Search

For many decades, overseas production rather than exporting has been the dominant strategy of U.S. multinationals for supplying manufactured goods to foreign markets. The competitive advantage of producing in the [...]

Inflation is here to stay, the author argues, but the nation is willfully blind to that fact. Indeed, we invest considerable energy in feeble and futile attempts to "make it go away," attempts that may be doing as much harm as good. Why do we have this ostrichlike attitude? The reason is that the evil effects traditionally associated with inflation have made it morally unacceptable to even discuss inflation in an open-minded way, just as it was unacceptable to discuss the facts of life in Victorian society; our efforts have all been skewed in the direction of repressive half-measures, rather than toward a direct reconciliation of our economic structure with the persistence of inflation. As the author points out, if we once accepted inflation as a persisting phenomenon, it might be possible to manage it in such a way that it becomes innocuous, or even a force contributing to growth. The time has come, he thinks, to divorce moralistic irrelevancies from our debates and attack the devilish aspects of inflation frontally. In this area we can benefit greatly from the experience of countries which have learned to live with inflation and, if not to love it, at least to govern it. Brazil, as the author explains, is a particularly good case for study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the labor market in the southern region of the United States. Factors leading to the expansion of industrial opportunity in the South include the quality of southern labor, the availability of raw materials, and access to sources of energy. The region offers an adequate supply of trainable labor, good labor relations, and relatively low labor costs. The disadvantages of operating in the South are the shortages of vocational training programs and workers with supervisory skills. Topics include unionism, companies such as Ford Motor Company that have expanded into the South, and reserves in agriculture.

Several letters to the editor are presented in response to articles in previous issues including "How Personal Computers Can Trip Up Executives," in the September 24, 1984 issue, "A Conservative Call for an Industrial Policy," by Norman Jonas in the September 17, 1984 issue, and "Looking for Tax Breaks? Incorporate Yourself," in the August 27, 1984 issue.

The approval of the North American Free Trade Agreement proposal will not be met with an enthusiastic movement of US firms to Mexico to take advantage of lower labor costs. The traditional notion of plants ever on the lookout for cheap labor will not apply in this case because labor cost is no longer considered the most important factor for assessing the competitiveness of the firm. Furthermore, even without the pact, there already exists many US firms in Mexico.

Presents letters to the editor related to political developments in the United States. Analysis of racial incidents; Discussion on organized crime by Italian Immigrants in the United States; Focus on political parties in the United States.

Several letters to the editor are presented in response to articles in previous issues including the weakening of British pound, French franc and U.S. dollar; "Tapping the apartment market" in the November 30, 1968; and the strike of consumers.