Heck, I would settle for 70% as that would still help many Americans.

Alas, not nearly as many it once would, because no matter where you are, the factory of five or ten years from now will employ a handful of people and the rest will be robotic. It will be even more catastrophic in countries where people are just beginning to get a leg up because of factory work, but that is the manufacturing that is coming back to this country, the kind that doesn't have employees.

Ever see the old Twilight Zone episode, "The Brain Center at Whipples?" That's now.

I agree totally with you justerrilynn. I hope that things will get better for all Americans. There is no reason for us not to have the good products that we used to have, also no reason for anyone in this country to be hungry, etc.

I know Writer but but but ...oh I thought I had a light bulb moment.

Ok, say a company only has a handful of laborers due to Robotics. Someone has to build the building. Someone has to clean the building, people will be needed to inspect , supervisors will be needed, someone has to maintain the grounds and general maintenance of interior, people will be needed in the office, window washers, people will be needed in the warehouse for stocking and more, people will be needed in the shipping dept, truckers will be needed ect...better than all those jobs being in another country.

someone has to maintain the grounds and general maintenance of interior, people will be needed in the office, window washers, people will be needed in the warehouse for stocking and more, people will be needed in the shipping dept, truckers will be needed ect...better than all those jobs being in another country.

Ah, if only it were true. I agree, that would be great, but stocking and shipping?

http://www.logisticsmgmt.com/view/robotics_training_robotic_pickers_to_do_their_piece/

ETA Amazon warehouse right now:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quWFjS3Ci7A

Trucking:

http://qz.com/656104/a-fleet-of-trucks-just-drove-themselves-across-europe/

Window Washer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRxxhHWdW3o

I could go on, but, well, you get the idea.

Awwwwwwwwww

Sorry, but these "robotics" run for the most part on coal fired electricity. (Yeah, I know, don't worry, nuclear power plants are going to solve all our problems, yipee!). And they malfunction and wear out. They will come and go but I probably won't see them go in my lifetime, just as I won't live to see the total demise of the car. I work in academia and the turning over of many functions to the computer has not led to great quality of results. In many places much less, because it was assumed that the machines could do the work without needing upkeep, training of folks to use them, maintenance, replacement, and human problem solving abilities. I will avoid like the plague any company that thinks computers will take over human work. Can they greatly enhance it, sure, but humans and machines working in compliment is the way to go, and few companies have the savvy to figure out how to do that well. So it's just "sorry, it's going to take a while, my computer is down" for most of it. AAA and UHaul are prime examples that I have experienced lately.

I have visited furniture factories where robots do the dangerous work with toxic finishing chemicals, great, but humans still work with the machines in fine furniture manufacturing, or else the product is just crap. I am always struck by the odd way that folks implement machines in the workplace, with very little intuitive understanding of the human/machine interface. I see some dramatic improvements, but also some dramatic downgrades. Take away the smart people maintaining and using the machines, and it's just as bad as cheap, shoddy work done by low paid employees. Libraries are a prime example of this. Few folks know how to use the machines that have replaced librarians, so there's not an upgrade in services, just an increasingly empty storage space, because we don't value the humans that work there. If you don't value people, then don't be surprised by the lack of vibrant communities and workplaces and shopping experiences, etc. Read "What Are People For" by Wendell Berry for a philosophical take on this phenomenon. The world population just keeps growing and growing, and many problems in society are caused by us not really valuing humans, not having the time and resources to devote to training and caring for them, which may be understandable seeing as how there are so many of us nowdays. Both a problem and an untapped resource. Robots are an extension of a human, not a replacement. Don't make me laugh about artificial intelligence. Facebook runs on algorithms, and it's a joke how dull and limited it is compared to my vibrant real life. However, it has enhanced my life because I can now keep up easily with friends and family when they post about births, deaths, etc. Our own private newspaper. An enhancement. But a replacement for real life relationships, hardly!

I was devastated to learn last year that one of our Southern staples, Smithfield Hams, and their pork products had been sold to a Chinese company. I didn't buy a ham but about once a year, but I bought their thick-sliced bacon often. No more.

Today our paper ran an article about well-known brands that are foreign-owned. Here is a partial list.

Ben & Jerry's - British-Dutch Unilever

AMC Theaters - Chinese

7-Elevan - Japanese

Purina - Swiss (Nestle)

Gerber - Swiss (Novartis)

Frigidaire - Sweden (AB Electrolux)

Trader Joe's - German (The Albrecht's)

Dial Soap - German (Henkel KGaA)

NY Plaza Hotel - Israel (owned by Yitzhak Tshuva's El-Ad Group)

I stopped buying Smithfield Farms products years ago. Their sale to the Chinese was a nail in their coffin as far as I'm concerned.

Smithfield Farms on Source Watch

Yeah, CindyMac, the sale happened in 2013 I think and I didn't hear about it until early last year. Bummed me out when I started reading about the company. I just wonder what other producers are going right behind them.

Can't say that I think it's a bad thing that brands/businesses operating in the US are foreign owned. I'm gainfully employed by one and treated very well. It's a global economy - time to accept that.

I try to buy US made. I'd rather have it made here by a global firm than have it imported by them. Can't find bananas from US though...

K Sissy,

Tesla does not get a special credit for every car sold. They receive the same clean energy credit that every manufacturer is eligible for. They sell these credits to other manufacturers that are not making clean energy vehicles. I see this misinformation on so many sites about electric cars. Nissan also gets the same credit for making the Nissan Leaf.

Full disclosure, I have an order for a Model 3. Can't wait!!!

Good luck!

Hi homepro01,

i'm sorry. That's just what I read. It makes me very happy that I was wrong about this. I think that Tesla builds a great car. I just wish that they could be more moderately priced, so that more people could afford them.

Well, the upcoming Model 3 base price is only $35k, which seems like a lot to me, but it's pretty average now.

K Sissy,

No worries. I want Tesla to be successful so that more car manufacturers make electric cars. I think electric cars are a great options for people who live in cities/suburban area and can't wait to charge at home rather than go to gas stations:-)

Me too homepro01. Sounds like a Tesla is trying to market its cars to the widest demographic possible. 35k is a stretch for most of us, but close enough to consider and be in the game.

Yeah, Elon Musk has been pretty open that their game plan was to start with luxury cars to be able to finance the development of the more mainstream model and the larger factory needed for those.

Unfortunately I live in a development where I have no garage and no way to set up a charging station in my parking space. But they sure are fun to drive (or to let the car drive for you).

You've driven a Tesla writersblock? How cool is that!

I wouldn't have had the nerve to go by myself but I went with a friend who was thinking about trading his Mercedes in for one. He also decided to go for the 3 instead of the Model S.

Wow, that is so cool! I saw a black Model S. It was beautiful. I had never seen one before, so sleek and refined.

They are a blast to drive. I don't have garage but I have a driveway and the electrician has already provided the pricing. Many Tesla owners charge away from home where they don't have the facility to charge at home. I am replacing a 10year old car so I am really looking forward to getting my model 3. I considered a used Model S too.

At this point, my goal is to buy local, regardless of where they're getting their product. I stay off Amazon and online shopping as much as possible to keep my dollars nearby as much as I can. Local stores may source from non-American companies, but they get my immediate dollars and contribute tax money to my community.

Online shopping has contributed more to our lack of control over our spending $$$ than off-shore manufacturing. Follow your dollars when you shop online, and you'll realize how drastically this has shifted our economy.

Wow homepro01. I would love to see it when you get it. As adults, we don't get to have much fun. I'm happy for you, that you've been able to do something like that for yourself...coodles to you!

>Many Tesla owners charge away from home where they don't have the facility to charge at home.

Those are the ones who live in or near metropolitan areas. Right now, the nearest super charger is about an hour from me during the off-season, closer to two during season, and that's the only public charger of any sort in my area. There's no electric car spot at the local municipal complex or the library, for example. And my work often takes me into remote areas in the middle of the state where I wouldn't care to stop any car if I could help it, the kinds of places where I'll deliberately drive on a flat and ruin the wheel rather than run the risks of getting out to deal with it.

Are there any Whole Foods nearby? Some Whole Foods have chargers.

You are so correct lisad82. It is so easy with Amazon, etc that we don't even think about it. We click a button, and get practically anything that we want. We recently discovered boutique shopping, and there are some wonderful things available in these little shops, and it is not nearly as frustrating as continually scrolling through endless possibilities.

Yes, K Sissy, it's when consumers proudly claim they don't shop at their local Walmart but spend with their Amazon Prime membership. It's this way with any online shopping but we make ourselves feel better by claiming we're not supporting the obvious bad guys.

It's hard to know which went first though, the decline of local stores or the increase in Internet shopping. I live in a small town (10K population) which once had an upscale, midscale and low priced departments stores (an actual JC Penny's department store, for example) two or three shoe stores, a couple of women's fashion stores, three downtown diners and a nice restaurant, an art supply store, office supply store, children's clothing store, men's clothing store, five and dime, three drugstores, a hardware store, a photographer's studio, a florist shop, a restaurant food supply company, a yarn shop, a print shop that also did silk screening, and a couple of banks. It was fun to go downtown and shop. ALL of that is gone, all of it. Other than empty buildings, there is a struggling card/bookshop, a Salvation Army store, a coffee shop and a gift shoppe downtown, along with the struggling furniture store and one of the shoe stores now sells just orthopedic shoes and there's a store that sells stuff to infirm folks who need mobility aides, and one of the jewelry stores is hanging on. And a real estate office. The paint store is still there. And that's about it, the rest is either empty or rented as office space. Sometimes a business will open up but usually quickly closes, like the health food store that didn't last two years or the one spot that has been a Mexican restaurant, a deli, and now a beer pub. All shopping now takes place out at the strip malls outside of town, mostly Walmart, Meijers, Home Depot and a couple of other chain things like a discount shoe store. So if I want something unusual and "American Made" I pretty much have to shop online.

It was the departing of all the nice stores that made me turn to online. I do see how Amazon killed or is killing books and bookstores, but I've rarely lived near a bookstore anyway. The other stores were long gone before the Internet hit. In fact, our K-Mart is now a medical office complex, pretty sure Walmart and the Internet killed that, how many cheapo big boxes can one little town support. We just need one big mart mart for folks too poor to afford computers and Internet connections. And the big businesses here are warehouses and trucking firms. No wonder we spend so much of our national budget fighting over oil. That's why I just buy used stuff whenever I can, I can still buy the stuff from the good old days that way. I need to learn to sew so I can fix up old clothes and wear them in new ways.

I'm inclined to agree with l pink. I can well remember in the good old pre-Amazon days deciding to support my local independent bookstore when I needed a special order book. I went in with all the info (ISBN, publisher, publisher's address and phone, etc) and asked them to order it for me. They couldn't be bothered. Was I all that sad when they went out of business? Not much, and I sure understood why they did.

I was in Lowes a couple of weeks ago looking for lamp rewiring gear that they no longer carry in-store. The guy in the store told me to go online, and I pointed out that if I'm going to do that, I'm not going to order it from them, but I would buy it in-store if available, even if it's more expensive because I like to support local business. "This isn't a local business," was his very true reply.

Wow! As sad as it is, it seems like we are a country that is not industrialized or modern at all. We used to be the leaders in the world, and that is our place. We need to get that back with innovations, etc that bring jobs, better lifestyle, that makes the world want our products, ideas, etc above everyone else's.

We used to be the leaders in the world, and that is our place.

Why is that our place? I'm not trying to be snarky, just genuinely interested in the thought process that arrives at this conclusion. I mean, why can't it be that it's now another country's (or countries, plural) "place" to be in the lead?

I don't see this as a black and white issue, where the US necessarily needs (or deserves) to dominate. We are truly a global community, and I believe we need to move closer to embracing this fact rather than wasting energy longing for what once may have been true, or seemed to be true.

I buy more and more from Amazon every day. I've given up on "local" after repeatedly going to brick and mortar stores only to get lousy service and never finding what I want on the floor after driving all over town trying multiple stores. I can always find what I want at Amazon in less than five minutes with the advantage of other buyers' reviews. Amazon is American made ingenuity and innovation.

'and that is our place.'

I was going to ask the same thing. I don't like the domineering sound of this. I think we need to work together so it's a win win. Everyone needs to thrive and survive.

Jobs are shifting in this country. We need to get on the ball accepting it and move forward to find our own niche in this global economy.

Writersblock, I understand the Lowes employees premise, but that store and the people it employs contribute to the local economy and tax base.

Yes, that's true lisad82, but it's also true that our local store fired most of their pros, including all their kitchen/bath design staff, and forced the people who needed to keep the job to take a serious pay cut down to nearly minimum wage, so that's not all a positive.

After going to China and knowing Chinese people now, I can no longer bash China. The people I met and observed there are extremely hard working and industrious and driven to make a better life for themselves and they are doing so. I think they have more of the drive and work ethic American's had years ago. Our society has evolved and changed in this respect. Granted they have larger scale problems and deficiencies in the country but so do we in our own way. It's one big intertwined planet now - resistance is futile.

Regarding shopping local vs Amazon -- there is a huge Amazon shipping facility in my area, so they are providing lots of local jobs. I'm sure they do in other areas of the country too.

People who live in the communities that industries left behind have to re-train for the future instead of wishing for another time; we can't go back. I heard Trump promising West Virginia that he will bring back coal -- how ridiculous -- we need to concentrate on clean, renewable energy sources if our country wants to stay relevant, innovative and modern. We can't be leaders if our elected officials want to keep the status quo and stay in the past.

Yes, I agree 3katz. That struck me very forcibly the first time I was in Beijing, many years ago. I thought it must have been what NYC was like back in 1900.

I know! The Chinese people are kind, hard working,decent people. I have met them. Some of our family members are Chinese. They are taking advantage of employment opportunities like we are, and everyone else in the world. That's the natural thing to do. You have to feed your family. The problem is our own American companies and our government have sold us out. The companies to raise their stock which makes them more appealing, more profit, investers, etc, our government which has imposed the world's highest corporate tax rate upon them, which leads some of these companies with very little choice as to what to do! This brings me back to supporting companies that make things here, and hopefully will encourage some of those who have left to bring back jobs to us.

I went to one of the last remaining office supply stores in my town. Less selection of out-the-door goods there than Walmart. They said they could order what I needed and it would be there in a few days. Sales clerk spent so long thumbing through a CATALOG to find what I needed I told her to forget it. Huh? I can get it tomorrow from my Amazon Prime and probably just buy it at Walmart even though I hate the place and it is out of my way. Not sure what their business model is, but they are not keeping up with the times. I also wanted to take a new office chair out for a spin, but they had only about 3 and they weren't very good ones at that . . . but they could order one for me they said. Get a clue, so can I, from someone cheaper probably. The point of your store is for people to see the stuff in person. I still think there is room for that kind of thing. If they were smart, they'd have a nice showroom and then folks could order and they'd figure out how to team with other small businesses to get the stuff there fast. Managing supply chain and knowing and serving your customers well is the name of the game for a modern storefront. Otherwise, you have nothing to offer to compete with online and if you didn't figure that out, you've been asleep at the switch. The real question is what creative ways are folks in my small town going to come up with to make a living? It's interesting watching it unfold. That whole restaurant thing was interesting, we just can't support the trends from the big cities, but many folks interest in big box carp is waning too.

KSissy,

I am excited! Like a kid in candy store.

Writersblock,

"the kinds of places where I'll deliberately drive on a flat and ruin the wheel rather than run the risks of getting out to deal with it". Clearly you have stories to tell!

I do most of my shopping online now. I have been so frustrated when I go into a store and cannot find a size or a color I am looking for. I miss the days of going to the mall and shopping with friends. I also miss the ability to look at things before buying it. You buy at risk many times.

If you are not going to stock items, at least have floor samples of all the models so that I can make a good selection. Shopping for shoes with large feet is extremely frustrating too! Amazon prime has ruined me for many things though. I still seek out local businesses like the local green building store or the outdoor furniture retailer because these are things that are hard to buy from just a picture!

If we all made Walmart level money, we would not be able to afford to shop at Walmart. At some point, people have to make enough money to support the businesses that they work for. I don't know what the solution is but we are not even talking about the problem in real terms so that we can have a discussion about possible solutions.

It's interesting what writersblock said, that the local Lowe's let go all their "pros" because that is what I see happening. Pros knew the merchandise and therefore knew how to serve customers. But they cost more to employ. Once you ditch that, your store is just a big warehouse with folks milling around. But that costs you money too, to run it and staff it, Then might as well be online and folks can "mill" around over the computer. IKEA is an interesting riff off of the warehouse concept, kind of like what I was talking about, a nice big showroom and then the warehouse below where you actually pull the stuff and assemble it. Lots of furniture I see is going to that model, albeit sans the warehouse so more risky for the customer. Seems like the jobs of the future are going to be in warehousing and truck driving and UPS-ing! However, we as customers are not going to be well served by this. However, it was always thus. Folks ordered from the Sears catalog back at the turn of the century, and it came via train and "Wells Fargo Wagon." Only the wealthy could afford custom built things with customer service. The department store was a departure that spread to the middle class, but I guess times were more flush then. Not sure what kind of storefront anyone could make a go of these days, but I know tons of people who fondly remember the joys of actually being able to go somewhere and shop in person. In my case, downtown and big department stores were FUN. I always hated malls, but even they used to be much more fun than they are now. I think a few artsy upscale neighborhoods can still support storefronts, but in my poor rural area, few businesses seem to be able to stay going at all. And they carry limited selections which means they just can't hardly even afford to keep the storefronts open. Can't even keep a florist shop storefront open, although my experience with ordering flowers and plants online has been DISMAL. The stuff that shows up half the time is crap, unless you hit the jackpot and find a decent local place that is partnering with the online ordering company.

I'm all for innovation, training our workforce for a changing global economy, and capitalizing on the strengths of our country.

The problem is this isn't happening in the areas that need it the most. Specific obstacles include:

1. Communities that have suffered massive job losses are usually ill-prepared to "retrain" its local workforce. Retraining takes significant funds to access the training/education programs. It's occurring in experimental clusters here and there, but not at the rate needed.

2. Our education system is stagnant and difficult to adapt. Universities still primarily look at GPAs and standardized testing scores. The random charter school that really is innovative and builds its curriculum around recycling and solar power still needs to get those kids to do well on ACT/SATs and other entrance requirements, no matter how much they've learned about alternative fuels and sustainable agriculture. (Sorry but I see such charter schools cropping up in the poorest neighborhoods near me with these alternative curricula, and I wonder just how prepared those students will be when our secondary education system is still pretty firmly entrenched in conventional learning standards.)

3. In the meantime, every time a big box store, like Lowes or Sports Authority, closes, it either remains vacant or is taken over by "Big Lots" or some other store selling close-out, secondary merchandise.

Again, Rah-Rah! for innovation. I see it in communities that can afford it and support it, but not in the ones that need it the most.

Hi homepro01. What do you think the problem is?

Yeah, and no sense in retraining for some career that simply isn't available in your area. Some of the poorest rural areas have very little large scale economic opportunities, particularly after some big resource intensive industry bombed out or big manufacturing center closed. Larger, more diverse areas can swing one way or the other. In my area, it's tricky. Used to be lots of small businesses, small manufacturing plants, and lots of skilled tradespeople. Now, there's a huge trucking center, a warehouse, and some agricultural processing plants moving in. Food I guess, still has to come from somewhere somewhat nearby, at least some of it . . . It's also an antiques heaven here, but folks aren't interested in that stuff anymore, which is odd since some of it is just as good if not better than the carp at the big box. Takes a little while to rummage through it. My landlady has a beautiful tasteful home that is done entirely with her garage sale and goodwill shopping. She has a regular shopping route built up and she works it regularly as her hobby. This has replaced the fun of going down to the local department store to see what new items are in . . .

Hi I pinkmountain, I love antiques. What area are you talking about? If it's close to me, I would love to go antiquing there.

Southern Michigan, just west of an area known as the Irish Hills. US-12 along the southern end of the state is one big long antiquing road trip, particularly in summer. They even have a yard sale along the whole route in August.

http://www.us12heritagetrail.org/garage_sale.asp

Thank you I pinkmountain. You peaked our interest! Close enough for a little trip!

Back in flusher days, Allen MI used to bill itself as the "Antique Capitol of the World." Kinda looks more like "Hoarder Capitol of the World" to me now, but there are still many nice shops open along US Rt. 12.

Sounds good to me I pinkmountain. I feel for you. Michigan has had a very tough time, for a long time. I hope that things are getting better for the people of Michigan. Hopefully, the auto industry has come back, bringing good jobs back to Michigan.