Unions are a big part of what killed a lot of manufacturing in US. There's a market value for a given product or service. Globalization has hit us no matter what we want so we have to compete with the lower cost labor forces in the world. Unions demand wages out of line with market value then argue with modernizations that could raise productivity and keep COGS down so that we could compete. In additon, the practice of increase wages just for coming to work year after year versus a meritocracy of raises for performance exacerbates the problem. The last affects all unions and not just manaufacturing... look at teachers or nurses. My wife is a senior ICU nurse and complains that the union prevents management from cracking down on slackers that cause patient risk by their poor performance and attitude. Not that unions are the only problem... America's insatiable appetite for more, bigger, faster, better along with mass marketing that would make one believe everyone deserves everything no matter what the market value of their skills adds a major component to problems in America. As many here and elsewhere have said... we're in for a major shakeup. Look at what the sub-prime mortgage issue of people going too deep in debt to finance the "American Dream" has contributed to the housing industry decline. If we get hit with energy issues or declining dollar makes buying foreign goods more expensive thus triggering an overall economic decline then service sector takes it on the chin in a lot of areas as individuals and companies simply spend less. It becomes a downward spiral. But... I still believe it can be fixed and America is the greatest country on the planet. Wish I had all the answers though.