I'd totally get involved with a grassroots effort to get people to by American Made Products.

I'm gonna work on finding a list of companies- for the necessities that we buy weekly, not a whole lot of "fringe" stuff- that operate SOLELY out of the U.S.

and a seperate list of companies that moved OUT of the U.S, so we can boycott them.

U2U me if you're interested in the list, and i'll send them as soon as i get them done.

With the world running on fiat currencies (money that has no commodity backing like gold), you are destined for disaster. Money that has no real value, just government declared value, always winds up causing economic disaster. This time instead of it being relegated to a single country, it will be a world wide economic collapse.

Its not a matter of "if", but "when" will this happen. I suspect sooner rather than later given the events of Iraq.

[Edited on 22-4-2004 by heelstone]

Originally posted by heelstone
With the world running on fiat currencies (money that has no commodity backing like gold), you are destined for disaster. Money that has no real value, just government declared value, always winds up causing economic disaster.
[Edited on 22-4-2004 by heelstone]

I completely agree with that. The United States $100 bill, for example, is worth absolutely nothing in itself. If the value of the dollar goes to nothing, all our money would be good for is a nice fire to keep warm. Anyone without gold or silver stashed away somewhere would be broke, even if they had a big old wad of paper money in their pocket.

Originally posted by worshipthemoon
I'm just sitting back and waiting for the economy to collapse. I completely disagree with our credit based economy, and people living beyond their means simply for the consumerist mindset that has been drilled into the American psyche. You can't make up for small penises, low I.Q.s, or whatever with SUVs and bling bling.

I think when it DOES collapse it will be those people who just can't deal and take it the hardest. They've got to have their toys, their ATM cards, etc etc. I honestly don't think they'll be capable of "getting back to the garden" so to speak.

Those on the other hand, who shun the status symbols, and the consumerism and lead simpler lives will find it far easier to deal, I believe.

But this is all just a guess and getting off the point, so I apologize for that.

I agree with the ideas for boycotting and taxing those corporations that outsource to other countries and all that, but aren't you guys making it more difficult then it needs to be ?

It should be very simple. If they can't MAKE it here, they can't SELL it here. By Law. FORCE them to come back here and hire Americans to make American goods.

I can't believe they are even allowed to do this.

Then again..yes I can