I do agree with a lot of this, but it really isn't paying a decent wage that keeps manufacturing from coming to the US. That's propaganda to make us feel that it is our fault. That, if we just weren't so greedy, America wouldn't be so fucked up. Now, there is some truth to that, but only in the sense that most Americans don't know how good they've got it here.
The reason there is no manufacturing to speak of here is because we have high corporate tax, and to many regulations. Every time an agency like the EPA passes a new regulation, that costs business money. This stuff adds up and we just have to many. We have to many because corporate America has been able to lobby congress into passing many of them in order to raise the cost of doing buisness, making it more difficult for an upstart or small business to take market share. Paying 50 people $50,000 a year to run a plant is nothing compared to how quickly this red tape adds up. A lot of it makes sense, and even saves lives, but not all of it. The regulations that are erroneous or need some huge agency to enforce, just makes everything more expensive to start business here.
We also have free trade agreements with countries like China. Tariffs and import taxes are supposed to level the playing field or even tilt it in favor of the home country, when it comes to dealing with a country like China, where the cost of doing buisness is much cheaper(lower taxes, less regulations and cheaper labor).
Please don't keep thinking it's your fellow Americans wanting to make enough money to live and have a retirement that is keeping the country down. It's got nothing to do with those people. It's all about greedy fucks that have let this situation come to pass. They've passed shitty bills in order to get VP positions at scumbag companies that covet profits more than human life, health or happiness. They care nothing for this situation we're in. They just want to get elected again or get that corporate job after doing some dirty work. If they seriously cared, they could do a lot of things to work on fixing it. The fact that they're basically just shrugging and saying "Let's spend more money," just goes to show that they don't care AT ALL. Congress will not save you. Not unless they're replaced with real people.
Also...I never said anything about the US being known or unknown for manufacturing. Since you bring it up, though, it's only been about 40 or 50 years since we were the manufacturing powerhouse of the world. That's why the dollar became so powerful, and also, why it's so weak today. The dollar was strong when we made things other countries needed. America was the first country to seriously mass produce cars. Other countries made cars. Probably even better cars. But we made lots and lots and lots of them and made them cheaply. Enough to get the world driving. People wanted the US dollar, because you needed the US dollar, if you wanted to buy cars from the US. GM wouldn't accept franks. Several other things we made and exported like this, but cars are a good example. Oil is a good one, too. During the oil boom in the south, we were one of the highest producers of oil, and you needed dollars to buy our oil. That's how we became the world reserve currency. Everyone needed dollars. No matter what, your country needed something from the US. Now, the reason the dollar is still holding on by a thread, is because several countries still will only accept US dollars for their oil. So, dollars have value to the entire world, but only because they need them to buy oil from countries like Iraq or Saudi Arabia.
This is why I feel there's a bit of artificiality to this crisis. Things are bad, and we could definitely fall off the edge of the waterfall...but it's like no ones thought to pull on the rudder and change direction. If anything, the politicians are unfurling the sails and charging at it, telling you the rudder is broke and there's nothing we can do to change our fate. We make something the world needs again, and the dollar will gain back a lot of it's strength. I also promise you, that Americans wanting a decent wage isn't what is stopping this from happening. They could afford to pay the Chinese workers 10 bucks an hour(or whatever is a living wage with retirement in China, I honestly don't know)...they just don't.
). I always said, my favorite thing about the Internet, is it PROVES there's a whole lot of people out their, dumber than me. 
