That's not what we were discussing - you threw out the "American doesn't make stuff anymore" piece of "common knowledge."

But as far as balance of trade - all I'm concerned with is the level of imports required to give the US a North/Western European style quality of life (and yes, I know, economic measures are no a good measure of quality of life, but they're a really good place to start). Consumer culture in the US needs to be replaced with something more likely to result in human happiness.

you are the media you consume.