In a previous post we talked about the loss of American manufacturing jobs. We blamed largely on the cost of medical expenses paid mostly by the employer through the medical benefits plan. Think about it…it is cheaper to build and ship autos from South Korea to American than it is to build autos in your own backyard. It isn’t materials cost; it’s the medical benefit cost and its continuing escalation. Medical expenses in this country grow at twice the rate of inflation. Along with incredibly poor lifestyle habits (over eating, smoking, drug abuse, etc.) we are an aging population. This is the perfect storm and it will cause dire consequences long before climate change trashes the planet. At the current pace, there will not be an American auto manufacturer in 20 years. All those jobs and all the auto industry supplier jobs will be in South Korea, China, or somewhere else–but not here. And if foreign quality continues to outpace our product, the “dead” line could shorten to 10 years. Historically we have evolved from a nation hungry for innovation, creativity, industrialization, profits and respect to just a nation hungry to satisfy its own unhealthy habits. WE are our own worst enemy. We must address the costly living routines now commonly followed by a sizable (pardon the pun) number of Americans. If you need proof of the poor health judgments around us, consider that 30% of us refuse vaccines that could save our lives and the lives of those we love. NEXT TIME: STATS ON MANUFACTURING vs. SERVICE JOB SECTORS
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