Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL), who admits to owning an iPad, blames the Apple Inc. product for ‘eliminating thousands of American jobs,'” Real Clear Politics reports.
A few short weeks ago I came to the House floor after having purchased an iPad and said that I happened to believe, Mr. Speaker, that at some point in time this new device, which is now probably responsible for eliminating thousands of American jobs. Now Borders is closing stores because, why do you need to go to Borders anymore? Why do you need to go to Barnes & Noble? Buy an iPad and download your newspaper, download your book, download your magazine. – Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL, Chicago) from the House floor, Friday, April 15, 2011
RCP reports, “Ironically, it was only last month that Rep. Jackson was promoting the Apple iPad and Amazon on the House floor.”
Full article, with the video, here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews readers too numerous to mention individually for the heads up.]
Another Democrat moron. No wonder the U.S.A. is so fscked up.
Yeah, yeah, I know, I know: I’m a racist.
You’re not a racist, you’re a moron. And if you actually believe that the Democrats are to blame, you’re a moron and an imbecile. The whole system is broken. Anyone who is paying even the slightest attention can see that. There’s an article in this morning’s New York Times entitled “G.O.P. Pushes to Deregulate Environment at State Level”. That’s pure, unadulterated insanity. So go ahead—hide your hed in the sand and throw stones at easy targets.
He threw. You bit. Thanks for tossing in an unrelated to the published topic reference. Still, it was a dumb thing for the representative to say regardless of who he is, or what party he is from, and THAT is the point. Now if we could all focus on the content of the message, that would be great. Thanks.
Amen, brutha.
I would submit that it is exactly this desire to compartmentalize one’s life and, most especially, to filter out anything beyond the narrow scope of one’s immediate attention that allows this outrageously unacceptable state of affairs we are all currently faced with in America (whether we pay any attention to what’s really going on or not) to continue unchallenged and unabated. Many, many people won’t realize that the ship is sinking until they run out of air. What to do?
Jessie is right! The iPAD may well cost thousands of jobs. However, the same could be said of Henry Ford. Just think of how many buggy whip manufacturers he put out of business (not to mention the buggy manufacturers themselves).
Now a case can be made for doing some of the iPAD work in the US. It would have to be automated to the point where few production workers were required in order to contain costs or they would be too expensive to buy.
Stop using oil and electricity. There would be much much much more work for everyone in farming and unemployment would be zero. Keep improving productivity with computerized devices without reducing human population and we will continue to get rising unemployment or underemployment. It’s pretty logical.
OT!
Sad to say, the core cause of most of humanity’s problems these days is overpopulation.
We went past the sustainable carrying capacity of the Earth back in the 1960s or earlier. We knew about it then and buried both the data and conclusions. Meanwhile, the problem only gets worse.
But short of Red China’s crazy and nasty solution, how do we as a species stop increasing our population?
And no, I have zero belief in the nonsense being foisted that humanity will naturally converge its population level to a steady state. I’ve seen no believable data to prove than myth. Human population continues to grow geometrically across the planet. Only in very few areas, among relatively few cultures, has population growth slowed. I don’t know of anywhere that it has leveled and stopped.
End of OT!
Yes, by all means, have the government “regulate” the environment, that will save us all :-b
Insanity is believing that such programs exist for anything other then moving money to government “worker’s” accounts.
Joe, you are correct.
You died 16 years ago, are you coming back from the grave? Sincerely,
Kasparov, Karpov and Kramnik
You should have asked if he had spoken to Emanuel Lasker recently.
das vadanya, Comrade Gary.
Do you honestly believe that crap? The EPA was signed into law by Richard Nixon! The air over Los Angeles and other cities across the country is cleaner, and we are HEALTHIER because of environmental controls.
Joe, you are an imbecile.
Insanity is also believing that dismantling what little actual protection the environment receives from our corrupt form of government can possibly make anything better except the bottom lines of the wealthy mega-corporations that will undoubtedly benefit from further deregulation. Let’s not forget that the environment we’re talking about is not only a beautiful wilderness—it’s the human life support system.
The Dems went to State level to implant gay marriage, so what’s good for the goose….
Ditto!
Both Republicans and Democrats are destructive polarizing morons. Anyone who doesn’t weigh each issue on it’s own merits and not automatically subscribe to some idiotic party line is a complete moron. Sometimes you might be left of center and sometimes right. They used to call this “Common Sense.”. The party system is broken and doesn’t work and nether party is what they used to be.
We now return you to your regularly scheduled Apple news…
Amen
Curious, isn’t it. “Common sense” has become extremely uncommon.
It’s not uncommon – just unequally distributed 😉
New York Times??? Pure progressive/marxist PAP…
And where do you get your news? From the pathological liars at Faux News?
The Goverment is just messed up… PERIOD.
It’s the people’s government. So it’s the people who is messed up PERIOD. Try reading the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
“No wonder the U.S.A. is so fscked up”
For instance, your Postal Service used the Las Vegas copy of the Statue of Liberty on a stamp…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/16/us-stamp-statue-liberty-las-vegas
The Las Vegas version is much nicer looking, don’t you agree?
C’est bon. Sure is.
Oui, Oui
Theeey turk errr jerbs!!!
Great reference from SP. That episode was an instant classic.
Democrats SUCK! Impeach Maobama the foreign impostor. He wants to take the US to it’s knees. If you’re a liberal you’re a horrible person.
I guess I’m a “horrible person” then. BTW, UK Ted, if you really are from the UK, WTF is up with you?
And for that matter, WTF is up with the anger in this country? The inflamed rhetoric? The tea party fear mongers?
Hell, why don’t we just head for the civil war everyone is driving toward and get it over with?
And BTW (and I’m just as guilty) – why don’t we stick to Apple news on this site? Sick of the political diatribes.
Bring it on Smurf. We’re not backing down. You commies are out to destroy the US, we are here to stop you starting with first and foremost using your own tactics right back against you. You Marxists need to “compromise” meaning do it our way. Low lives.
Yeah, because the Republican jobs plan is to put more people out of work, make their lives more miserable, ship our jobs overseas, and reward the assholes on Wall Street who f—ed up the global economy. “Country First!”
Tommy Girl, everything you posted is the opposite of reality. Democrats have utterly destroyed the economy with all of their failed and miserable policies. Fanny, Freddie, Dodd, Maobama, Reid, and on and on. Forcing banks to make risky loans. Look at every area of the country controlled by democrats for decades, complete all out disasters. When has a poor person every given you a job you jack ass. Get the effing government out of our hair and let the economy shine. We’re on to you commies and we will vote your asses out and put a stop to this nonsense.
Something similar was said when cars began to replace horses. It’s true there are fewer blacksmiths.
let’s not forget the plight of the whip & buggy makers… (never mind, they’ve all gone into fetish gear)… oh, wait! that’s part of the point. as technology evolves, the workers either adapt or perish. the brick & mortar book sellers were in trouble w/the rise of the internet & amazon. newspaper classified revenue was mortally wounded by craig’s list. the old business model is not viable, the new business model is still developing…
& politicians of all stripes just say what they think we want to hear…
Exactly. Let’s not concentrate on the jobs lost with the iPad “killer” competition, but at the additional jobs created around the iPad ecosystem, and all the jobs facilitated by those companies who equip their workers with iPads.
Great point. Now if we could just get this same logic to stick re: replacing deadly coal mining with building American renewable power to run our iPads…
Deadly coal???? WTF??? You are sick. Get some help. Coal and oil are responsible for you being able to post on this website idiot. You think solar and wind are going to provide enough power to the people. I’m all for better technology and power sources but there aren’t any yet.
I was just going to draw the same comparison. Times change and technology improves. It’s a fact of life J.J. Jr. get over it!
Chip of the old block and about as smart.
Has junior learned how to shake down companies with threats of crying “racism,” yet?
Hello, Hymietown?
Well-said, ‘First’.
Give him credit, he’s learning, only the inexperienced ones play the race card early.
Like Obama?… We all know how inexperienced he is!
Besides, that’s what Bill Clinton said…
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/04/bill-clinton-ob.html
Like Shit like son.
..and about as smart is right!!
Me thinks the reports that Apple is increasing it’s spending for Lobbyist in Washington DC has caused Jr. to find a reason to mouth off about Apple. I’m sure Apple’s Lobbyist are now aware of Jr.’s banking information and the extent to which they are expected to “contribute”.
Worry about the high cost of healthcare where half of hard working people paycheck is going to Mr. Jackson.
Congresscritters are immune from prosecution for libel for what they say on the floor of the House or Senate. This lack of accountability is excellent reason to assume by default that anything they say is a lie.
You mean they can say things that aren’t “intended to be factual statements”? What a way to run a country. Horse crap and hyperbole.
Apple has added something like 30,000 jobs in the last 5 years. Just check their employment stats.
Not to mention the entire iOS developer ecosystem. A lot of people are learning new skills and working hard to make a go at that. Hardly a job-killer. Better to have the skills to program computers than to stock bookshelves, IMHO. But I will miss browsing through stacks of books. So far, I find it hard to get a feel for the content and quality of a book in electronic format, and the plethora of readers is a PITA. All print publications work pretty much the same, with e-readers, not so much. We need a national standard. Some of the e-reader UI features are about as bad as a book publisher deciding to bind the top edge of a book, rather than the left.
Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL), who does not own a combine harvester has denigrated Massey Harris for eliminating thousands of farm jobs by eliminating reapers, thrashers, horse handlers, and slaves.
Not a bad analogy except that he admits to owning an ipad, therefore needs to own a combine in the analogy as well.
Buggy whips forever!!!
sell your stock this is going to kill the lineups
This is complete ignorance. Apple is currently the shining star in an abysmal American business environment. Our Government is such a joke.
Dumb@ss…but he did get press coverage for saying it, which is the whole point for any politician for either party.
1. How many people do Borders hire? Not too many per store. Apple on the other hand must have at least 20 per store.
2. 10-20 years ago stores like Borders were accused of killing the small book store.
3. Apple have generated many more high level and skilled jobs in Cupertino. I have a friend who works there now after being laid off by a semiconductor company.
4. This is the biggest – adoption of media tablets will allow for digital schoolbooks that will save significant money.
5. Apple sell about half of their products overseas. That helps improve the balance of payments for the US.
It’s called progress and innovating companies like Apple are keeping the US ahead in technological terms.
Don’t forget the economic benefit Apple Stores bring to malls and retail strips across the nation. An Apple Store is one of the largest generators of foot traffic in retail.
Border’s business model was flawed. fhe the start. It became an air conditioned study hall -free wifi, Want a break – go borrow a few magazines. Want to read to your kids – find a corder and “borrow” a book. Never buy anything there except with the 33 or 40% discount coupon, which can be applied to any item – even discounted book. I believe Borders store is hard pressed to gross $2,000/ day. Apple store must do at least $20K-$50K.
Barnes & Noble almost the same, but there stores are larger – so must be harder to make a buck.
“I BELIEVE in a world with paper stuff!”
darkside of technology advances is it will cost jobs. That is basically what he is getting at. His mistake is mentioning a certain device.
Stick to the subject boys and girls. No nasty comments.
This is no more an issue than the people who made buggy whips and were forced to learn a new trade when the automobile made its debut. Would you blame the makers of transistors for putting all those vacuum tube factories (and their workers) out of business? Or mimeograph machines, or those who pressed records, prepared them for sale, and distributed them by the tens of millions?
With any new technology, there will always be some who lose their jobs and who must learn anew. That’s life! Bad when it’s you out of a job. Good when you can enjoy the new technology.
If these people retrain for an emerging field, they will be good for at least another generation or more.
Thanks RW
1) did he read the reports of Chinese resellers sleeping over night in front of Apple Stores to buy iPads? How much money is Apple pulling in back to the U.S.A via foreign sales?
2) I’ve read dozens of articles blaming Apple but shoot no one ever blames Google. Google is giving away intellectual property (the last bastion of American industry) Android FREE to Asian OEMS like HTC, Samsung, LG and dozens of chinese companies to compete with American companies like Apple, HP and Microsoft all over the world. Foreign companies already had the hardware manufacturing advantage now Google is giving them the software – for free (and in Google’s own claims with ‘no strings attached’). Foreign companies are free to modify Android to their own OS systems like OMS and load then with Baidu etc and their own apps so Google unlike Apple does not even bring back cash to the U.S in many instances. When Android tablets loaded with Android and Baidu ding Microsoft PCs (which admittedly are pieces of crap) is that going to be good for the U.S economy?
3) and yes Mr. Politician help America by BASHING Apple the most innovative co. in the U.S, help America by bashing INNOVATION the key to American survival. Yes, enact laws that will limit Apple from innovating things like digital downloads … LET the Asian and European companies slowly innovate those tech on their own AND PATENT them (did you hear about the Canadian Nortel patents being auctioned off for start price of 900 million ? that U.s companies are currently paying big wads of cash to use them? ) .. !
(I’m acting as a bit of a Devil’s Advocate here against Google. I’m actually pro free trade – as long as it’s fair – but too often Apple has been single out and Google let off). I’ve even read moronic pieces where people say don’t buy Apple (they’re made in Asia) but buy HTC Android phones!!! ???? )
I forgot to add that I am concerned for people losing jobs and it’s a sad thing
but politicians aren’t going to solve issues without thinking CLEARLY
and I’m tired of Apple picked for bashing as it gets news headlines (go ask Green Peace: Apple is bashed ten times more often by Green Peace than PC makers who mostly make PLASTIC PCs vs apple who mostly use recyclable Aluminium… )
“politicians aren’t going to solve issues without thinking CLEARLY”
Which means they’re not going to ‘solve’ anything at all. Ever.
Very good points Dave.
Does the opening sentence in the quote make sense to anyone? Where do we find Representatives so erudite?
It’s the non-employed that keep people like Mr. Jackson and his father in business.
Who else would buy the snake oil they sell?
“unrelated”…! Are you fking kidding?
The whole MDN post is unrelated to fking anything! It’s pure hit bait; nothing more.
Jackson loves Apple products (I don’t care)
Hey, here’s a tip for everyone:
Anybody who doesn’t know that technology reduces jobs; that that is the purpose of technology; and that that has been the purpose of technology since the flint arrow head was invented; Is an idiot.
I love seeing this point being made over and over here. Now if only we could start applying it to supporting 21st-century renewable energy technologies, and stop fretting about all the jobs it would cost in dirty, inefficient 19th century coal and oil industries, we might have us an economy again…
bbb, you have the wrong slant. The purpose of texchology is to improve productivity and/or enable things that were not previously possible.
The most energy-efficient form of agriculture is hoe culture. But that leads to unremitting human drudgery and poverty.
Bucky Fuller used to say that problems such as poverty and hunger could be solved by freedom, education and technology, but the politcians always screw things up.
Witness the ‘war on poverty’ started by politicians in the 1960s.
I’m pretty grateful it’s Apple doing this with the customer at heart rather than someone else who has other agendas.
What I love the most is how it’s clear nobody here bothered to watch the video.
He is not “Blaming” Apple for anything. He is making a point for having American manufacturing jobs HERE in America rather than in China.
Yeah, what a wacko. (rolls eyes)
Good job with the brainless twist though from TeabagDailyNews here though.
“nobody here bothered to watch the video.
He is not “Blaming” Apple for anything.”
this sounds like he’s not blaming apple? ” this new device, which is now probably responsible for eliminating thousands of American jobs. Now Borders is closing stores because, why do you need to go to Borders anymore? ”
sound like he’s directly blaming apple WITHOUT mentioning apple brings in billions in foreign sales the helps keep the U.S afloat.
Aw, I thought he was gonna bash the white iPhone. That would have been much more exciting. Darn.
Whatta prick. American jobs were sunk starting back in the 80’s. I’ve heard it was the unions that killed them. Although, I’m sure outsourcing jobs to foreign countries for cheaper labor costs didn’t help much, either. At least Apple is hiring employees for their retail stores. All companies could be putting more effort into local hiring, but Wall Street would jump stink on a company if labor costs drove down profit margins.
You can’t stop progress, if may kill jobs on one area but it creates some in others. China, Japan, Korea and the Apple Stores.
@ed
Exactly right. I’ll reiterate that: his mistake was mentioning a particular device. The takeaway isn’t that “he doesn’t get it,” it’s that technology does what humans used to do, and will continue to do so to a more pronounced and profound degree in the future. And that’s something well worth lamenting. He might has well have bemoaned our use of drones in Afghanistan.