Product Description

Our trade deficit increases by $2 billion a day. Pharmaceutical companies and their lobbyists have such influence in Washington that Medicare, by current law, is not allowed to negotiate lower drug prices. We import oil on an ever-increasing scale, putting ourselves into dept with the Saudis, the Kuwaitis, and other Middle Eastern nations. With their windfall profits, they continue to buy American assets. China's booming economy and abundance of cheap labor are threatening our economic survival. We have mortgaged our fortunes, our principles, and our way of life.

In this comprehensive look at the real, human toll of America's unsound trade policy, Senator Byron Dorgan exposes the myth of "free trade." Indeed, free trade is not free; it is something that is slowly but surely draining away American prosperity. Sure, Chinese labor can drive down prices at Wal-Mart; at the same time, however, those saved wages-dollars that would have gone to buy these cheaper goods-are gone. Too soon, it will all come crashing down.

Major U.S. corporations continue to ship jobs overseas by the millions and, because of their influence in Washington, avoid paying a king's ransom in taxes. Many billions of dollars that these companies fleece from the government and the American people go overwhelmingly to investments in expanding production capabilities overseas. In short, our government is in the grip of corporate and foreign interests, and the American worker has born the brunt of this culture of corruption. How can we stem the tide of outsourcing? Why has the White House done nothing? Will the middle class survive?

From describing corporate profiteering to calling to action a lethargic, inactive government, Byron Dorgan exposes the truth about the destructive relationship between corporations and Congress and proposes strategies for what can really be done to preserve America's preeminence in the world.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #412033 in Books
• Published on: 2006-07-25
• Released on: 2006-07-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 288 pages

From Booklist
In 1970 the largest U.S. corporation was General Motors, with employees who stayed with the company for most of their working lives. Today the largest U.S. corporation is Wal-Mart, which has a 70 percent turnover rate. Dorgan is concerned about the implications of that shift in employment status and stability for the standard of living in the U.S. He looks beyond the economic and philosophical arguments, using vignettes to describe the bottom-line competition of large corporations that has resulted in the loss of three million U.S. jobs in the last five years. He cites a long list of U.S. companies and brands that have moved operations overseas, including Fruit of the Loom, Fig Newton, and Radio Flyer. Dorgan cautions that American consumers are in denial about the cost of the cheap goods they buy in terms of job loss and the exploitation of overseas workers. After lauding a host of those who have spoken out on the issue, including Warren Buffett, Ross Perot, and Bill Moyers, Dorgan offers some suggestions, including repealing tax breaks for exporting jobs. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

About the Author
Senator Byron L. Dorgan is the senior senator from North Dakota currently serving his third term. In 1998, Dorgan was named the chairman of the Democratic Policy Committee, a position held by many before they became party leader. He lives in Bismarck, North Dakota, and Washington, D.C.

Customer Reviews

Very Important Insights!
"Moving jobs to China and running profits through the Cayman Islands to avoid taxes undermines American workers and threatens out future" - so begins Senator Dorgan's "Take This Job and Ship It." Our trade deficit now increases by $2 billion/day, and our total deficit (federal government and trade) is $1.2 trillion/year.

In 1970 the biggest U.S. corporation was G.M. - for most employees, it was a ticket to lifetime employment, and for all it provided good wages, pensions, and health care. Today it is Wal-Mart, with an average salary of $18,000, 70% turnover the first year, and large numbers without benefits. About three million have already lost their jobs to out-sourcing, and Alan Blinder, former vice chairman of the Federal Reserve Board estimates 42-56 million jobs could be sent abroad, while many of those remaining will be competing with those paid much less in foreign lands.

Dorgan goes on to assert that about 750,000 U.S. jobs have been lost via NAFTA, and the three largest imports from Mexico are autos, auto parts, and electronic - displacing high-skilled American jobs, contrary to pre-implementation projections. Even Fig Newtons are now imported from Mexico. We have gone from a $1.3 billion surplus with Mexico in 1994 to a $45 billion deficit. Meanwhile, the U.S. poverty rate increased for the fourth straight year (to 12.7%) in 2005.

The problem is no longer limited to blue-collar workers. Senior software engineer salaries have been driven down by outsourcing from $130,000 to $100,000 in a few years (IF one is still employed). Airline maintenance has also been exported.

Meanwhile, while corporations make record profits through outsourcing, their tax payments dwindle. From 1945 to 2000 the share of income taxes paid by corporations dropped from 35% to 10%. Companies that move jobs overseas can reinvest those profits there and pay no U.S. income taxes; or, they can repatriate the money and pay only 5.25% federal tax. (To be fair, they probably had also already paid local taxes, but these usually are less than in the U.S.)

For readers that like irony, Dorgan points out that U.S. drug companies now manufacture overseas (low costs and taxes) - yet, claim reimported drugs from Canada are dangerous. As for claims that they need high prices in the U.S. to fund research - Dorgan asserts that 36% of U.S. medical research is funded by NIH. Another example is Cuba - "free trade" is good, except involving Cuba. It just so happens that the majority of Cuban expatriates live in Florida - a key state in 2000, 2004, and probably the 2008 election as well. (The U.S. embargo also provides Castro with a great excuse for the poor performance of the Cuban economy.)

Recommendations: 1)Let's determine the national security implications of outsourcing - especially manufacturing. 2)Repeal the tax breaks for exporting jobs. 3)Address "imported" pollution (eg. from China). 4)Limit or end the trade deficit - possibly by Buffett's Plan.

Dorgan refers back to the Titanic's sinking, pointing out that those in the lower economic strata suffered the most casualties. Similarly, with the trade deficit - the bosses are making more than ever, while the workers are suffering more and more. This cannot continue.

Take This Book and Buy It
From the very beginning, Senator Dorgan, the author, speaks from his heart and soul about what is wrong with America, and what can be done about it. You can sense his strong sense of duty and the obligation he feels toward his fellow Americans, and the frustration he feels in being thwarted by a republican-dominated congress. (This book was finished before the recent congressional election that gave congress back to democrats.)

Senator Dorgan laments the exodus of jobs to countries that have broken their trade agreements with us, and have made our trade deficit soar. This exodus has not only caused three million Americans to lose their jobs, but it has also compromised our national security. Parts for our bombs and planes are made in foreign countries. It has allowed countries to flood ours with their imports while keeping ours out by tariffs. Mexico is exporting contaminated and decayed meat that is lining our meat counters. And Dorgan attacks the now familiar Walmart because they pay their workers so poorly and a health care plan that costs so much, they must use public assistance.

He is concerned about a congress that represents corporations rather than their constituents. He is concerned about a congress that allows them to export jobs and commodities and then charge them a low tax rate of only 5.4 percent to bring the money back into the country. He is angry that pharmaceuticals are allowed to export their products where they are sold at less than half the price charged to Americans. He is also angry that they claim the cost is for research when they are spending so much on marketing. (Anyone ever see a commercial with two people in separate bathtubs--when the moment is right?)

This book is well-written. The author's tone shows a sense of urgency and frustration without being strident. Nowhere in his writing did I detect that he was attempting to promote a socialist state, or a "cradle-to-grave" government as one reviewer suggests. Senator Dorgan is all for leveling the playing field so that our products and jobs can compete fairly in the world. His theme is similar to what the ancient Greeks said: Everything in moderation and nothing to excess. For the senator this includes trade and capitalism.

I am very stingy with five stars. Out of 124 reviews to date, I have given less than ten, about half of that for books. This is not Leon Uris' Armageddon or Herman Wouk's "Caine Mutiny." It is five stars because I learned a great deal, and because it is an important book.

I think it is important enough for you to read it. Please.

Take this book and buy it.

This book must be required reading for anybody in business or government
Byron Dorgan really hits the nail on the head with this book. It should appeal to everybody whether or not they are "blue" or "red". Why? What good is having a political point of view if there are no good jobs?

I will admit that this review is very biased on the subject. I live in Michigan. This state leads the nation in job losses. There seems to be a conspriacy of Democrats, Republicans, and business leaders in this state to ship jobs to any place but here. I've seen the towns of Flint, Saginaw, and Detroit turn into hopeless areas with no jobs. Is this the future of America? This reviewer hopes not!

I was lucky enough to run across this book at my local book store. I sat down and read it all in one evening. This book reminds me of an economics argument I got into with a professor. He said jobs should go to where people are willing to work for little money. I retorted "that's pretty big talk for a government worker who has college tenure".

Sheeze, I agree with this book. There is no reason to have trade with China if all they are going to do is sell us second rate goods and loan us money to for our deficits. There is no reason to have total free trade with many nations because they don't have enviormental laws, employment rights laws, and many other job protections that the citizens of this nation spent years building.

Last, lots of businesses, like GM, love to run overseas for cheap labor. However, they forget the danger of nationalism. The large corporations of America lost millions of dollars when industries were nationalized by Cuba in the early 1960s. The trouble is if some company lost a factory to nationalization then they would expect corporate welfare to bail them out.

America is in a perfect storm for losing jobs. This book explains why we will be losing jobs until some of the solutions of this book are done.

I like this book and give it five stars. Byron Dorgan has done an excellent job explaining all the government and business policies that result in the loss of real good jobs in America.

This is a wish that will never happen: all government policy makers and corporate executives should read this book. If a professor has not read this book they should lose their tenure!