[Gustomaximus]

People should be as keen to join the race to the lowest wages and most economically efficient conditions as they should be for trickle down economics. Countries like Germany and Japan compete on a manufacturing level without workers having to accept Chinese wages and conditions. So it is possible, it's just not the easy path to take.

[mtoddh]

Honest question - how do they achieve this? How is it they (Germany and Japan) are able to "compete on a manufacturing level without workers having to accept Chinese wages and conditions". Because it's generally framed as Americans needing to lower their standard of living / expectations in order to be able to compete. So how is it German and Japan are the exception? What are they doing differently?