GOP worries grow on job losses

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.msnbc.com/news/940725.asp?0na=x230G751-

Concerned about the loss of factory jobs and with an eye on next year’s election, some congressional Republicans are pushing protectionist and pro-manufacturing measures — which may provide cover for incumbents running for re-election. Republicans have offered a range of measures, from beefing up “buy American” provisions in defense contracting to tax breaks for manufacturing firms.

EVEN AS THE House approved free trade accords with Chile and Singapore Thursday, there was an undercurrent of deep worry about the hemorrhage of American manufacturing jobs.

“We’re getting killed. Cored out to the bone,” said Rep. Don Manzullo, D- Ill., who represents a northern Illinois district with a heavy concentration of machine tool and tool-and-die plants, in an interview with MSNBC.com Thursday. “There’s 11.3 percent unemployment in Rockford,” the largest city in his district.

Manzullo added that House Speaker Dennis Hastert’s district, just south of Manzullo’s in Illinois, is “getting hit as unmercifully as mine is. So this is big-time stuff.”

[SharonAnn]

1. Why? I thought they intended it, it results from their policies.

You mean they didn't know that job losses would be the consequence of their policies? Are they that stupid?

[pw]

5. They knew their policies would cost jobs

But not so many and not in their districts. And expressions of concern like this are great for public consumption. Keeps the unemployed constituents from throwing the bums out.

[havocmom]

2. Unemployed people have more time to track down real news

and that could cause them some problems. :evilgrin:

[headlouse]

14. Unemployed people have more time to play

And to most people the word "play" is not synonymous with tracking down real news.

[madrchsod]

3. yup ..

lots of people are getting upset about the job loss to the overseas workers....i was at the unemployment office today-lots of complaining...certain countys in northern il jumped a full %point last month. the only thing that`s holding the rate down is summer jobs.they`d better be dammed worried!!!! ya denny where`s my manufactering job? you ain`t done shit for your district but to hand out some money and get hit -really it missed him- with a water ballon...

[sadiesmom]

4. They better start looking at the professional unemployed.

Too many jobs leaving this country or importing cheap professional labor.

[izzie]

7. Did they pass that bill on floor or house to day?

Free trade and the country sends in workers. Am I stuped or what? We add to our trade debt and let in workers to do any jobs we have left to people who will work for less and maybe us the social systems to get started. What is wrong with these Rep? Who is going to be left to buy anything any one makes. The world can not run on one half a million rich people.Are the Rep trying to bring this country to its knees?

[headlouse]

16. The rich will be left and they can buy a lot.

The Wealthy in America have a long history of profiting off of cheap labor -- labor that often couldn't afford to buy anything:

1700s-1800s: slavery and indentured servitude
1800s-1900s: near-slavery conditions using children and immigrant labor
1900s-now: stagnent minimum wage, temps, immigrants, cheap foriegn labor

The high standard of living granted to America's wealthy and middleclass is achieved by cheap labor. Without it, middleclass consumerism would be impossible. The current situation is increasing the supply of labor; thus making US labor really cheap again. Their next reverse robin hood trick is probably to bring back indentured servitude for people with high creditcard debts.

[ichiro99]

17. A long history ofprofiting off cheap labor ...

Seen in the oligarchs' love affair with their prison-industrial complex, that cheerless lot's answer to demise of the plantations. Other bastions for enlightened planners who never saw a low wage they didn't gloat at, 'long as it's someone else's: military adventure, uncompensated overtime, volunteerism scams, regressive taxes. As you say, plenty of sweet deals for the cash-strong.

http://www.perth.igs.net/~elphinseer/quotations.html
"Masked Racism: Reflections on the Prison Industrial Complex" Angela Y. Davis, ColorLines Fall '98/ As prisons proliferate in U.S. society, private capital has become enmeshed in the punishment industry. And precisely because of their profit potential, prisons are becoming increasingly important to the U.S. economy. If the notion of punishment as a source of potentially stupendous profits is disturbing by itself, then the strategic dependence on racist structures and ideologies to render mass punishment palatable and profitable is even more troubling.

[headlouse]

15. Yep... You hear that great sucking sound from the IT dept.?

It's the sound of all their jobs going to India. The "web design/other network stuff" company I work for is currently outsourcing some of the programming jobs we get to India. This is of course after several layoffs which whittled our IT dept down to a whopping two people. It's all so reminiscent of my Grandfathers stories about when the steel mills closed.

[w4rma]

6. In addition to manufacturing, QUIT outsourcing and issuing visas for IT

Globalization takes toll on techies
http://www.msnbc.com/news/943596.asp

The IT Market: Cyclical Downturn or New World Order?
http://ask.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=03/07/15/188251&tid=

[onyourleft]

8. We also need to stop outsourcing medical records.

This practice has been going on as long as the outsourcing of IT. :(

[leesa]

9. Sounds like they are setting this up to blame someone else

Even though it is always their policy to lose jobs. Gee, guess we'll have to enlist all those poor unemployed suckers in the military.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

10. May Bush and the Repugs

should think again before signing these trade agreements. Bush IS TO BLAME for all of these job losses!!!

[Nottingham]

11. Don't Worry! Be Happy! This is what Repugs want! Now Lose!

the Freakin Election! :bounce: And the economy is doing GREAT!
Didn't ya hear the statistics. Thats Bull! Reality is a person bankrupt and out of a job isn't gonna vote Republican

[sam sarrha]

12. their 'Buy American' program will be, 'Say no to China"

untill after the election

[brokensymmetry]

13. The sound of opportunity.

Want back the White House? And both houses of Congress? Would you like a more progressive Supreme Court?

It's all there. The economy is, as has been mentioned in other posts to this thread, significantly sicker than the numbers reveal. If we can deliver the message that we're here to help working Americans (yes, IT and professional workers too!) - and, more importantly, deliver on those promises - we can have the whole ballgame.

Stop the outsourcing. Stop the H1-B, L1, and J1 visa programs. It is time to protect American jobs!