And it's all being made for the wealthy management of Apple and Wall Street funds. On the backs of $1.00 day workers in plants in China.
Well, first of all, all the electronics companies (and many other types of companeis) do this, too. So I guess you're suggesting that Apple do something to pay much more or in some other way increase their cost of production well over their competitors.
Second, unless the workers are involuntarily enslaved, this must be something good for them. Most people don't voluntarily do jobs that are hurting them. So perhaps we're putting US standards on the typical state of employment or work in China, and perhaps the Apple jobs are actually an improvement. If you want to apply our standards to another country, then I'd apply European standards to our country. In Europe they can't easily be fired, they have six weeks vacation/year mandated, and they don't go bankrupt due to health care costs. Compared to that, the US is a slave labor state, too.
Companies buy the rules. Corporations control the government, not the other way around. This is an oligocracy.
Yes we are an oligarchy, yes corporations buy some rules. However Unions buy a lot of the rules as well. Some of the largest donors and powerful lobbyist are associated with labor Unions. Corrupt Congress & President feed off their wealthy donors leaving the middle class workers to pay the price. I can think of a very recent case of the UAW backing a trade agreement that has already sent at least $3 billion in auto manufacturing off shore.
Well if the goal of Apple were to 'benefit humanity' (that's pretty funny), they would pay well above slave wages to foreign workers and not satisfy the greed of their management and their stock holders. But they don't.
So obviously they are just a capitalist enterprise humming along to make money (nothing wrong with that, btw) and not global humanitarians after all.
Which is why smart workers form unions because they are looking at this thing we call "reality".
Non union workers *might* have built those old muscle cars, but they didn't, The UAW did. Non union workers did build the Trabant however.
If you want to see the future home of your $500 iPad, go to a thrift store, in the back.
Point is, there is no "morality" inherent in an economic system except that morality which is hammered out by the people who demand it.
You can make really good money working for Google as a career. You can also be fired in about 15 minutes and left staring blankly into space in the parking lot, with a security card helping you carrying out the items that once resided on your desk.
>Well if the goal of Apple were to 'benefit humanity' (that's pretty funny), they would pay well above slave wages to foreign workers and not satisfy the greed of their management and their stock holders.
The self-image of some Apple types is that they are saving the world and caring folks. The permeation of the Apple is the be all, end all is shown in this cartoon:
Doesn't even need assembly line workers at $.50 hr to put on wheels!
Point is, there is no "morality" inherent in an economic system except that morality which is hammered out by the people who demand it.
So where is the morality within the UAW? How are the greedy workers and leaders any different than the heads of Apple or Exxon? You think the UAW workers would share the wealth with the guy or gal working at the mom and pop grocery for MW? In reality the Union workers run up the cost of everything hurting those less fortunate. Where was the outcry from the greedy UAW workers when their brethren at Delphi got shafted in the Bailout????
I'm sure there are businesses that care about their workers but the larger the company, the more you have to look out for #1 at all times and at all costs.
One could argue that unions sometimes "kill the golden goose", but that works both ways--the worker can also be regarded as the golden goose---and gee, with all those other geese looking for work in a recession, why not work you to death?
I'd love to see some credible economic analysis linking UAW costs to overall living costs for everyone. I think that relationship is pretty tenuous. Regarding who is different, the UAW is routinely blamed and finger-pointed, while we are still supposed to worship our beloved executive class who have done so much.
For every dollar of overall economic damage created by the UAW and friends, I have no doubt a million dollars of damage have been done by corporations who are people too.
"Compared to that, the US is a slave labor state, too. "
That might be a little strong, but the idea is very true. Compared to real first world competitors, American workers are certainly not the best compensated nor have the best benefits. First world Europeans snicker at what Americans put up with. But I guess that can't be expected with a huge socio-economic gap, trickle down nonsense economics, gigantic exec vs actual worker pay ratios, and an insanely expensive and unsustainable Praetorian class/foreign policy cabal.
Still, a comical gap between USA-Europe vs USA-China.
Oligocracy, oligarchy with the pretense of democracy.
Sure unions buy some things, but via examining the socio-economic evolution of the nation over the past 35 or so years, as well as corporate capital hoarding, it is obvious who is making the rules. Class warfare, it is real, and obvious who declared war on who, and who won.
Seems a lot of folks who complain about current corruption were pretty quiet maybe 8 years ago.
Worker pay is directly related to availability of workers. Henry Ford would not have kicked up wages to $5 per day if not for the fact that he could not keep trained workers. Now we have a free for all of available workers pushed by the populace. So the Populace will have to accept the result which is a lower standard of living. I sure did not want wide open borders. Anyone that does has to share in the responsibility of lower wages across the lower spectrum of the food chain. Raising wages for one group of workers tied to a Union does not help the rest get better wages. It just hurts competition. I am not in favor of a workers paradise. Too much freedom is taken from the individual.
Pushed by the populace? Only if corporations are people too. Who do you think buys the policies? H1B style nonsense and unenforced immigration policies aren't really pushed by people, even if some bleeding hearts wave a flag. They aren't the ones who put it into action.
I think a lot of people believe they have more freedom than exists in reality.
Seems a lot of folks who complain about current corruption were pretty quiet maybe 8 years ago.
We have had corruption in politics since the founding of the country. It was just more under cover before the Internet and open communications. So it is all Al Gore's fault for inventing the Internet. We could have just stayed fat dumb and Happy, Happy, Happy.
Oh, the fat and dumb part has remained in many places
There's certainly no less corruption with the current band of bozos...but I don't see any more, either. Generally, the same forces are in control. They might find a new scapegoat, but they won't touch their own (excessive public sector expenses).
H-1b immigrants are small potatoes and legal. I am talking about the millions of illegals that are all over the USA working for cash and collecting welfare on the children born here. I don't see the corps as much to blame for the influx of illegals as the bleeding hearts.
I do agree our freedoms have been trampled at an alarming rate since 9/11. Still better than Canada, Germany or the UK.
The main reason Henry Ford had trouble retaining workers is because of how he treated them. He's a major cause of the UAW! His theory of the $5 wage was pretty insightful though. He realized that to expand sales he needed a growing middle class. Something our high paid executives seem to ignore.
Yes, that's why I addressed immigration issues. Those problems are allowed so some can reap the rewards of cheap labor. It's not about a few bleeding hearts who get a warm feeling by allowing everyone in. Corps allow it to happen. If we could have mandatory prison sentences and confiscation of assets for those who patronize illegal labor, maybe things would change - but that won't happen. Gotta be "business friendly" and other such nonsense, in hopes that things will trickle down - still waiting on that. And H1B does indeed depress compensation standards too, and is "legal" because a law was bought.
I haven't met any Germans or Canuckistanians who dream of the modern American way. UK is an Orwellian surveillance society with things to be expected - but the US isn't far behind in that regard, due yet again to the actions of our brave and honorable military-industrial (intelligence agencies are counted in this) sector, an industry with many who fail to admit they are public sector just like the others.
Ford was the last of the major automakers to unionize. Henry Ford had his own private army led by a thug name Harry Bennett to keep his workers in line. He was an anti-Semite and even accepted a citation from Hitler.
I haven't met any Germans or Canuckistanians who dream of the modern American way.
My Canadian born cousins are thrilled to be US citizens living in Branson MO. They are thankful for our HC system vs Canada's.
There is a German family fighting to stay in the USA vs being sent back to Germany where they are not free to home school their own children. What kind of sick society does Germany have? If that is not close to being in a Soviet style government, not sure what is.
Yes, Canada has a third world medical system with people suffering, going bankrupt, and dying earlier than their American cousins. Oh wait.
I'd trust a German public school more than any American homeschool group. And in that evil socialist mess, they do have more freedom, well apparently, more socio-economic freedom anyway.
"......When a new factory is needed in China it is built in a matter of weeks. Here you would not have a permit for at least a year in most states. By the time all the red tape was done the need would be passed. Not to mention finding 250k people all ready to work 12 hour shifts 6 days a week for MW. "
Gary, you find all this to be a "GOOD" thing?? My friend works for Titleist. Not surprisingly, (thanks NIKE) they are moving manufaturing to China. Guess what?? That factory you are bragging about that goes up in weeks, well thanks to the substandard concrete, the machinery went right through the floor..... WEEKS wasted rebuilding it.
As far as regulations and permitting and red tape, you can build in Texas like China. Oh, but that's right, thanks to THOSE Texas shitbums, there is a CRATER the size of Connecticut and what 15 DEAD firefighter in West, Texas. I hope that gets brought up in EVERY state that the ASSHAT Perry visits.
There are worse things than going bankrupt because of medical bills. Not getting the care needed in a short period of time is a biggy. You can have Canadian HC.
You have obviously not been around near as many homeschooled children as I have. No way public school in Germany is good enough to stop parents that want to teach their own children. That should be a basic freedom. What happens when you get a Hitler deciding what children will learn. Oh, yeah that is EXACTLY what happened with that very repressive law in effect. Maybe Germany is not as repressive as CA. It is far more repressive than I would tolerate.
Gee for anything life threatening you get right in and treated ASAP, it is only for things that are not serious that there is a wait? Are there problems, yes, but don't for a minute think there aren't problems with the US system too.
There are worse things than going bankrupt because of medical bills. Not getting the care needed in a short period of time is a biggy. You can have Canadian HC.
Somehow there is spending at one third to half the level of the US in Canada and Europe, yet they have longer life expectancies than we do. I wonder how our high costs are affecting the UAW self-managed health plans?
but how about dental? Now those people run their own country club completely. All the standard dental insurance really does is get butts in chairs and possibly throws in a covered teeth cleaning. Anything more serious than that and you're up potty creek without a decent aluminum or wooden paddle.
That is one other good thing about working for Boeing...the dental insurance. I had so many crowns put in, though, that my dentist's financial lady had to make "special rules" between the Boeing Company, the dentists and the dental insurance. So she tells me.
"Really?" I asked increduously about 20 years ago while sitting in the dentist's chair. "Oh, yes, it's true", she replied. Now, just so you get me right here, I wasn't not taking care of my teeth or anything on purpose just so I could get covered dental work. I just needed the work done.
Now it's meted out much more carefully and painstakingly.
Gary, you find all this to be a "GOOD" thing?? My friend works for Titleist. Not surprisingly, (thanks NIKE) they are moving manufaturing to China. Guess what?? That factory you are bragging about that goes up in weeks, well thanks to the substandard concrete, the machinery went right through the floor..... WEEKS wasted rebuilding it.
I don't recall saying it was good, bad or indifferent. It is reality and I don't think we as a country are up to the competition. We don't allow that sort of slavery. We prefer enslaving people into a welfare system that makes them dependent on the government.
As far as red tape think about it. Apple changes models every few months. That requires manufacturers that can keep up. When did we as a country ever build small consumer electronic products? No one is stopping you or anyone else from building a factory and bidding against Foxconn to make iPhones. I don't think we are capable of competing in CE industry.
In reporting its latest quarterly earnings today, Apple announced record fourth-quarter sales of iPhones -- 33.8 million, up 26 percent from 26.9 million in the same quarter last year -- along with virtually flat iPad sales of 14.1 million this quarter, up from 14 million last year. During the same period, arch-rival Samsung, which just reported its earnings last Thursday, sold 86 million smartphones, though Samsung's lineup has far more models than Apple's, including entry-level versions that don't compete directly with the iPhone. Samsung is facing its own challenges at the top of its range, and sold just 16 million of its flagship Galaxy S4 during the period, according to estimates. Apple continued to lead the tablet market, selling 14.1 million iPads in the quarter, compared to Samsung's 10.5 million -- though Samsung's tablet sales doubled from last year.
I don't recall saying it was good, bad or indifferent. It is reality and I don't think we as a country are up to the competition. We don't allow that sort of slavery. We prefer enslaving people into a welfare system that makes them dependent on the government.
IMHO those who complain about overseas competition are wishing for something that was never possible. They want protected industries like the auto industry, lots of high paying UAW jobs. Yet they also want cheap gas which of course means importing it from unfriendly regions of the world. We also want our electronic components, cheap TVs and cell phones among other nice electronics.
People want goods to be able to come into this country which suit them, but protect local industries or products when it doesn't suit them. Only what other country in the rest of the world is going to play by those rules? You're going to give something to get something.
Eastern Europe was a good example of isolationism and look how well that worked. Those Trabants were really cool cars. If we had isolated the US from the rest of the world, then we'd be driving 1980's era D3 cars that wouldn't have changed much due to no competition, while the rest of the world would be driving what we drive today. And gas would be >$5/gallon.
Somehow there is spending at one third to half the level of the US in Canada and Europe, yet they have longer life expectancies than we do.
Has little to do with HC and a lot to do with our eating habits, lifestyle and stress levels. Most people would take better care of themselves if they knew they were going to live as long as they do.
IMHO those who complain about overseas competition are wishing for something that was never possible. They want protected industries like the auto industry, lots of high paying UAW jobs. Yet they also want cheap gas which of course means importing it from unfriendly regions of the world. We also want our electronic components, cheap TVs and cell phones among other nice electronics.
Can you imagine what an iPhone would cost if a UAW person built it???? Of course that does not take into account Apple buys most of the expensive components from other companies like Samsung. Samsung is Korean, Obama just signed a free trade agreement with Korea, supported by the UAW. So again the UAW does not care about anyone but their own members.
I have never heard of anyone going into a hospital here and not getting taken care of. Sure they will likely get a big fat bill. My New Zealand friend spent 3 days in the hospital and was billed $45,000+. His SS/HC from NZ would not cover any of it. His doctor got some of it lopped off and he paid $35k his entire life savings. So much for NZ HC being worth a hoot. If I am overseas and get ill supposedly MC will cover it. How many countries will do that? Nothing is perfect, and we are seeing Obamacare is worse than what we now have for a LOT of people.
In December, the final primary lead smelter in the United States will close. The lead smelter, located in Herculaneum, Missouri, and owned and operated by the Doe Run Company, has existed in the same location since 1892.
Doe Run made significant efforts to reduce lead emissions from the smelter, but in 2008 the federal Environmental Protection Agency issued new National Ambient Air Quality Standards for lead that were 10 times tighter than the previous standard. Given the new lead air quality standard, Doe Run made the decision to close the Herculaneum smelter.
Whatever the EPA’s motivation when creating the new lead air quality standard, increasingly restrictive regulation of lead is likely to affect the production and cost of traditional ammunition. Just this month, California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law a bill that will ban lead ammunition for all hunting in California. The Center for Biological Diversity has tried multiple times to get similar regulations at the federal level by trying, and repeatedly failing, to get the EPA to regulate conventional ammunition under the Toxic Substances Control Act.
You always hear about how bad Canadian health care is, yet I know several Canadians who live and work in the States right now. Each of them actually preferred the Canadian system because of all the paperwork hassles, participating vs not provider catch 22's with US insurance companies, etc. They said the only major difference in Canada is that if it's not urgent surgery it may take longer to get in, but if it's urgent you don't wait there either. I think the US may have a bit more access to advanced technology perhaps, but even if that's true, most Americans won't be affected by that during their lifetime anyway. Personally, I think the Canadian system scare is just a red herring from special interest groups.
I am not seeing credible stories of Canuckians being denied emergency care. But they don't go broke while their national per capita healthcare expenses lead the developed world, unlike their twin to the south.
I don't want most parents trying to teach their kids STEM related subjects, when the parents themselves are ignorant of that entire sphere. I suppose if the kid is going into a family business or similar nonsense, no harm done. Otherwise, I suspect one can do more harm than the other.
And you're getting close to Godwin's Law, watch out
Well, it's been a couple of decades but our US friend was hiking in NZ, fell, broke her ankle, got helicoptered out, fixed up, and sent home without any bill. We had to pay at the ER in Newfoundland two years ago for Lyme Disease treatment but the hardest part was trying to get an invoice that we could submit to our own carrier for reimbursement. That whole concept was a bit foreign to them.
Being able to see a doc without paying through the nose means you can get educated about your lifestyle choices and maybe extend your life (and quality of life) that way.
And yeah, we had to go the Romney model and keep the insurance companies in the thick of it instead of doing a single payer model that works, like Medicare/Medicaid.
All of which has little to do with the topic, but at least I didn't mention the German prohibition against mowing your lawn on Sunday mornings and other "good" rules.
My brother's best friend let his health insurance lapse for one month and had a heart attack w/o insurance (he was only 35). He got the care he needed and has yet to file bankruptcy. From what my brother told me, the hospital wrote most of it off and they settled on a payment plan of some sort. The whole mess was really his own fault. The insurance agency he worked for was changing insurance plans. He didn't signup for COBRA to be covered for the month he wasn't going to be covered by the new plan.
As for Obamacare, I have no idea if it's bad or good, but am trying to keep an open mind. The only real feed back I've had is I know several young people (<35) who are self insured and they are claiming the rates on the exchange resulted in their premiums and deductibles to nearly double, so they are not happy at all.
Now we're back to the question of why the auto workers represent casino workers and university postdocs.
Not much different than my being represented by the Teamsters as a telephone technician. Unions recruit who ever is willing to join their ranks.
What I find disturbing is the fact that most are here as immigrant workers. Is UC saying that we don't have US citizens willing to be educated and work while being educated? Maybe US citizens are just too stupid to get into these programs. The worst part is it is funded by the tax payers of CA.
“UC is failing its postdocs by failing to live up to its contractual obligations, and is sending a terrible message to bright researchers in other countries who may be considering coming to UC,” Sweeney said in a press release.
"That factory you are bragging about that goes up in weeks, well thanks to the substandard concrete, the machinery went right through the floor..... WEEKS wasted rebuilding it. "
China has no lock on substandard building. A new metro station that was built in Silver Spring, MD (a DC suburb) has still not been accepted by Montgomery County or the metro authority because of issues/questions about the structural integrity of the cement floors, whether or not they were strong enough to support buses. Lots of finger pointing as to where the blame lies.
Exactly. Instead of Apple paying a union to build the overpriced iPhone, they do it overseas and just keep all the extra profit for themselves and major shareholders. In this way, iPhone buyers give some rice to overseas workers and luxury items to Wall St and you get a phone that costs 2X an Android and isn't any better but sure is swell looking.
And thus does god make all things beautiful in America.
My dental plan isn't too bad. I think i have to pay about 10 bucks per pay period for it. IIRC, it covers two cleanings per year, and does help out somewhat for other work. I had to have a root canal, either last year or the year before that, as well as a few fillings, and I don't remember my portion of the bill being too serious.
However, I have heard horror stories from other people.
Kind of hard to fault Apple and others for having their products made in China when San Francisco and NYC are both spending $Billions to have bridges "Made in China". Both Cities have thumbed their noses at Union workers. Bet they won't do that to their public employees.
Comments
Well, first of all, all the electronics companies (and many other types of companeis) do this, too. So I guess you're suggesting that Apple do something to pay much more or in some other way increase their cost of production well over their competitors.
Second, unless the workers are involuntarily enslaved, this must be something good for them. Most people don't voluntarily do jobs that are hurting them. So perhaps we're putting US standards on the typical state of employment or work in China, and perhaps the Apple jobs are actually an improvement. If you want to apply our standards to another country, then I'd apply European standards to our country. In Europe they can't easily be fired, they have six weeks vacation/year mandated, and they don't go bankrupt due to health care costs. Compared to that, the US is a slave labor state, too.
On this we agree. If government hadn't failed, rules would not be so easily bought.
Yes we are an oligarchy, yes corporations buy some rules. However Unions buy a lot of the rules as well. Some of the largest donors and powerful lobbyist are associated with labor Unions. Corrupt Congress & President feed off their wealthy donors leaving the middle class workers to pay the price. I can think of a very recent case of the UAW backing a trade agreement that has already sent at least $3 billion in auto manufacturing off shore.
So obviously they are just a capitalist enterprise humming along to make money (nothing wrong with that, btw) and not global humanitarians after all.
Which is why smart workers form unions because they are looking at this thing we call "reality".
Non union workers *might* have built those old muscle cars, but they didn't, The UAW did. Non union workers did build the Trabant however.
If you want to see the future home of your $500 iPad, go to a thrift store, in the back.
Point is, there is no "morality" inherent in an economic system except that morality which is hammered out by the people who demand it.
You can make really good money working for Google as a career. You can also be fired in about 15 minutes and left staring blankly into space in the parking lot, with a security card helping you carrying out the items that once resided on your desk.
The self-image of some Apple types is that they are saving the world and caring folks. The permeation of the Apple is the be all, end all is shown in this cartoon:
Doesn't even need assembly line workers at $.50 hr to put on wheels!
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
So where is the morality within the UAW? How are the greedy workers and leaders any different than the heads of Apple or Exxon? You think the UAW workers would share the wealth with the guy or gal working at the mom and pop grocery for MW? In reality the Union workers run up the cost of everything hurting those less fortunate. Where was the outcry from the greedy UAW workers when their brethren at Delphi got shafted in the Bailout????
One could argue that unions sometimes "kill the golden goose", but that works both ways--the worker can also be regarded as the golden goose---and gee, with all those other geese looking for work in a recession, why not work you to death?
For every dollar of overall economic damage created by the UAW and friends, I have no doubt a million dollars of damage have been done by corporations who are people too.
That might be a little strong, but the idea is very true. Compared to real first world competitors, American workers are certainly not the best compensated nor have the best benefits. First world Europeans snicker at what Americans put up with. But I guess that can't be expected with a huge socio-economic gap, trickle down nonsense economics, gigantic exec vs actual worker pay ratios, and an insanely expensive and unsustainable Praetorian class/foreign policy cabal.
Still, a comical gap between USA-Europe vs USA-China.
Sure unions buy some things, but via examining the socio-economic evolution of the nation over the past 35 or so years, as well as corporate capital hoarding, it is obvious who is making the rules. Class warfare, it is real, and obvious who declared war on who, and who won.
Seems a lot of folks who complain about current corruption were pretty quiet maybe 8 years ago.
I think a lot of people believe they have more freedom than exists in reality.
We have had corruption in politics since the founding of the country. It was just more under cover before the Internet and open communications. So it is all Al Gore's fault for inventing the Internet. We could have just stayed fat dumb and Happy, Happy, Happy.
There's certainly no less corruption with the current band of bozos...but I don't see any more, either. Generally, the same forces are in control. They might find a new scapegoat, but they won't touch their own (excessive public sector expenses).
I do agree our freedoms have been trampled at an alarming rate since 9/11. Still better than Canada, Germany or the UK.
I haven't met any Germans or Canuckistanians who dream of the modern American way. UK is an Orwellian surveillance society with things to be expected - but the US isn't far behind in that regard, due yet again to the actions of our brave and honorable military-industrial (intelligence agencies are counted in this) sector, an industry with many who fail to admit they are public sector just like the others.
Yes, it is definitely NOT like mowing a field except for @0.5 acres of open areas.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
My Canadian born cousins are thrilled to be US citizens living in Branson MO. They are thankful for our HC system vs Canada's.
There is a German family fighting to stay in the USA vs being sent back to Germany where they are not free to home school their own children. What kind of sick society does Germany have? If that is not close to being in a Soviet style government, not sure what is.
I'll take our Oligarchy over that any day.
I'd trust a German public school more than any American homeschool group. And in that evil socialist mess, they do have more freedom, well apparently, more socio-economic freedom anyway.
Gary, you find all this to be a "GOOD" thing?? My friend works for Titleist. Not surprisingly, (thanks NIKE) they are moving manufaturing to China. Guess what?? That factory you are bragging about that goes up in weeks, well thanks to the substandard concrete, the machinery went right through the floor..... WEEKS wasted rebuilding it.
As far as regulations and permitting and red tape, you can build in Texas like China. Oh, but that's right, thanks to THOSE Texas shitbums, there is a CRATER the size of Connecticut and what 15 DEAD firefighter in West, Texas. I hope that gets brought up in EVERY state that the ASSHAT Perry visits.
For a long time, the US was a happy medium. Now, it is regional.
I suspect most who drool over the idea of zero regulation would not voluntarily move to an area where that line of thought is in play.
You have obviously not been around near as many homeschooled children as I have. No way public school in Germany is good enough to stop parents that want to teach their own children. That should be a basic freedom. What happens when you get a Hitler deciding what children will learn. Oh, yeah that is EXACTLY what happened with that very repressive law in effect. Maybe Germany is not as repressive as CA. It is far more repressive than I would tolerate.
My two cents is that anyone who prefers the American Health Care system over the Canadian one is either a) very rich or b) never sick.
Somehow there is spending at one third to half the level of the US in Canada and Europe, yet they have longer life expectancies than we do. I wonder how our high costs are affecting the UAW self-managed health plans?
Is it credit card debt?
Is it unpaid mortgages?
Nope, it's medical bills.
That is one other good thing about working for Boeing...the dental insurance. I had so many crowns put in, though, that my dentist's financial lady had to make "special rules" between the Boeing Company, the dentists and the dental insurance. So she tells me.
"Really?" I asked increduously about 20 years ago while sitting in the dentist's chair. "Oh, yes, it's true", she replied. Now, just so you get me right here, I wasn't not taking care of my teeth or anything on purpose just so I could get covered dental work. I just needed the work done.
Now it's meted out much more carefully and painstakingly.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
I don't recall saying it was good, bad or indifferent. It is reality and I don't think we as a country are up to the competition. We don't allow that sort of slavery. We prefer enslaving people into a welfare system that makes them dependent on the government.
As far as red tape think about it. Apple changes models every few months. That requires manufacturers that can keep up. When did we as a country ever build small consumer electronic products? No one is stopping you or anyone else from building a factory and bidding against Foxconn to make iPhones. I don't think we are capable of competing in CE industry.
In reporting its latest quarterly earnings today, Apple announced record fourth-quarter sales of iPhones -- 33.8 million, up 26 percent from 26.9 million in the same quarter last year -- along with virtually flat iPad sales of 14.1 million this quarter, up from 14 million last year. During the same period, arch-rival Samsung, which just reported its earnings last Thursday, sold 86 million smartphones, though Samsung's lineup has far more models than Apple's, including entry-level versions that don't compete directly with the iPhone. Samsung is facing its own challenges at the top of its range, and sold just 16 million of its flagship Galaxy S4 during the period, according to estimates. Apple continued to lead the tablet market, selling 14.1 million iPads in the quarter, compared to Samsung's 10.5 million -- though Samsung's tablet sales doubled from last year.
http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/28/apple-just-sold-33-million-iphones/
IMHO those who complain about overseas competition are wishing for something that was never possible. They want protected industries like the auto industry, lots of high paying UAW jobs. Yet they also want cheap gas which of course means importing it from unfriendly regions of the world. We also want our electronic components, cheap TVs and cell phones among other nice electronics.
People want goods to be able to come into this country which suit them, but protect local industries or products when it doesn't suit them. Only what other country in the rest of the world is going to play by those rules? You're going to give something to get something.
Eastern Europe was a good example of isolationism and look how well that worked. Those Trabants were really cool cars. If we had isolated the US from the rest of the world, then we'd be driving 1980's era D3 cars that wouldn't have changed much due to no competition, while the rest of the world would be driving what we drive today. And gas would be >$5/gallon.
Has little to do with HC and a lot to do with our eating habits, lifestyle and stress levels. Most people would take better care of themselves if they knew they were going to live as long as they do.
Can you imagine what an iPhone would cost if a UAW person built it???? Of course that does not take into account Apple buys most of the expensive components from other companies like Samsung. Samsung is Korean, Obama just signed a free trade agreement with Korea, supported by the UAW. So again the UAW does not care about anyone but their own members.
Perhaps the mortality, but not the costs.
That's because you are in the group of US citizens who DO have socialized HC!
Doe Run made significant efforts to reduce lead emissions from the smelter, but in 2008 the federal Environmental Protection Agency issued new National Ambient Air Quality Standards for lead that were 10 times tighter than the previous standard. Given the new lead air quality standard, Doe Run made the decision to close the Herculaneum smelter.
Whatever the EPA’s motivation when creating the new lead air quality standard, increasingly restrictive regulation of lead is likely to affect the production and cost of traditional ammunition. Just this month, California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law a bill that will ban lead ammunition for all hunting in California. The Center for Biological Diversity has tried multiple times to get similar regulations at the federal level by trying, and repeatedly failing, to get the EPA to regulate conventional ammunition under the Toxic Substances Control Act.
Some folks will not be happy until any thing that is at all dirty is sent over seas for manufacturing
Time to build all those dirty cars in China. Most are using dirty coal to power their factories
I don't want most parents trying to teach their kids STEM related subjects, when the parents themselves are ignorant of that entire sphere. I suppose if the kid is going into a family business or similar nonsense, no harm done. Otherwise, I suspect one can do more harm than the other.
And you're getting close to Godwin's Law, watch out
Being able to see a doc without paying through the nose means you can get educated about your lifestyle choices and maybe extend your life (and quality of life) that way.
And yeah, we had to go the Romney model and keep the insurance companies in the thick of it instead of doing a single payer model that works, like Medicare/Medicaid.
All of which has little to do with the topic, but at least I didn't mention the German prohibition against mowing your lawn on Sunday mornings and other "good" rules.
Ok, this sort of ties in:
Union calls on UC to reimburse postdocs for health care costs (dailycal.org)
Now we're back to the question of why the auto workers represent casino workers and university postdocs.
As for Obamacare, I have no idea if it's bad or good, but am trying to keep an open mind. The only real feed back I've had is I know several young people (<35) who are self insured and they are claiming the rates on the exchange resulted in their premiums and deductibles to nearly double, so they are not happy at all.
Not much different than my being represented by the Teamsters as a telephone technician. Unions recruit who ever is willing to join their ranks.
What I find disturbing is the fact that most are here as immigrant workers. Is UC saying that we don't have US citizens willing to be educated and work while being educated? Maybe US citizens are just too stupid to get into these programs. The worst part is it is funded by the tax payers of CA.
“UC is failing its postdocs by failing to live up to its contractual obligations, and is sending a terrible message to bright researchers in other countries who may be considering coming to UC,” Sweeney said in a press release.
China has no lock on substandard building. A new metro station that was built in Silver Spring, MD (a DC suburb) has still not been accepted by Montgomery County or the metro authority because of issues/questions about the structural integrity of the cement floors, whether or not they were strong enough to support buses. Lots of finger pointing as to where the blame lies.
And thus does god make all things beautiful in America.
However, I have heard horror stories from other people.
Everybody in America wants paradise but nobody wants to pay for it.