THIS!! I haven't heard any pundits talk about the fundamental problem that Americans expect super cheap goods but also quality control and worker protections here in the US. We've been conditioned to believe it is our right and an immutable fact. This is no longer possible (and it was never right). - ThreadSky

drtaragoddard.com • 23 hours ago

THIS!! I haven't heard any pundits talk about the fundamental problem that Americans expect super cheap goods but also quality control and worker protections here in the US. We've been conditioned to believe it is our right and an immutable fact. This is no longer possible (and it was never right).

Reposted from Jess Calarco

A thing that a lot of people seem to forget: The only way for US consumers to get goods that are both cheap and produced domestically is to pay manufacturing workers *far* less than a living wage.

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tallentire.bsky.social•13 hours ago

Hoping against hope a bright side to it all could be a move away from the culture of buying cheap throwaway items and rather buying stuff that lasts and using and repairing it for years.

drtaragoddard.com•23 hours ago

I am terrible at economics but I'm pretty sure we can either have cheap goods from abroad or stuff made here that we pay more for. But, for both good reasons like wage stagnation and bad reasons like too many years underpaying for many goods and services, people won't just accept the latter.

lukemcelligott.bsky.social•14 hours ago

Or, stop me here if I am wrong, perhaps if the business paid less to its C-Suite and shareholders, then perhaps the workers can be well paid and we get decent priced goods?

drtaragoddard.com•7 hours ago

That's the obvious and just solution! (and implicit in my point about wage stagnation.) But it won't happen on its own. It will take regulation (which us regular citizens have to demand, our politicians have class solidarity) and/or major changes to American's consumerism (voting with our wallets).

casualcacti.bsky.social•23 hours ago

Happily you have the choice!

uberfahr.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Our products will also not be as good in quality despite the higher costs. This is economics 101: competition creates efficiencies across industry sectors and results in more competitive (more "valuable") products bid on (and paid for) by consumers.

tonyflorio.bsky.social•22 hours ago

I too am no economist. But I do note that the ratio between worker and executive pay (and the expectations of shareholder returns) shifted dramatically away from workers in the 1970s when the offshoring trend started. Income inequity is at the heart of a lot of this.

drtaragoddard.com•22 hours ago

absolutely, and that is what I was alluding to (or trying to) with "wage stagnation." Corporate profits and executive pay have skyrocketed and wages have gone nearly nowhere. So people *can't* afford higher expenses. But plenty of middle income folks (like me) are also very used to very cheap goods.

viscountbosham.bsky.social•23 hours ago

If I pay workers more they’ll start growing coffee and bananas? Hot dog!

drtaragoddard.com•23 hours ago

Well, I wasn't even trying to address the obvious issue of goods we can't make or grow here at all, but have come to expect are a part of life. I am just speaking to industries that even *could* be brought back/started here.

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