Politics

‘Made in the USA’ still means something

Despite downturn, the nation remains the world’s leading manufacturer
By Harold L. Sirkin
Business Week

A few weeks ago, my wife asked me why the U.S. doesn’t make anything of value anymore. Everything, she said, is made in China or Mexico or other faraway points on the compass.

Welcome to one of the destructive side effects of the “woe is me” times we live in: Along with the legitimate and serious problems that face our economy, we seem to have convinced ourselves that we’re powerless to do much about the downturn because we’ve already become a second-rate economic power.

In fact, as I told my wife, the U.S. is still the world’s leading manufacturer and in most of the world, “Made in the USA” is still synonymous with quality and high value.

This isn’t what many people want to hear. Daily headlines about big companies in big trouble and monthly job-loss figures coming from the Bureau of Labor Statistics provide plenty of ammunition for those who see U.S. industry in decline. And yes, there are big companies in trouble. But recessions eventually end. If the conversation I had with my wife is any indicator, the real difficulty U.S. business and political leaders may face in the months ahead is restoring America’s confidence. And that’s where some healthy honesty would help.

False claims
Many of those who talk economic Armageddon intentionally paint an overly pessimistic picture. They claim U.S. factories are outdated. They complain U.S. products are overpriced. They claim that U.S. workers are lackadaisical and overpaid. They warn U.S. companies are unsuited for 21st-century competition in a global marketplace where everyone from everywhere is competing for everything. They claim a lot of things. And much of what they claim isn’t true.

Full post as published by Mike Conaway's Blog on April 22, 2009 (boomark / email).