Feb

2

Ian Fletcher seems to be a newly formed star in the protectionist firmament. That facts speaks volumes about the quality of protectionist arguments– and about the audience for such arguments.

Don 

………………………………….

1 February 2011

Editor, The Huffington Post
Dear Editor:

Ian Fletcher's column on U.S. manufacturing is a stew of misunderstandings, non sequiturs, half-truths, and false presumptions ("Manufacturing in Decline; Establishment in Denial," Feb. 1). For example, about the fact that U.S. manufacturing output remains the highest among all countries in the world today, Mr. Fletcher - after expressing surprise that anyone bothers even to mention this fact - dismissively says "This statistic proves nothing about improvement or decline."

America's continuing high manufacturing output deserves to be mentioned simply because so very many people today– such as prominent anti-trade pundit Harold Meyerson– ceaselessly and ominously repeat the falsehood that "Americans no longer make things."

As for the "statistic prov[ing] nothing about improvement or decline," a scholar so well versed with the data as is Mr. Fletcher surely must know that, measured in inflation-adjusted dollars, U.S. manufacturing output in 2009 was about ten percent higher than it was in 2000, 47 percent higher than in 1990, 83 percent higher than in 1980, and 120 percent higher than in 1970.*

Sincerely,
Donald J. Boudreaux
Professor of Economics
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA 22030

* Percentages are calculated from this blog post.


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5 Comments so far

  1. Ian Fletcher: Yes, American Manufacturing Really is in Trouble » Grubbyhub Blog - Get Your Latest Info Here! on February 11, 2011 11:56 pm

    […] Another way to look at this problem is to observe that Don Boudreaux’s impressive figures about how measured in inflation-adjusted dollars, U.S. manufacturing output in 2009 was about ten percent higher than it was in 2000 […]

  2. Ian Fletcher: Yes, American Manufacturing Really is in Trouble on February 12, 2011 12:20 am

    […] Another way to look at this problem is to observe that Don Boudreaux’s impressive figures about how measured in inflation-adjusted dollars, U.S. manufacturing output in 2009 was about ten percent higher than it was in 2000 […]

  3. Ian Fletcher: Yes, American Manufacturing Really is in Trouble | Liberal Media Books on February 12, 2011 1:39 am

    […] Another way to look at this problem is to observe that Don Boudreaux’s impressive figures about how measured in inflation-adjusted dollars, U.S. manufacturing output in 2009 was about ten percent higher than it was in 2000 […]

  4. Ian Fletcher: Yes, American Manufacturing Really is in Trouble | About Politics Blog on February 12, 2011 5:53 am

    […] Another way to look at this problem is to observe that Don Boudreaux’s impressive figures about how measured in inflation-adjusted dollars, U.S. manufacturing output in 2009 was about ten percent higher than it was in 2000 […]

  5. Risks & Loans » Blog Archive » Ian Fletcher: Yes, American Manufacturing Really Is in Trouble on February 12, 2011 7:26 pm

    […] Another way to look at this problem is to observe that Don Boudreaux’s impressive figures about how “measured in inflation-adjusted dollars, U.S. manufacturing output in 2009 was about ten percent higher than it was in 2000″ come into proper focus when you remember that our overall economy was 32% bigger in 2009 than in 2000. […]

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