Getting your money's worth

[Smit]

All companies that rely more heavily on domestic manufacturing are in a better position.

The other car companies have become 100% dependent on cheap Chinese manufacturing. They bear the bulk of the responsibility for decimating our manufacturing base in the US. They will quickly find that sourcing parts, tooling, and components domestically is damn near impossible because they have driven most of their suppliers out of business.

Ford is the absolute worst of them all. They are now basically demanding, cause that's what Ford does, that we build them tools domestically for China prices. Never mind that we'd be out of business in 6 months if we tried. The bottom line is we simply lack the warm bodies to do the work. We have went from a shop of 30 moldmakers to 15, mostly due to retirement. There are NO young moldmakers to replace them. For fuck sake, at 52, I AM a young moldmaker. They then demand we invest millions in automation to do the work of 30 with 15. Sure, that'll work. And the fuckin second the tariffs are reduced they will run straight back to China.

If any company's cars should be firebombed for the sake of a political statement, it should be theirs and their Big 3 brethren who created this mess. They can all go eat a bag of dicks.

I can't speak to the car manufacturers but that's the pain across the manufacturing industry.

The shop that sponsored the apprenticeship I went through canceled the apprenticeship program because the people they trained went elsewhere after graduating because they wouldn't pay.

Then the whole shop closed down and the company started buying from China.

I believe almost all companies quit sponsoring apprenticeships, maybe for the same reason. The company I worked for when I retired only wanted to train a person to do one job and that person wasn't versatile, and usually wasn't great at doing that one job either (because the management didn't understand a fucking thing about manufacturing in a machine shop).

As a result everybody who works in a machine shop knows how hard it is to find a good machinist.

At the start of 2025 the unemployment rate was quite low. There weren't enough workers for businesses in general.

Now there are a bunch of ex government employees without jobs so the unemployment rate is higher but not many of those people are going to have expertise in manufacturing or maybe even the ability to learn. Nor are they going to want to do the more physical, menial jobs the immigrants who have been/will be deported were willing to do.

As you say, even if companies do want to bring manufacturing back to the U.S., who the fuck is going to do the work when we already can't fill jobs?

Now maybe in 10 to 20 years we can rebuild the manufacturing base in this country. Having said that, I already won't spend that fucking much money for a new car. Many people won't. On top of that, used car prices are going to go up as well. They already have. Supply and demand.

I believe politicians, like many managers, have no fucken idea the skills it takes to efficiently manufacture parts. They think "bring back jobs good" when it's just not that simple.

Bottom line is, there is going to be a lot of pain for the middle/lower class in the near future.

Will things be better in 20 years? I doubt it. When Trump leaves office things are going to change and the inconsistency in policies will likely work against each other.

[Del.]

My credit score has dropped 15 points since I paid off my mortgage. 

That just seems unfair. 

Credit scores are so bullshit. It just doesn't tell the whole story about someone's history of paying debt.

[Bucky Cornstarch]

I don't think it was as much people being "duped" as it was inflation fatigue.

Yer takin' the stink off my bait, man

[Bucky Cornstarch]

My credit score has dropped 15 points since I paid off my mortgage. 

That just seems unfair. 

Years ago, I paid off my student loans, truck, and a business credit card all in the same month, making me debt free except for my mortgage. I don't think my credit rating has recovered yet.

[Del.]

I can't speak to the car manufacturers but that's the pain across the manufacturing industry.

The shop that sponsored the apprenticeship I went through canceled the apprenticeship program because the people they trained went elsewhere after graduating because they wouldn't pay.

Then the whole shop closed down and the company started buying from China.

I believe almost all companies quit sponsoring apprenticeships, maybe for the same reason. The company I worked for when I retired only wanted to train a person to do one job and that person wasn't versatile, and usually wasn't great at doing that one job either (because the management didn't understand a fucking thing about manufacturing in a machine shop).

As a result everybody who works in a machine shop knows how hard it is to find a good machinist.

At the start of 2025 the unemployment rate was quite low. There weren't enough workers for businesses in general.

Now there are a bunch of ex government employees without jobs so the unemployment rate is higher but not many of those people are going to have expertise in manufacturing or maybe even the ability to learn. Nor are they going to want to do the more physical, menial jobs the immigrants who have been/will be deported were willing to do.

As you say, even if companies do want to bring manufacturing back to the U.S., who the fuck is going to do the work when we already can't fill jobs?

Now maybe in 10 to 20 years we can rebuild the manufacturing base in this country. Having said that, I already won't spend that fucking much money for a new car. Many people won't. On top of that, used car prices are going to go up as well. They already have. Supply and demand.

I believe politicians, like many managers, have no fucken idea the skills it takes to efficiently manufacture parts. They think "bring back jobs good" when it's just not that simple.

Bottom line is, there is going to be a lot of pain for the middle/lower class in the near future.

Will things be better in 20 years? I doubt it. When Trump leaves office things are going to change and the inconsistency in policies will likely work against each other.

Dang Larry. Hell must have frozen over as I agree with about 90% of that post.
There's more jobs than workers and they need to be trained. Good paying jobs. I'd put Mike Rowe in charge of it. Most young people can't even operate a weed eater.

[Smit]

5D chess man.

[Del.]

5D chess man.

I don't even know what that is. Chess sucks.

[Incogneeto]

I don't even know what that is. Chess sucks.

Del is more of a "Chutes and Ladders" kinda Guy.

[neurosis]

They think "bring back jobs good" when it's just not that simple.

It sure does make a good catchphrase though.

[Smit]

It sure does make a good catchphrase though.

It does. Who can argue with that?

Just like who can argue with getting rid of waste and corruption?

[neurosis]

Just like who can argue with getting rid of waste and corruption?

If you don't like what Musk is doing than you must not be for getting rid of waste and corruption!   

Yea.  The simplification of the American mind.

[Del.]

Just like who can argue with getting rid of waste and corruption?

Every Liberal is who.

[Del.]

If you don't like what Musk is doing than you must not be for getting rid of waste and corruption!   

Yea.  The simplification of the American mind.

It's a threat to democracy. 🙄

[ghuns]

If you don't like what Musk is doing than you must not be for getting rid of waste and corruption!   

Yea.  The simplification of the American mind.

I saw a tweet last night about a previously up and coming gun control group layoff nearly all its full time staff. In 2023 financial filings they spent $1.75 million more than they took in. They refused to release 2024 financials.

Guess that USAID faucet has really slowed to a trickle.

[Del.]

Did you see where Musk said there was 24 billion dollars approved for building new submarines. None were built and no one knew where the money was.