I'm not sure how many companies are bringing production back for pure patriotic reasons. That's a wonderful cause, especially if the move is financially sound. But most business people make those decisions exclusively through business considerations. The maximization of profits within legal boundaries -- isn't that what capitalism is about? By the way, when the Chinese finally got to embrace market economy and capitalism, they pushed the limits too much. That's why toxic products are getting out of their hands. What a shame.

Back to the topic of "winning work back to the U.S.," I would like to ask you to define "work." What exactly do average Americans want back? Jobs? Robots will take over the repetitive laborer jobs. Profits? Multinational corporations' profits come back to the headquarters anyway, and the margin will be lower because of higher costs. Taxes? Yes. Pollution? No. Morale? Yes.

I do believe some work should be on its way back. For instance, I use Calphalon cookware. The made-in-China ones are affordable, but they are not as good as the old American-made ones. I'd love to pay more and get better American-made pots and pans. That's right. The American consumers never asked the big corporations to move production overseas and ship back cheap goods. The real drive of this wave of globalization was the endless pursuit of bigger margins, not to pull third-world countries out of poverty.

It is time for the U.S. to rebuild its manufacturing excellence and competitive advantages. Middle class consumers around the world are happy to pay for good quality products like Swiss watches, English teapots, Belgium chocolates, German cars, French perfume, and Japanese robots. Neither China nor India is able to replicate these products to a comparable level. What are America's best manufactured products that are globally recognized and nontransferable? Perhaps this is where we should start to bring work back, and make it stay.