Mr. Luddite wrote:
I watched a report on MSNBC earlier today that blew my mind.

It focused on a port in California that handles 40 percent of
our import and export shipments to and from China.

First item of surprise:

60 percent of the containers loaded with merchandise imported from
China are returned to China ... empty.

But the biggest surprise is what we are exporting *to* China in huge
qualities.

Trash.

The report showed mountains of recyclable plastic bottles, cardboard,
scrap metal and other trash items that are loaded up and set to China.
China's workers recycle it, making insulated clothing items from the
plastic bottles and cardboard and items like smartphones from the scrap
aluminum and metals, then ship them back to the USA for sale back to us.



Back in the 50's we loaded our scrap steel on scrap ships, and they towed
them to Japan for processing. I guess we are to expensive to do do any
real labor. My dad's company did a lot of the work of cutting huge holes
in the decks of ships, which was filled with scrap and then welding the
deck section back in. As well,as welding the rudder straight and the prop
shaft from turning. Seems as will be even better economically for other
countries if we keep raising minimum wages.