I remember reading a story about the manufacturing and shipping of the first iPhone. Late into the process, Steve Jobs threw a (justified) fit over the fact that the screen was to be made of plastic. He (rightly) complained that people would be putting the phone in their pockets with their keys, and the thing would be scratched up in no time. This, he declared, would not do.

So, what happened next, in short, is that the Chinese factory was contacted and—in order to keep to schedule, which Apple refused to change—the foremen woke up all the line workers, who were asleep in their company provided dormitories, roused them out of bed, told them that there was time enough to get dressed and have a quick cup of tea, after which they would have to get their selves onto the assembly line and start work immediately, as there had been a big change.

This is not going to happen in the United States—ever. And this, above all else, is a big reason why companies want to use Chinese manufacturing.

I share this only to raise the point that we live in interesting times, and they're about to get even more interesting.