Quote Originally Posted by JaggedEdge
Doesn't you argument here disagree with unions though? We are already experiencing these problems. Cap and trade will do exactly what you are talking about. We shouldn't try and run companies out of the United States, by doing so, we are shipping job's overseas and harming our own economy. Cheap products do us no good if their aren't enough employed people to purchase them.
Mass production needs skilled technicians to repair and replace the machines that truly produce. The future is automation, with very few people involved in the production process, with many people involved in the R&D, marketing, transportation, etc....

The phase from 2nd to 3rd phase economies (mass production -> mass information/mass customization) is currently under way.