'Failure to Adjust: How Americans Got Left Behind in the Global Economy'

Edward Alden discusses 'Failure to Adjust: How Americans Got Left Behind in the Global Economy', his new book about how U.S. Economic and trade policies have left many Americans unable to adapt or compete in the current global marketplace—and how the United States can reassert itself as the leader in international economic competition.

Speaker:

Edward Alden, Bernard L. Schwartz Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations

Presider:

Richard N. Haass, President, Council on Foreign Relations

[netabaughman]

You made a deal with Walmart and build their stores and rent them back to them, sent all are jobs to China. I cried when Rubbermaid was sold off.

[FreeJakeTown]

I'm happy to see you turned your comment section back on, I thought for a while that the CFR must be the types that can't handle adversity and needs to hide. I'm glad you've had a change of character, this will be fun, trust me....?

[ashgiri]

Thank you for posting this! I am thankful for the CFR's resources :-)

[andrewsteeves]

Yep, we have very competitive companies but, unfortunately, none of them are hiring any Americans, hence why Americans are super PISSED at their wicked, stupid Rulers.

[humboldt]

I never heard Donald Trump say that he would impose an across the board tariff, he only talked about imposing a tariff on those companies in the US who want to move abroad to service the US, i.e., a punitive tariff. It is not the same thing.

[LanceMaurer]

What makes you think that states could (at 15:51) do a better job than federal programs in policy and guidance? I see little leadership or an appetite for investment on the scale required at the State level. I would like to hear your suggested solutions to marketplace drivers that could encourage this type of coordination and investment.

[SunValleyKings]

since america doesnt pay off its debt, i won't pay off mine

[maxmustermann]

Great discussion!
But the camera makes it look like the footage is from the 90's.

[LukethedukE]

They discussed just two of the three legs of open society; trade and immigration. It surprises me that the council, which supposedly looks at things from a US perspective, why to attention to the financial aspects. This is probably the biggest problem in the global economy and it is the biggest thing that the US has control of. Capital movement is huge in most crises that have arisen in the past 60-70 years

[jamiekloer]

Taxes regulation and healthcare system are huge burden on economy. Immigration is hard on the education system. How would we have skilled workforce when the factory has moved. How do you gain or retain skills if your factories are gone.

[humboldt]

Why don't they talk aboutt the incentives that business have to outsource, to move away. Why incentives to move abroad?

[wolvesprowl]

2016... Trump wants to bring back the factories..

[Oymmit]

they got thrown under the bus for AIPAC. why profit even more from that?

[benzr]

Great video. My take on universal basic income is this. In general, its a bad idea, but when population increases and we become 3rd world country, which is very likely when US currency loses its relevance, poor people may be placed in FEMA camps. Then I see it as a viable option for those people, but I understand that its unpopular topic and some people may refuse to collaborate on that. It would be like a modern slavery set up when people are getting roof over their heads, food and some spending money (in some kind of form). In return their are prompted to work in those camps. It sounds like a screwed up partial movie script, but our rulers wouldn't hesitate to do that to common folk.

[alexplotkin]

We need to mobilize the best educated workers to help retrain the less trained workers.

[maxmustermann]

[23:01] I disagree, vocational training and job placement services have been in place way longer than immigration has been a hot topic. Job placement services especially in Scandinavia are a result of their (post-industrial) welfare state and the sentiment that the state has a responsibility to protect its citizens from the most negative effects of capitalism (e.g. poverty through unemployment).