If Germany's lucky, they are about at the same stage the U.S. was in 1979 or 80, when the threat of globalism made workers realize that the days of growing wages without productivity increases were over (and just as with Germany today, the government of the time was at a loss to see or react to what was happening, though Germany has yet to find its Reagam to contrast with Schroder's Jimmy Carter).

If you're right, you'd better buy a spare Suburban and store it in cosmoline, because GM won't be around to be building replacements when the current one wears out.

Anyone can make the parts--so long as we're designing them and the machinery to tool them. Manufacture should not occur in developed countries.

Nonsense.
That's similar to saying that agriculture shouldn't occur in developed countries. There are many legitimate reasons for developed nations to grow their own food and produce their own goods, not the least of which is that labor costs are not the end-all and be-all of deciding where to produce.

Yes they are. We grow our own food still only because corporate farming and illegal immigration hold labor costs to a minimum.

But Americans don't know how to design good cars. Given a choice between a Cadillac and a Lexus, how many will choose the Cadillac?

Americans invented everything in the Lexus--the Japanese just tweaked it. For isntance, the big new thing is on-board navigation. That was us.

That's right, corporate farming works because, among other things, labor needs are minimized, which is just the flip side of maximizing labor efficiency, and not at all the same as paying low wages.

Ask Harry about how many hands are needed to process sugar in the US, and what they're paid, vs. in the Phillipines.

Michael:

If a machine can do your job your boss isn't going to give you a raise.