{"article":{"id":55050,"heading":"Ending The Good Times - Exporting America\u2019s High-Wage Jobs","author":"Paul Craig Roberts","created":"2003-05-02 00:33:23","modified":"2013-11-11 00:22:15","last_modified":"Mon, 11 Nov 2013 07:22:15","article":"

Ending The Good Times - Exporting America’s High-Wage Jobs

By Paul Craig Roberts

During the first 27 months of the Bush administration, the U.S. economy has lost 2.6 million private sector jobs. Much of this loss is from the fall in profits and subsequent downsizing after the high-tech bust. Some lost jobs, however, are from a new development: America’s export of high-wage jobs to low-wage countries.

The collapse of the Soviet Union, China’s “capitalist road,” and privatizations in formerly socialist economies made it reasonably safe for U.S. firms to locate capital and technology abroad to employ foreign labor to produce for the U.S. market. The main incentive to take production offshore is the availability of labor at wages far below the U.S. rate.

Foreign labor can be hired at a fraction of U.S. cost, because the standard of living is much lower in China, India, and other Asian countries. These countries have a labor supply that is large relative to demand, making it possible to employ people at wages considerably less than the value of their contribution to output. The labor savings allow U.S. firms to be more price competitive, or the savings flow directly into profits, thereby raising stock prices and managerial bonuses.

When U.S. firms move production for U.S. markets offshore, not only is American labor displaced by foreign labor, but also U.S. GDP is reduced by the production that is shifted abroad, while the foreign country’s GDP increases. What was formerly U.S. domestic production becomes imports. Imports have to be paid for with export earnings or by giving up ownership of U.S. assets, such as real estate, equity in U.S. companies, or government debt.

Persistent large trade deficits, such as ours, can put pressure on a country’s currency. Fortunately for us, the U.S. dollar is the world’s reserve currency. This means that the U.S. can run large trade deficits for a long time before the deficits force dollar devaluation. If alternatives to the dollar develop, such as the European Euro or, perhaps, the Chinese currency at a future date, the devaluation in the dollar could be sharp.

As long as the dollar is strong, the U.S. cannot close the trade deficit by exporting more and importing less. The problem is exacerbated by the growth in offshore production. Every time a company closes a plant in the U.S. and moves the production to China or India, our domestic production goes down and our imports go up.

Thus, the very process that helps U.S. firms become more profitable and price competitive worsens the U.S. trade deficit, lowers U.S. employment and GDP growth and puts pressure on the value of the dollar.

The growing ability of U.S. employers to substitute cheaper foreign labor for U.S. labor is putting pressure on U.S. wages and salaries. On April 26 the New York Times reported that the real earnings of those in the top ten percent fell 1.4% over the last year. The real weekly pay for the median worker fell 1.5 percent.

Another indication of the pressure on U.S. employment is the growing number of discouraged jobseekers who have dropped out of the labor force. The 5.8 percent unemployment rate does not include those too discouraged to seek jobs.

According to U.S. Labor Department figures reported in the New York Times on April 27, four million Americans have dropped out of the labor force since March 2001. Some of these dropouts are 30-year olds formerly making $150,000 per year.

Pay cuts and a growing number of discouraged jobseekers are the inevitable consequences of U.S. firms substituting lower-cost foreign labor for American employees.

In the past American workers were protected from cheap foreign labor by American capital, technology, business know-how and education, which made Americans more productive than foreign labor.

Today, capital, technology, and business know-how are internationally mobile. These factors of production move to where labor is cheap. High wage Americans have to compete with low wage Chinese and Indians, who have the same capital and technology.

This competitive pressure will force U.S. wages and salaries down and unemployment up. America’s high standard of living makes it difficult for U.S. pay to adjust downward quickly. Consequently, many Americans are losing occupations and careers.

Manufacturing workers were the first to be hard hit. Now engineers, designers, IT workers, architects, accountants, stock analysts and radiologists are experiencing disappearing jobs. Economists, who gave assurances not to worry about the loss of manufacturing jobs because we are becoming a service economy, overlooked the ability of U.S. firms to hire foreign professional services via the Internet and to import foreign workers on H-1B, L-1 and other work visas.

As long as cheaper and equally productive foreign labor can be hired, a growing number of Americans will find their hopes and expectations frustrated. Considering the enormous over-supply of Asian labor on the global labor market, this process will continue.

A dollar collapse would shorten the adjustment period by raising the cost of both foreign labor and imported goods and services, thereby reducing the cost advantage of offshore production.

But there appears to be no way to avoid the pressure on American real incomes from the competition of foreign labor as both our currency and our labor become less valuable.

Paul Craig Roberts is the author with Lawrence M. Stratton of The Tyranny of Good Intentions : How Prosecutors and Bureaucrats Are Trampling the Constitution in the Name of Justice. Click here for Peter Brimelow’s Forbes Magazine interview with Roberts about the recent epidemic of prosecutorial misconduct.

<\/p>\n","contact":"","link":"","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/plain","summary":"The growing ability of U.S. employers to substitute cheaper foreign labor for U.S. labor is putting pressure on U.S. wages and salaries. On April 26 the New York Times reported that the real earnings of those in the top ten percent fell 1.4% over the last year. The real weekly pay for the median worker fell 1.5 percent.","numcomment":42,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/","filesize":null,"article_url":"\/news\/2003\/05\/55050.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[{"id":55051,"heading":"The Vise is ...","article":"... tightening. Can you say planned destruction of the American Economy?","author":"Diogenes","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-05-02 00:35:15","modified":"2003-05-02 00:35:15","fileurl":""},{"id":55053,"heading":"Why and Who?","article":"Diogenes,\r\n\r\nWho is planning the destruction of the US economy and why do they want this? How will it benefit them?\r\n\r\nTed","author":"Ted","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-05-02 00:49:58","modified":"2003-05-02 00:49:58","fileurl":""},{"id":55057,"heading":"Do your homework...","article":"...start here: http:\/\/www.whatreallyhappened.com\/\r\n\r\nOtherwise I do not care to go into it in any detail at this time as it would take a rather major Post which I do not have time to write at the moment.","author":"Diogenes","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-05-02 01:14:00","modified":"2003-05-02 01:14:00","fileurl":""},{"id":55096,"heading":"Downonhisknees","article":"You're citing them as a reliable source?\r\n\r\nSheesh.","author":"daveman","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-05-02 07:27:06","modified":"2003-05-02 07:27:06","fileurl":""},{"id":55097,"heading":"Oh, you need a new hat, too.","article":"","author":"daveman","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","created":"2003-05-02 07:27:47","modified":"2005-08-15 01:28:30","fileurl":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2003\/05\/afdbhead.jpgkdylce.jpg","image":{"original":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2003\/05\/afdbhead.jpgkdylce.jpg"}},{"id":55134,"heading":"mayday 2003","article":"","author":"systemfailure","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","created":"2003-05-02 10:10:36","modified":"2005-08-15 01:28:31","fileurl":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2003\/05\/may1st.jpghwfuzo.jpg","image":{"original":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2003\/05\/may1st.jpghwfuzo.jpg"}},{"id":55148,"heading":"Exporting High Labor Low Tech Jobs","article":"Should the US keep the jobs that require a lot of laborers, little intelligence? And pay great wages plus full benefits for low productions rates. The Communist think we should. The Communist want to be paid for showing up to work, but not have to do much for the high wage and benefits.","author":"Bill","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-05-02 10:55:32","modified":"2003-05-02 10:55:32","fileurl":""},{"id":55151,"heading":"Da, tavarish!","article":"Ochen Harasho, comrad Bill.\r\nThen after we take over the factories, the schools, the \r\nmilitary; we will finally subdue the christian churches.\r\nRoving bands of communists will take your home, play with\r\nyour women and put you out on the streets.\r\nIt will be a glorious day!\r\nSeriously, why can't we just eliminate the corruption, conflicts of interests and other nasty but sucking at\r\nthe general expense of the people.","author":"Sheepdog","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-05-02 11:08:54","modified":"2003-05-02 11:08:54","fileurl":""},{"id":55155,"heading":"Why and who?....","article":"The answer is in the article, Ted. Here is a rhetorical question that will help you to see it: "Who is moving production offshore, who is hiring foreign workers at lower pay, who is paying less taxes?"\r\n\r\nPoint","author":"Point","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-05-02 11:27:33","modified":"2003-05-02 11:27:33","fileurl":""},{"id":55160,"heading":"Ground control to Major Tom","article":"Jeez.\r\n\r\nThe people who REALLY "planned" 9\/11 are purposely destroying the American economy.\r\n\r\nIf this is even a small example of the lack of intelligence of the average American worker, then no wonder low cost labor jobs are going overseas. You got nut-sos like Diogenes who want to be paid ten times more than what the job is worth, and then as an employer or as a fellow employee you'd have to listen to his psycho ramblings all day.\r\n\r\nFortunately, the American worker doesn't listen to Diogenes or his type because they have nothing worth while to say. Never have. Never will. That's documented.\r\n\r\nIndicators show the economy is poised for growth.","author":"david bowie","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-05-02 12:11:47","modified":"2003-05-02 12:11:47","fileurl":""},{"id":55163,"heading":"Smarmster comments","article":"Nice attempt. Nice contempt.\r\nNo content, no rebuttal.\r\nIs Mic really on your speed dial?\r\n","author":"Smarmster","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-05-02 12:40:30","modified":"2003-05-02 12:40:30","fileurl":""},{"id":55169,"heading":"CT","article":"Here's your rebuttal.\r\n\r\nIt's up to those who believe such things like "the 'planners' of 9\/11 have been working on this grand scheme for years and they also intend to train-wreck the US economy" to convince others that what they believe is true. To try and convince them it's not true is not something I care to do. The type of person who would actually buy into this kind of tripe is not someone who's playing with a full deck. \r\n\r\nOne of the characteristics of conspiracy theories is that they are irrefutable, by virtue of being infinitely flexible. Present a conspiracy theorist with evidence that argues against his theory, and he will explain that it actually confirms the theory. To him, evidence that appears contrary simply illustrates the conspirators' power to manipulate appearances. \r\n\r\nSo go hang out with some Tri-Lateral Commission types and have a ball.\r\n\r\n\r\n","author":":)","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-05-02 13:08:57","modified":"2003-05-02 13:08:57","fileurl":""},{"id":55204,"heading":"Memo to ":)"","article":"Thansk for being one of our most loyal viewers. At this time, we command you to blow up an abortion clinic of your choice. Do it!","author":"FOX NEWS","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-05-02 13:45:52","modified":"2003-05-02 13:45:52","fileurl":""},{"id":55205,"heading":"Memo to ":)"","article":"Thanks for being one of our most loyal viewers. At this time, we command you to blow up an abortion clinic of your choice. Do it!","author":"FOX NEWS","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-05-02 13:46:01","modified":"2003-05-02 13:46:01","fileurl":""},{"id":55216,"heading":"to faker","article":"No one has to blow up abortion clinics. You'll just make up a conspiracy theory stating that it happened anyway. Do it!","author":":)","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-05-02 13:55:13","modified":"2003-05-02 13:55:13","fileurl":""},{"id":55219,"heading":"to fox news","article":"By the way, do you have any suggestions on which abortion clinic I should wipe out first?","author":":)","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-05-02 13:57:01","modified":"2003-05-02 13:57:01","fileurl":""},{"id":55245,"heading":"The American Economy...","article":"...is poised for growth. \r\nHa, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! It is so sad to see people who take the regurgitations of television talk heads, and disembodied radio voices at face value and either have not the fortitude or the wit to examine the basic data for themselves.\r\n\r\nAt present time we are operating on "fiat" (by decree) money printed by a private bank, backed by hot air, and in excess supply.\r\n\r\nTake a look at the fundamentals of the economy.\r\n\r\nHeavy industrial production is moving or has already moved out of the county.\r\n\r\nThe Stock Market is continuing to lose value. By itself not of great concern in the long run because it is only one market. Agricultural and Industrial production are the baseline fundamentals of the economy. Both are under assault. Again I would invite people to do their own homework.\r\n\r\nI would suggest starting as mises.org - the website for the Ludwig Von Mises Institute.\r\n\r\nYou can't survive at our current living standard by borrowing money and endlessly running the printing presses.\r\n\r\nTake a look at the numbers for M2 - the most reliable measure of liquid money and the health of the economy. Since 1990 M2 has grown at annual rate of about 3 times the growth in GDP. Unchecked the end result is a sea of useless paper and rampant inflation. The simplest definition of inflation is "too many dollars chasing too few goods" i.e., when the supply of dollars exceeds the actual production of the economy as a whole for too long a period you get what we had in the late 70's: Stagflation. A stagnant, or declining, economy accompanied by massive inflation.\r\n\r\nYou can't surviive doing each other's laundry (the so-called service economy).\r\n\r\nThe wealth of a nation is founded upon it's people's willingness to work. When you endlessly pile on taxes, and steal their labor by inflating the currency, and then spending of the fruits of people's labors on wars of conquest that benefit only a priviledged few you erode the willingness to work. You take away the incentive. People don't generally work for free except in an emergency. They can't - survival demands that you produce so that you might have survival neccessities - food, shelter, clothing etc...\r\n\r\nIncomes, wages - earnings, for the bottom 3\/4 of the American population have been stagnant or declining for about the last 30 years. Productivity has gone up. Cui Bono? (Who benefits?)","author":"Diogenes","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-05-02 14:14:22","modified":"2003-05-02 14:14:22","fileurl":""},{"id":55255,"heading":"Economy","article":"OK, who to believe. Alan Greenspan. Diogenes. Alan Greenspan. Diogenes. Alan Greenspan. Diogenes. Alan Greenspan. Diogenes. \r\n\r\nI'll take Alan Greenspan.\r\n\r\n"I continue to believe that the economy is positioned to expand at a noticeably better pace than it has during the past year, though the timing and the extent of that improvement remains uncertain," Mr. Greenspan said. "The future path of the economy is likely to come into sharper focus only gradually."\r\n\r\nM2?? M2 was used 10 years ago. Stick to the stuff you're better at lieing at.","author":"ka$h","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-05-02 14:25:29","modified":"2003-05-02 14:25:29","fileurl":""},{"id":55256,"heading":"ka$h","article":"Oh, so are you opposed to the tax cut as well? I am!","author":"Alan Greenspan","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-05-02 14:28:26","modified":"2003-05-02 14:28:26","fileurl":""},{"id":55267,"heading":"M2 out of date?","article":"You really should write Milton Friedman (Nobel Laureate in Economics) about this brilliant insight you have had. After all he is the one who, through his writings, argued for, and proved, that M2 was the most reliable measure of liquid money.\r\n\r\nWhen did you receive your Nobel?\r\n\r\nAs for Alan Greenspan: He is the head of a PRIVATE Banking Concern, The Federal Reserve Bank, which has a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. I would note that his multiple interest rate reductions have had little impact on the health of the economy.\r\n\r\nThe economy is in deep doo doo. No amount of PR is going to change the numbers.\r\n\r\nFigures don't lie, but liars figure. Go figure.","author":"Diogenes","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-05-02 14:53:32","modified":"2003-05-02 14:53:32","fileurl":""},{"id":55269,"heading":"Economy","article":"Sorry, I'm too stupid to figure this out. I am a conservative.","author":"ka$h","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-05-02 14:54:37","modified":"2003-05-02 14:54:37","fileurl":""},{"id":55279,"heading":"Diogenes","article":"You are an anti-capitalist.\r\n\r\nThere's a reason why anti-capitalist are not asked to provide economic advise to central bankers.\r\n\r\nThank you for demonstrating it for all to see.","author":"ka$h","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-05-02 16:09:56","modified":"2003-05-02 16:09:56","fileurl":""},{"id":55283,"heading":"The Economy and Liberals","article":"Doom, Despair and Agony on me.\r\nDeep, Dark Depression. Excessive Misery.\r\nIf it weren't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all.\r\nDoom, Despair and Agony on me.","author":"libsdontknowmoney","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-05-02 16:22:19","modified":"2003-05-02 16:22:19","fileurl":""},{"id":55285,"heading":"Liberals and the Economy","article":"The Sky Is Falling!!!!!\r\nThe Sky Is Falling!!!!!\r\nThe Sky Is Falling!!!!!\r\nThe Sky Is Falling!!!!!\r\nThe Sky Is Falling!!!!!\r\nThe Sky Is Falling!!!!!\r\nThe Sky Is Falling!!!!!\r\nThe Sky Is Falling!!!!!\r\nThe Sky Is Falling!!!!!\r\nThe Sky Is Falling!!!!!\r\nThe Sky Is Falling!!!!!\r\nThe Sky Is Falling!!!!!\r\nThe Sky Is Falling!!!!!\r\nThe Sky Is Falling!!!!!\r\nThe Sky Is Falling!!!!!\r\nThe Sky Is Falling!!!!!\r\nThe Sky Is Falling!!!!!\r\nThe Sky Is Falling!!!!!\r\nThe Sky Is Falling!!!!!\r\nThe Sky Is Falling!!!!!","author":"chicken little","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-05-02 16:23:53","modified":"2003-05-02 16:23:53","fileurl":""},{"id":55287,"heading":"Diogagme, what happened to M2 here?","article":"http:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/kudlow\/kudlow101702.asp","author":"Allan G-string","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-05-02 16:25:32","modified":"2003-05-02 16:25:32","fileurl":""},{"id":55288,"heading":"OOOOOO0000000oooooo...","article":"The big bad anti-capitalist!\r\nWorse than a communist! oooooo","author":"Smarmster","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-05-02 16:26:52","modified":"2003-05-02 16:26:52","fileurl":""},{"id":55289,"heading":"OOOOOOOO000000000oooooo","article":"OOOOOOOO0000000000000ooooooooooo\r\n\r\nSmarmster \r\n\r\nAlmost worthy to worship the dirt I treat him like.\r\n\r\nOOOOOOOOOOOO00000000ooooooooooo","author":"O0o","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-05-02 16:30:20","modified":"2003-05-02 16:30:20","fileurl":""},{"id":55291,"heading":"But","article":"you ARE the dirt you treat him like.","author":"Smarmster","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-05-02 16:34:46","modified":"2003-05-02 16:34:46","fileurl":""},{"id":55296,"heading":"S","article":"Not quite.\r\n\r\nAs a conservative, I get to decide what is and isn't, not liberals. It's our birthright.\r\n\r\nHere's something for ya.\r\n\r\nPete and Repeat go to the store.\r\nPete comes home.\r\nWho's still at the store?\r\n\r\nThere.\r\n\r\nThat should give you a hobby.","author":"C","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-05-02 16:44:58","modified":"2003-05-02 16:44:58","fileurl":""},{"id":55385,"heading":"You have a hobby","article":"I have your daughter, sister, mother and\/or wife.\r\nthe point being.....\r\n","author":"Smarmster","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-05-02 18:57:31","modified":"2003-05-02 18:57:31","fileurl":""},{"id":55411,"heading":"Oops","article":">Agricultural and Industrial production are the baseline fundamentals of the economy. \r\n\r\nThis was true. In the 19th century.\r\n\r\n\r\n>result is a sea of useless paper and rampant inflation. \r\n\r\nI thought inflation has been, over the past decade, the lowest in US history...\r\n\r\n>You can't surviive doing each other's laundry (the so-called service economy). \r\n\r\nThat might be the kind of service you are familiar with. The real money is in services like finance, consulting, etc.\r\n\r\n\r\n>When you endlessly pile on taxes, \r\n\r\nI agree with you here.\r\n\r\n\r\n>and steal their labor by inflating the currency, \r\n\r\nNot happening.\r\n\r\n>and then spending of the fruits of people's labors on wars of conquest that benefit only a priviledged few\r\n\r\nAffordable energy benefits everybody.\r\n\r\n\r\n>You take away the incentive. People don't generally work for free except in an emergency. \r\n\r\nWho is working for free? Nobody I know. Then again, everybody I know is educated and motivated. Their employers (not counting those who are the employer) coddle them -- it's a knowledge economy (oh yea, you still dream of a manufacturing\/agrarian-based economy).\r\n\r\n\r\n>Incomes, wages - earnings, for the bottom 3\/4 of the American population have been stagnant or declining for about the last 30 years. Productivity has gone up. Cui Bono? (Who benefits?)\r\n\r\nThe 50% of Americans who own shares.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n","author":"Ted","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-05-02 20:30:30","modified":"2003-05-02 20:30:30","fileurl":""},{"id":55412,"heading":"Memo to Ted","article":"Ted, try reading "Economics for Dummies." Maybe then, I won't laugh so hard at your drivel. ","author":"Alan Greenspan","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-05-02 20:35:00","modified":"2003-05-02 20:35:00","fileurl":""},{"id":55413,"heading":"Alan G:","article":"Which part makes you laugh?\r\n\r\nPlease point out where my analysis is mistaken. Thanks.","author":"Ted","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-05-02 20:53:19","modified":"2003-05-02 20:53:19","fileurl":""},{"id":55414,"heading":"Alan G:","article":"Which part makes you laugh?\r\n\r\nPlease point out where my analysis is mistaken. Thanks.\r\n\r\nPS - I am educated as an economist. The "Dummies" series is OK, but I have learned from real textbooks.","author":"Ted","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-05-02 20:53:42","modified":"2003-05-02 20:53:42","fileurl":""},{"id":55415,"heading":"Ted","article":"Bend over, you cum dumpster.","author":"Scottie","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-05-02 20:58:41","modified":"2003-05-02 20:58:41","fileurl":""},{"id":55486,"heading":"Ted","article":"That was not me above.\r\nIt was our sheepdog etc's making fools of themselves again.\r\n","author":"Scottie","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-05-03 05:09:27","modified":"2003-05-03 05:09:27","fileurl":""},{"id":55550,"heading":"Bogus post","article":"I did not post the above comment.","author":"Scottie","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-05-03 15:03:56","modified":"2003-05-03 15:03:56","fileurl":""},{"id":55664,"heading":"Bogus Post","article":"I posted the above comment","author":"The New X","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-05-03 18:36:33","modified":"2003-05-03 18:36:33","fileurl":""},{"id":55667,"heading":"That was me","article":"I posted the above New X comment.","author":"gwb","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-05-03 18:38:45","modified":"2003-05-03 18:38:45","fileurl":""},{"id":55676,"heading":"Scottie","article":"Thanks Scottie. I now know who you are -- a reasonable fellow. \r\n\r\nI guess the other side gets desparate when they hijack our names.\r\n\r\nThis thread, however, is going along amazingly well -- it's a few days old and no mention yet of Hitler or Nazis.","author":"Ted","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-05-03 18:49:52","modified":"2003-05-03 18:49:52","fileurl":""},{"id":55677,"heading":"Ted","article":"Nobody's hijacked my name, you little twit. You make me enmbarrassed to be a conservative.","author":"Scottie","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-05-03 18:51:37","modified":"2003-05-03 18:51:37","fileurl":""},{"id":55753,"heading":"das natzies vill rAYturn!!","article":"ve zaloot hairboosh!! Und fuckensie off, hoakay?","author":"a.heeetlaaaar","parent_id":55050,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-05-05 00:43:25","modified":"2003-05-05 00:43:25","fileurl":""}]}