tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13326001.post5612839312641483504..comments2024-03-02T03:29:09.759-05:00Comments on SerandEz and Friends: The Dissipating WealthEzziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12494592434522239195noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13326001.post-31423601264710512072009-05-25T01:13:17.029-04:002009-05-25T01:13:17.029-04:00Anon - Thank you.
It's certainly one of the major...Anon - Thank you.<br /><br />It's certainly one of the major issues.Ezziehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12494592434522239195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13326001.post-4529863997792443602009-05-25T01:00:17.399-04:002009-05-25T01:00:17.399-04:00May I just say that you sound like an extremely ni...May I just say that you sound like an extremely nice, thoughtful person. <br /><br />I would also like to point out that if Orthodox Jews in the NY metro area weren't so materialistic, they wouldn't be falling so hard right now. I think most Orthodox Jews these days worship money, not G-d.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13326001.post-26107746506895837202009-04-05T10:44:00.000-04:002009-04-05T10:44:00.000-04:00Mark, Harry - I agree the problem there is very mu...Mark, Harry - I agree the problem there is very much based on unions. When I said no reason, I meant no good one. :)<BR/><BR/><I>But per capita, we already produce far more than ANY country in the world!!!<BR/><BR/>If we improve the per capita number substantially, we might end up producing everything the entire world needs :-)</I><BR/><BR/>LOL, agreed on both counts; however, we still could be doing way better.<BR/><BR/>Akiva - Somewhat agreed, though as those countries grow and become wealthier, they'll have similar issues as people demand higher wages and similar regulations. The US needs to get back to understanding how to do things ourselves.Ezziehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12494592434522239195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13326001.post-28595551658457390462009-04-05T05:22:00.000-04:002009-04-05T05:22:00.000-04:00Having worked for a Fortune 50 as a top-mid manage...Having worked for a Fortune 50 as a top-mid management and spent years being forced (by senior mgmt) into more and more outsourcing, I say the US and Western economies as they've been for the past 25 years are done for.<BR/><BR/>We've spent intense effort to maximize profits while ignoring local impact. I've watched outsourcing moving higher and higher up the employee value chain, as WE TRAIN OUR FUTURE COMPETITION to do those service jobs you were talking about. The fact that we're destroying our local customer base by outsourcing and moving that industrial production overseas has been irrelevant.<BR/><BR/>I've had these discussions with senior management. They tell me they agree, but the demand of the day is lower cost, higher profit. If they don't deliver that they will be punished, and if they do rewarded.Akivahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13042484533217272945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13326001.post-42899351339651885532009-04-05T01:38:00.000-04:002009-04-05T01:38:00.000-04:00the unions are needed to protect the employees fro...the unions are needed to protect the employees from the companies which wouldn't mind having dangerous workplaces, or giving no benefits. the problem is that they have too much power in the hiring and firing of employees. also they have become a political tool to demonize certain political viewsharry-er than them allhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07957506180776134351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13326001.post-50365783716034002642009-04-05T00:41:00.000-04:002009-04-05T00:41:00.000-04:00I think she means that per capitaBut per capita, w...<I>I think she means that per capita</I><BR/><BR/>But per capita, we already produce far more than ANY country in the world!!!<BR/><BR/>If we improve the per capita number substantially, we might end up producing everything the entire world needs :-)<BR/><BR/>MarkAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13326001.post-79496273193065467222009-04-05T00:39:00.000-04:002009-04-05T00:39:00.000-04:00Ezzie - This is fine if they can produce it for le...<I>Ezzie - This is fine if they can produce it for less, but <B>there's no reason</B> a company in the US shouldn't be able to (say) figure out how to develop cars as well for as cheap as a Japanese company.</I><BR/><BR/>But there <B>is</B> a reason. The US car companies spend more than $1500 on each car to provide for their previous retirees. That alone makes a big difference.<BR/><BR/>Shavuah Tov.<BR/><BR/>MarkAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13326001.post-32726547922173678182009-04-03T17:58:00.000-04:002009-04-03T17:58:00.000-04:00Anon - I think she means that per capita and becau...Anon - I think she means that per capita and because of our efficiencies, we should be producing far more than we do - however, we instead decide to buy it from elsewhere. This is fine if they can produce it for less, but there's no reason a company in the US shouldn't be able to (say) figure out how to develop cars as well for as cheap as a Japanese company. (Though technically those companies were smart enough to shift production to the US to make that more difficult.)Ezziehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12494592434522239195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13326001.post-39937620300545003572009-04-03T17:56:00.000-04:002009-04-03T17:56:00.000-04:00Harry - Agreed as to becoming service economies, b...Harry - Agreed as to becoming service economies, but the US should still be producing more than it does. It's held back by different things, such as unions and the like, but often by sheer laziness.Ezziehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12494592434522239195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13326001.post-54035248183375462162009-04-03T17:15:00.000-04:002009-04-03T17:15:00.000-04:00ProfK - That general public is also not producing ...<I>ProfK - That general public is also not producing anywhere near at the levels they did when I was much younger.</I><BR/><BR/>What do you mean by this? We are producing/manufacturing at an almost record level, however we are doing it with fewer and fewer people (the definition of "increasing productivity").<BR/><BR/>Here is a link to chart I found -<BR/>http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_otfwl2zc6Qc/R9rmdbtDtmI/AAAAAAAAD9s/dPFlI68U9G0/s1600-h/ip.bmpAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13326001.post-1228289392642338602009-04-03T15:10:00.000-04:002009-04-03T15:10:00.000-04:00Very good and true points. But in the end the US a...Very good and true points. But in the end the US and other western countries have gradually become more and more service economies. <BR/><BR/>Your point about the high-cost of kosher products is especially critical, being that the Chinese who produce everything at a low price have helped keep inflation in check for years; but this is not true (mostly) for kosher products where the market is smaller.harry-er than them allhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07957506180776134351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13326001.post-46269658083497047062009-04-03T14:24:00.000-04:002009-04-03T14:24:00.000-04:00Anon - Thank you!ProfK - Agreed that the general p...Anon - Thank you!<BR/><BR/>ProfK - Agreed that the general public has much of the same issue. The irony is that we faced it first, approached it with a "let's use debt and our brains will make up the difference!" approach, and failed miserably when that didn't last forever. Now we have a government doing the same.<BR/><BR/>I just felt that was beyond the scope of my focus here.Ezziehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12494592434522239195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13326001.post-12833785155424993702009-04-03T14:18:00.000-04:002009-04-03T14:18:00.000-04:00One area you did not touch on and which explains w...One area you did not touch on and which explains why frum Jews of today's generation are not "producing" things that are going to the general public. That general public is also not producing anywhere near at the levels they did when I was much younger. The US imports so much of what is used from outside of the country. In my parent's generation and my generation there were lots of frum people who produced goods aimed at the outside world. Many owned large and small factories, particularly those that produced clothing and other "soft" goods. Many of them were sub-sontractors for "name" brands whose labels would be on the goods. Those types of goods are mostly not being produced here anymore. Three factory owners here in our community closed their businesses in the last ten years--no way they could compete with the cheap labor costs and thus the cheaper prices of the goods produced. <BR/><BR/>There's a problem in thinking that only white collar jobs can bring money into the community, money that arises outside of the frum community. Two members of the frum community here own full-service gas stations and garages. A few are master plumbers and electricians who don't limit their services to only the frum community. There are two building contractors who work borough-wide, not just the frum communities. Another owns a cleaning service that specializes in commercial property--almost no frum customers. It is not only white collar workers who bring money into the community.<BR/><BR/>But whether white collar or blue collar, you have to have people trained and educated to do those jobs, and there we are falling down on the job. Some are and too many aren't.ProfKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17954446826821665314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13326001.post-80201734279866812492009-04-03T13:23:00.000-04:002009-04-03T13:23:00.000-04:00These are the exact principles I have been talking...These are the exact principles I have been talking about for years. I have not seen it in print until now. This is a very important theory to the success of the Jewish community.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com