Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books; First Edition edition (July 25, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 031235522X
ISBN-13: 978-0312355227
Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 1.1 x 9.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #741,922 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #33 in Books > Business & Money > Economics > Commercial Policy #162 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Politics & Government > International & World Politics > Trades & Tariffs #695 in Books > Business & Money > Economics > Labor & Industrial Relations
"Moving jobs to China and running profits through the Cayman Islands to avoid taxes undermines American workers and threatens out future" - so begins Senator Dorgan's "Take This Job and Ship It." Our trade deficit now increases by $2 billion/day, and our total deficit (federal government and trade) is $1.2 trillion/year.In 1970 the biggest U.S. corporation was G.M. - for most employees, it was a ticket to lifetime employment, and for all it provided good wages, pensions, and health care. Today it is Wal-Mart, with an average salary of $18,000, 70% turnover the first year, and large numbers without benefits. About three million have already lost their jobs to out-sourcing, and Alan Blinder, former vice chairman of the Federal Reserve Board estimates 42-56 million jobs could be sent abroad, while many of those remaining will be competing with those paid much less in foreign lands.Dorgan goes on to assert that about 750,000 U.S. jobs have been lost via NAFTA, and the three largest imports from Mexico are autos, auto parts, and electronic - displacing high-skilled American jobs, contrary to pre-implementation projections. Even Fig Newtons are now imported from Mexico. We have gone from a $1.3 billion surplus with Mexico in 1994 to a $45 billion deficit. Meanwhile, the U.S. poverty rate increased for the fourth straight year (to 12.7%) in 2005.The problem is no longer limited to blue-collar workers. Senior software engineer salaries have been driven down by outsourcing from $130,000 to $100,000 in a few years (IF one is still employed). Airline maintenance has also been exported.Meanwhile, while corporations make record profits through outsourcing, their tax payments dwindle.
From the very beginning, Senator Dorgan, the author, speaks from his heart and soul about what is wrong with America, and what can be done about it. You can sense his strong sense of duty and the obligation he feels toward his fellow Americans, and the frustration he feels in being thwarted by a republican-dominated congress. (This book was finished before the recent congressional election that gave congress back to democrats.)Senator Dorgan laments the exodus of jobs to countries that have broken their trade agreements with us, and have made our trade deficit soar. This exodus has not only caused three million Americans to lose their jobs, but it has also compromised our national security. Parts for our bombs and planes are made in foreign countries. It has allowed countries to flood ours with their imports while keeping ours out by tariffs. Mexico is exporting contaminated and decayed meat that is lining our meat counters. And Dorgan attacks the now familiar Walmart because they pay their workers so poorly and a health care plan that costs so much, they must use public assistance.He is concerned about a congress that represents corporations rather than their constituents. He is concerned about a congress that allows them to export jobs and commodities and then charge them a low tax rate of only 5.4 percent to bring the money back into the country. He is angry that pharmaceuticals are allowed to export their products where they are sold at less than half the price charged to Americans. He is also angry that they claim the cost is for research when they are spending so much on marketing. (Anyone ever see a commercial with two people in separate bathtubs--when the moment is right?)This book is well-written.
Byron Dorgan really hits the nail on the head with this book. It should appeal to everybody whether or not they are "blue" or "red". Why? What good is having a political point of view if there are no good jobs?I will admit that this review is very biased on the subject. I live in Michigan. This state leads the nation in job losses. There seems to be a conspriacy of Democrats, Republicans, and business leaders in this state to ship jobs to any place but here. I've seen the towns of Flint, Saginaw, and Detroit turn into hopeless areas with no jobs. Is this the future of America? This reviewer hopes not!I was lucky enough to run across this book at my local book store. I sat down and read it all in one evening. This book reminds me of an economics argument I got into with a professor. He said jobs should go to where people are willing to work for little money. I retorted "that's pretty big talk for a government worker who has college tenure".Sheeze, I agree with this book. There is no reason to have trade with China if all they are going to do is sell us second rate goods and loan us money to for our deficits. There is no reason to have total free trade with many nations because they don't have enviormental laws, employment rights laws, and many other job protections that the citizens of this nation spent years building.Last, lots of businesses, like GM, love to run overseas for cheap labor. However, they forget the danger of nationalism. The large corporations of America lost millions of dollars when industries were nationalized by Cuba in the early 1960s. The trouble is if some company lost a factory to nationalization then they would expect corporate welfare to bail them out.America is in a perfect storm for losing jobs.
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