Saturday, March 06, 2010

The Jobs of Yesteryear: Creative Destruction

Slideshow from NPR (with audio), includes iceman, pinsetter, switchboard operator, typesetter, etc.

HT:
Russ Roberts via Pete Friedlander

6 Comments:

At 3/06/2010 6:30 PM, Blogger sethstorm said...

There is a difference between actual progress and politically-charged destruction (such as done in the last 30 years).

There's more destruction done in offshoring than creation for the pace of created work. That is also part ofthe problem.

 
At 3/07/2010 12:07 AM, Blogger PeakTrader said...

Seth, it seems you didn't notice the U.S. Information and Biotech revolutions.

The Microsoft Millionaires Come of Age
May 29, 2005

"While the exact number is not known, it is reasonable to assume that there were approximately 10,000 Microsoft millionaires created by the year 2000," said Richard S. Conway Jr., a Seattle economist whom Microsoft hired to study its impact on Washington State. "The wealth that has come to this area is staggering."

Your blame is misdirected. Government has squandered your money, not firms, which has been most destructive for society.

 
At 3/07/2010 2:00 AM, Blogger sethstorm said...


Seth, it seems you didn't notice the U.S. Information and Biotech revolutions.

Unfortunately for you, I have.

I have also noticed the jobs go the way of manufacturing in that they're sent offshore a bit too quickly. Thank various foreign lobby groups(e.g. NASSCOM, etc.), their US-based "fellow travelers" like Carly Fiorina, firms like Grigsby & Cohen, and every business that outright lies to the displaced up to their last day.

The only government entities to blame are those use or facilitate offshoring in their state or commonwealth.



Your blame is misdirected. Government has squandered your money, not firms, which has been most destructive for society.

Government hasn't squandered anything in the context of this article.

 
At 3/07/2010 3:30 AM, Blogger PeakTrader said...

I'm glad you noticed "the pace of created work" has been fast in the U.S. Information and Biotech revolutions (certainly faster than any other country), and that pace was facilitated by other firms.

Yet, it seems, you haven't noticed government in the "destruction," which has been massive, and I've explained much of it before. I want U.S. living standards to improve at an optimal rate.

 
At 3/07/2010 4:29 PM, Blogger sethstorm said...


Yet, it seems, you haven't noticed government in the "destruction," which has been massive, and I've explained much of it before.

Well, if you count a political application of offshoring, yes. It's easy to undermine national interests when you can use Third World resources. It's difficult (if not impossible) to not be indiscriminate in who you target; not only do you get your group, you also cause friendly-fire incidents.



I want U.S. living standards to improve at an optimal rate.

So would I, but too many in the South keep on selling our nation out.

 
At 3/07/2010 9:13 PM, Blogger juandos said...

"Government hasn't squandered anything in the context of this article"...

ROFLMAO!

Well it is NPR... LMAO!

Thank you Mies Institute: Blaming free trade for the present predicament of so many workers is misplaced. But who should be blamed? The American politicians have themselves to blame for most of the job losses we have seen over the last several years. The simple fact is, our politicians continue to engage in something Ludwig von Mises used to call "interventionism." He defined interventionism as the government’s attempts to correct some perceived market failing through its own power of coercion. Good intentions may be behind interventionism, but, as the saying goes, "the road to hell is paved with good intentions."

 

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