Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit | gingkoguy's commentslogin

How come no one makes fun of agriculture in america ?

If we can successfully produce agricultural products in America why is manufacturing impossible?


America has never had more manufacturing than it does now. American manufacturing is hugely successful. It doesn't get the attention it deserves because:

1. 70% of it takes place in rural areas. Most people are completely oblivious to anything that happens outside of cities so can feel like manufacturing doesn't exist.

2. Automation has removed the need for most labor involvement so that manufacturing doesn't appeal to the "dey took 'er jerbs" crowd.

While there are many similarities, agriculture is not treated the same way because:

1. Agriculture more or less entirely takes place in rural areas, so it is completely out of mind. 30% of manufacturing happens in cities so it still visible, even though it looks sparse.

2. American agriculture is pushing the limits of how much agriculture can take place. There is still some underutilization, like CRP lands, but the wall would be hit pretty quickly if there was a serious push to expand production. There is no apparent wall for manufacturing.

3. It is, for the most part, many generations removed so there is no connection to it. Most families haven't farmed since their great, great, great grand pappy's time. Whereas many families still have living relatives who were around when manufacturing was the major employer and they get to hear about "the good old days".


This again!

We manufacture plenty in America. Every company that I've worked for over the last 30 years has manufactured something or the other. We just don't manufacture cheap stuff like toasters.


Or cheap stuff like $3,000 laptops?


Exactly like a $3,000 laptop. $3,000 is insanely cheap when you think about it. With a $3,000 laptop in hand you can produce more value for the world than with tools that cost millions of dollars. Economies of scale is a weird and wonderful thing.


I’m not sure I’d agree with that. A skilled person can use a laptop to create a lot of value, but a laptop on its own isn’t going to produce much. (And a skilled programmer could produce nearly as much value with a $300 laptop.)


What value do you think a multi-million dollar passenger jet creates own its own, absent a skilled pilot and crew? But where skilled operators are at the helm, the laptop has the potential to create considerably more value, yet costs almost nothing. It is really quite amazing how cheap they have become. Early general-purpose computers did cost about as much as a jet, so them becoming dirt cheap wasn't a foregone conclusion. But we're lucky they did.


We can know the value of something by simply conducting an auction and seeing what it sells for; that's the floor of its value. We can establish the ceiling of its value by seeing what it retails for. Fancy Apple laptops float around $3,000. They're not worth more than that, and not worth less.


What's the profit margin on that laptop?


For Apple (which is what I had in mind) I think they aim for 50%.


Very small % of our workforce works in the farm.

Also I think we manufactured a lot more things/value with a same number of people like 10 years ago but with mostly automated.


Bro that happened in covid


The federal reserve buys bonds in order to increase the money supply, as happened during 2020. It isn't allowed to buy stock. In 2020, the fed bought treasury securities, mortgage bonds and also corporate bonds for the first time (which might be what you are thinking of).


???

Are you claiming the Fed has directly purchased US stocks? I don't think they have.

I've only ever seen reports of them buying government and mortgage debt: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/22/how-the-federal-reserve-affe...

You can argue the purpose of these actions was to prop up the stock market, but I don't think they've ever intervened in as direct a manner as the Bank of Japan has with buying company stocks.


No it didn’t. The fed doesn’t buy stocks


Absolutely! These are also industries. Maybe our morals are not aligned with it but it is one of the biggest industry.


This guy knows about Numberblocks .. BBC show for kids


Damn I thought square came out with something


Also having this it will give you the User to make 1 resume and apply to millions of jobs. It’s a win / win situation


There is maybe 1 in 50 jobs that I'd actually want, so I imagine bulk applying to would guarantee I land something awful.


Not everyone has the luxury of choice though when it comes to employment.


Unless you’re the employer being deluged


Downside is when you have to make slight changes each time to better emphasize some aspect of your experience, depending on the job applied for. Recruiting agencies often do this to sex up their candidates chance of winning the job lottery.


Lol this is 100% accurate. Former enlisted sailor on a ddg


They are a great company and could have gone traditional IPO. However, with going SPAC they were able to bring 2 billion dollars into a company with super high valuation. They make less than 50mil and we’re valued at 18 to 20 billion. So don’t buy in now, you will have plenty of chance to buy this great company

Edit: Also just to add on by bringing in that 2 Billion dollars they have essentially secured the future of the company for a long time


Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: