>>I think many businesses have fired their knowledge bases over the last decade, for either outsourcing or to reduce the cost before the IPO... well anything for profit, right? Now that the toy is broken, can it be pieced together? Do they still have people who know how to organize production, or will they have to bring them from China? I've heard they have pretty experienced guys there ;).
>
>In this case, seeing as there are still numerous furniture factories in the area, they will steal ($) a couple of very experienced production managers and hire the rest from the either the experienced laborers still here but not employed in the field (at a lower cost than before) due to the jobs going overseas or train new employees (at a lower cost as well).

IOW, the whole globalization business boils down to free movement of money and goods but not people - where it differs sharply from how I remember the definition of free market.

The transition of USSR et al was taken as a green light to "stop pretending that we are a humane society and stop pampering our slaves, there's no need for that, we have finally proven that socialism can't work... now where were we? Ah, yes, 1) destroy those damn unions, 2) 6% is not enough, we need at least 20% profit, 3) drive down the wages, 4) automate everything so we won't need to educate the workers... the last time they got too educated we were this close to a revolution, we need them stupid..." (from an unwritten script for a never-to-be-made movie)