JOBS - The Half-Life of Hula Hoops & Typewriters

http://www.examiner.com/article/jobs-the-half-life-of-hula-hoops-ty...

Let’s talk about just HOW our government 'creates' jobs, shall we?

In case you hadn’t noticed we had a rising standard of living when our factories were booming; such as is being experienced even now by Asian manufacturing countries. Before we totally ‘lawyered up’ our country, we had a ‘can do’ attitude. Between the lawyers and insurance companies our consciousness has transmogrified to ‘We'd better not’, and our abilities to ‘we can’t make that here, anymore’.

In case you hadn’t noticed, we are ‘outsourcing’ our manufacturing to (Eastern?) countries with cheap labor, that don’t have all the restrictions and or rights we have in place here, not to mention the tax incentives. Consequently one must look long and far to find something that is actually made in America, anymore, and not just assembled here.

In case you hadn’t noticed, beside fancy weaponry, GMO factory farms, and pharmaceuticals for every malady and occasion, we don’t really make anything here anymore; we have transitioned into one big tourist/service country. In case you hadn’t thought about it, just HOW does the government ‘create JOBS’? Aren’t most jobs created by ‘small businesses’? So where does the government get off saying they created new jobs?

Furthermore, to create a truly NEW job, and restore some semblance of manufacturing to America, one must get a patent to market. As of now, it is increasingly impossible for an individual to do so. A patent may cost at least $50,000. and as a patent lawyer once said "A Patent is just an invitation to a law suit". Once the patent is obtained, it is 'goodbye and good luck', they don't even give you a free map.! Does this approach make any sense if we rely on NEW products for manufacture?

To make matters worse, in this country there is no PROCESS to get ideas to market. Shark Tank and H2’s invention USA are hardly a process, let alone dignified. For such a necessary creative process to develop a "product' to manufacture - for our economic growth, These shows are not much of an improvement over the present chestnut about ‘finding an angel' (Vulture capitalist) or licensing it to a manufacturer - There AREN'T any left, and those that are, want to feed on the carcass.

On one hand a State Senators told me that "They don't get involved in private businesses", and was giving speeches the next week at GE about 'saving jobs'. Congress seems to <wink, wink> not disapprove of kinda starting wars, <that create lots of jobs - BTW> to kill the maximum number of people possible anywhere, under any circumstances, and act like any death in the homeland is a tragedy that knows no bounds, and they can't understand why anyone would kill another person, then they think we're all crazy, and want to take away all sharp objects from us.

Think of it this way - Car Maker "V" opens 2 plants in America. The government jumps up and claims credit for the jobs. (The finance report about how the government had to sweeten the deal with our tax dollars is not mentioned at this point) However that isn't really a NEW job as now, not only are these two plants battling against each other, they are competing with every other car manufacturer in the world. When the inevitable Segway comes out that goes 80 mph in comfort, and enclosed, all the car companies might as well be making typewriters.

The issue is this: Every manufactured product has a half-life then fades from use. Take Hula hoops as an example; They pumped them out like no tomorrow until the marked was saturated. They made NEW JOBS by bringing something NEW to market, and sold 100 million in the first two years! Typewriters had a good (120 year) run until computers sent them on their way. People who have their 'Eureka' moment need development, not exploitation and obstacles.

Obviously Asia has electronics sewn up (and clothes) at this time. We need to stoke up those old factories and give them new purpose. That would be 'creating NEW jobs'.

THEREFORE: If we want to regain even some of our neglected manufacturing industry, we need to pay attention to one of our main national resources, inventiveness. It is a resource that cannot be produced on demand, let alone recognized by most typical bureaucrats. We used to be known for our 'inventiveness and ingenuity', we still have it, we just have to free up the process, and let our nature take its course.

We can do better than a country with only minimum wage service jobs, or pushing papers for intrusive government jobs. That is not a plan, it is wishful thinking. or make-work.