Overhaulin'

"The US should only sell cars, shoes, computers, etc.... produced in the US.?

That way we won't have to rely on other countries for our needs and more US citizens will have jobs". Write at least 1/2 page document either agreeing or disagreeing with this statement. Make sure to provide facts and evidence to back up your opinion.

Public Comments

1. The US doesn't have the ability to produce everything that consumers in the country need. There would be shortages of many items and surplus of many other. Think how little choice of food there would be if ypu could only eat US produced food. Remenber the US also relies on other countries buying exported goods produced in the US.
2. I fully agree - but at what cost? Labour costs in China are less than 1 US Dollar an Hour while the minimum US Labour cost - for unskilled work - is at US$ 7,25 per hour in Alaska going to $8.95 in Washington State. Cars have steel for major input, shoes have leather & dyes, Computers have metals, plastics, electronic circuits and Design work - all inputs having human work to be paid in the US at x7 to x 9 compared to China. All of this due to the distorted foreign exchange rates. I live in India (another cost effective labour country) which is forced by the IMF, Word Bank and the G8 countries to keep our currency at Rs 45 to a US $ - or just above 2 Cents to a Rupee. In reality, it should be Rs 10 to a Dollar - for example a good cup of coffee here costs Rs 12 or around 1.2 Dollars as per the realistic exchange rate - but costs only 24 cents as per the official rate. Now where in the world can you get a cup of the best coffee for 24 cents? That pushes our prices "artificially" down and everyone rushes to buy from India or China leaving the US workers unemployed.. Let the developing countries be realistic - or they have to face the harsh reality of unemployment and end of manufacturing in their own countries.