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Originally Posted by Mike33
I know that it's a shocking stat when you consider trade deficits and the like. I used to think it was the other way around too. However, it's true. And when you think about it, it's very important that it be this way. An empire cannot sustain itself if it relies too heavily on the outside. This could very well change in the future. There is always room for improvement.
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Let's simplify this and put it into perspective. A lot of the U.S.'s consumption is electronics, cars, and lets say oil for sake of argument. We import cars from Japan, Germany, Korea, Australia, and who makes the SAAB again? Also, we import electronics from mainly Asian countries like Japan, Korea, and China. Oil, well we're working on that problem now.
Anyhow, I would venture to say that the car and electronic consumption accounts for at LEAST 20%. That doesn't include all the other insignificant items we import all the time like Beer and diamonds. Ok, not so insignificant items like beer but you get the point.
Maybe my numbers are askew but I honestly think the number of 80% you quoted is a bit off.