360 Intakes
I wrote that. WWI and II were well after when I'm talking about. I was a bit off on my time table. Close to 200 years, not 100. When the US hit it's indutrial revolution, the US flooded European markets with stuff made cheaper here. Because we had a ton of people, and a ton of resources, and a bit of Europe didn't any more. They also tended to fight each other a lot, taking resources and money. The "New World" outpaced "Old Europe" very quickly. Now the "New World" is being outpaced by Asia. Only In My opinion here, but if we were willign to spend more on what we have to have, we would be in much less of a predicament. The single biggest driving force in globalization as they call it now is the US consumer. The reason our economy is so strong, is that the market is flooded with cheap stuff from offshore. Meixcan, South American, Asian, Indian... We are now even ouotsourcing service jobs. Our country is truning from a production economy to a service economy because we want $150 roller rockers, and $500 TVs, and $40/ea tires, and $600 laptops. It pumps that dollar out of the country. The trade deficit is so bad becuase both Japan and China play with currency values, and they do not allow free trade. Our products are very much sought after, but the restrictions make it difficult for US products to access those markets. Fair Trade as you hear it only means fair for other country's imports, and it's killing America slowly. I'm not anit globalization. But i am anti "fair trade" that isnt fair.