[sanp]

This is missing the point of the article. The main reason for the current state of affairs is the petro-dollar system and the need for US to run deficits. Changing regulations for domestic manufacturing has very little to do with it.

There are quite a few European countries with very robust manufacturing bases who are far more regulated (both from a labor and capital perspective). So, minimum wages, labor unions etc have little to do with the US' manufacturing base. In fact, one could argue that weaker unions, if anything, have contributed to the decimation of the manufacturing base.