[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]
I would be the first to say that the US needs to implement a sweeping Industrial Policy, similar to the one used during and after WWII. That Policy, however, does not include unions nor does it include organized labor, both of which are pernicious and destructive forces when it comes to US competitiveness. Use of Germany is a red herring, in that the US does not enjoy that sort of homogeneity, nor do we have a center-left socialized labor force that harbors under a government subsidized and supported system (and if you think I’m wrong, check out Germany’s unfunded pension(s) program(s)).[/quote]
I disagree that unions necessarily undermine competitiveness.
I think it would be more accurate to say that short-sighted unions perform poorly at representing the long-term needs of their members.
Saying that unions are anti-competitive is like saying regulation is anti-competitive.
I seem to remember a giant phone company when I was a kid whose regulation led to a much more diverse and innovative telecommunications environment.
I think it would also be fair to say that companies that get too large (and that includes unions) are anticompetitive.
