The role the internet plays is pretty obvious IMO. Businesses now flock to the cheapest place possible to operate their business, and none of that involves North America. It used to be that simple things like sending paper back and foreword would be a huge cost of doing business over seas, well with the internet that is no longer a burden, plus the simple act of communication from place to place, is no longer a cost of operating overseas. Essentially all barriers to entry got torn down with the internet(besides shipping product). Now the flip side of the internet problem is this, if you are selling your products overseas whether you are a U.S. company, or one from Somalia, which market do you want to go after? If im a somalian with an E-based business (i know example is extreme) would i rather try to sell my goods in the U.S. where people have money or in Somalia? So the problem is you have every single business in most of the countries of the world attacking the same markets(basically the G7) due to the internet, and we just allow it to happen. So essentially U.S. jobs go overseas, and foreign product gets sold in the U.S. In a non stop loop. As a lefty this situation should make you quite happy, because it is the ultimate redistribution of wealth. It will only be a matter of time until G7 countries live in relative poverty(poverty based on our definition) compared to any other country with a lower cost of doing business. If we dont start competing by lowering the cost of doing business, in the western world through reduction of taxes, and getting rid of greedy gopvernment unions, and implementing some sort of tax on imported good we are fucked as well. The problem is we are the importer of the entire worlds shit, and as soon as we impose tariffs it will lead to a trade war or world war 3, with everyone focused on us as the culprit. Its a damned if you do damned if you dont scenario we can either sit here slowly bleeding to death or tear the bandaid off, and get it over with which would almost inevitably lead to war.