NY Times: Steve Jobs and Obama
Chris sent me this. It completely addresses what I was thinking about, and illustrates a very difficult truth.
“It is hard to estimate how much more it would cost to build iPhones in the United States. However, various academics and manufacturing analysts estimate that because labor is such a small part of technology manufacturing, paying American wages would add up to $65 to each iPhone’s expense. Since Apple’s profits are often hundreds of dollars per phone, building domestically, in theory, would still give the company a healthy reward.
But such calculations are, in many respects, meaningless because building the iPhone in the United States would demand much more than hiring Americans — it would require transforming the national and global economies. Apple executives believe there simply aren’t enough American workers with the skills the company needs or factories with sufficient speed and flexibility.”
This is exactly what Obama was talking about. It’s ridiculous that America can’t supply these skilled workers - we have so many people out of jobs, who I’m sure would love to get trained.
His example of companies that pay for skilled training of potential employees, and then hire them, thereby creating the opportunities for local work and loyalty to their company and our country, might actually reinforce a workforce with the skills and morale to have a quality American manufacturing industry.
We need to invest in ourselves to get ourselves where we need to be.
In advertising, we always said it was “quick, good, or cheap, pick two.” Quality may cost, it may take time, but it’s GOOD. Let’s raise our own standards.
