The only thing left out was that the American Management had no background in rowing or canoes, and hired a rower with no background in rowing. In this way they avoided having to pay the higher labor costs of an experience rower. Ultimately, in the end, they decided that good rowers weren't available in the US to they applied for an H1-B visa.

They've already reduced several other types of work visas

Japan and some European countries like Germany have more cooperative "high road" systems between management and labor and their companies do very well. American companies pursue "low road" policies like outsourcing to reduce wages and benefits and management via bullying and terror. No wonder why so many Americans hate their jobs.

than most other countries. Also working with ones hands to build things is looked down upon here while it's considered honorable work in Germany and Japan

I am always shocked by how much people degrade blue-collar trades, even the ones that are well-paying. I met some German relatives of a friend of mine and they talked about how well they live working at an auto factory (I can't recall which company) and they were surprised by how weak unions are here and how few rights Americans have in the workplace compared to Germany.

My grandfather was a shop steward for a GM plant, and one of the early NUMMI trainers who went to CA to learn the method to bring back to the Midwest. The Midwestern plants *HATED* it. They would not cooperate, would not accept the change, so it didn't happen. My grandfather retired soon after, heartsick with his fellow workers.

He would never let me buy a car built in those factories, even 15 years later. He said he couldn't trust my body with cars made by people who wouldn't even try to learn.

He's been gone for a decade, but my granny is still here, still kicking, and she sees a direct connection between that behavior then, and the Midwest turning red. I trust her judgement.

while European companies struggle. I guess you'd rather have the 17.8% unemployment rate of Spain or 11% of Italy, or the complete 30yr stagnation of an economy such as Japan? Germany is an outlier in Europe.

Austerity was forced on Southern European countries like Spain and Italy. Because they don't have currency sovereignty they couldn't use stimulus to come out of the recession like we did under Obama.

Japan isn't perfect but they don't have the kind of inequality that we have and their companies are doing well as far as I can tell. Besides, what good is economic growth if it is eaten up by the top ten percent or top one percent? What about the rest of the country that has not seen a raise since the 1970s?

American companies did "well" by outsourcing their production overseas and breaking organized labor at home.
So that worked out for CEOs and shareholders and maybe some upper managers but not so much for everyone else.

Don't let facts get in the way of a shitty meme. US companies dominate the global economy and have outperformed companies from other countries.

Here are some stats from the top 100 global companies:
1) 10 of the largest companies in the world by market cap are US companies
2) In 2009 Japan had 6 of the largest (top 100) companies now it has 4. US had 42 and now has 54
3) "The US has seen an impressive growth of its share of the largest companies since 31 March 2008. It gained 7 companies between 2008 and 2009 and since then gained an additional 13 companies totalling 55. By market cap the US share was 38% at 31 March 2008 rising to 63% in 2017."

"The gap between the US largest companies and the rest of the world continues to widen. US companies are exploiting their global reach, financial strength and ability to innovate - a sharp contrast to those in the UK and Europe, which continue to fall behind in the rankings."

http://www.pwc.com/gx/en/audit-services/assets/pdf/global-top-100-companies-2017-final.pdf

It's innovation that puts US companies ahead of counterparts from other countries. And the US is still, by far, the most innovative country in the world.

the US companies are innovative at screwing over their workers and outsourcing jobs while getting plenty of subsidies and tax credits and stimulus to prop them up

Automation is the biggest job killer. There is much innovation in replacing humans with machines.

And that meme is closer to the truth as to how management in Corporate America takes care of its own and screws over the workers than has been disputed.

But we've had concerns about automation for at least fifty years. Outsourcing to other countries around the world was what brought labor down in the U.S. You say, yourself that's "screwed over workers." Can you deny that outsourcing destroyed the American worker far more than automation? Here we all were, worrying about "automation" which has really hit smaller industries the most. My dad, a skilled laborer, who'd dropped out of high school to help support his family during the Depression( admittedly I never understood how he got a job, when jobs were so scarce) was very bright and stayed with labor, when offered management jobs. Overtime actually offered better income than salaried jobs back then. My brother worked for a once major industry that closed up shop some years back. He was offered some retraining although he was close to retirement and chose to go to a culinary school, since cooking was his hobby. No dice. They preferred computer training. In fact, twenty-some or more years ago until recently, EVERYONE was being pushed into that field. I worked a decade ago with "at risk" teenagers. Only then were computer skills beginning to be downplayed as the only way to go. Everyone needs computer sills and in almost any profession, but as a profession in itself, not so much.

Automation is just productivity growth. We had high productivity growth from 1947-1973 and no "job apocalypse" or wage stagnation. In fact that era was probably the best ever for American workers. The automation story is useful because it keeps us from discussing trade agreements that encouraged outsourcing and allows the press, politicians and business leaders to blame workers for not getting the "right skills" like it is realistic for everyone to become a STEM worker.

which is why functions like IT are what is contracted out to other companies. There are many American IT services contracting companies: IBM, Deloitte, DXC, etc. and many American workers who work there. You might be talking to one online right now.

It's comparable to hiring a firm that specializes in something rather than trying to do it in house. The same way some households would hire a plumber, electrician, locksmith, or construction contractor instead of do it yourself. And there is plenty of need for workers in the skilled trades as every little town across America would need these services. Automation has some impact on trade jobs but there will always be a need for humans to do much of it.

People should go into either STEM or skilled trades. And trade schools are much cheaper than universities.





https://www.adeccousa.com/employers/resources/skilled-trades-in-demand/

in case no one's noticed

Responsibilities have been devolved to the front line worker. Even the lowly office manager is now
receptionist, marketing, bookkeeper, HR, Girl Friday, and inside sales.

Computers eliminated layers of people, and gave the remaining workers to do all the functions with software.

Don't let anyone fool you about that.