America’s Costly Disconnect: Obscene Profits, Hidden Health Risks, and the Automation Revolution

April 24, 2025

DENVER, Colo., Apr 24, 2025 (247marketnews.com)- Americans are trapped in a cycle of contradiction: we decry wealth inequality and environmental harm yet fuel both with every purchase. We pay $200 for sneakers that cost $2 to produce, ignore microplastics poisoning our bodies, and applaud leaders who preach reform while living lavishly. Automation is upending manufacturing and, without action, it’ll leave us jobless. It’s time to reject overpriced imports, demand fair wages for local workers, and confront global pollution to rebuild an economy that serves everyone.

Obscene Profits, Imported Injustice

Why do we pay $200 for sneakers or want $10,000 handbags when production costs are a fraction of that?

Regular people are flooding social media to out the fact a $200 pair of sneakers costs $2 to make in China, which yields a 9,900% markup at retail (Supply Chain Dive, 2024).

Handbags that sell for thousands of dollars can be purchased direct from the factory for hundreds of dollars, or less.

Reports that an iPhone’s components cost ~$400, yet sells for triple that (TechInsights, 2024), makes it a value, in comparison.

This is standard for imports from low-wage countries like China, where workers earn $3/day (ILO, 2023). These obscene profits enrich the 1%, who now control 40% of U.S. wealth, up from 25% in 1989 (Federal Reserve, 2023). Producing those sneakers domestically for $50 would still yield hefty profits while creating well-paid U.S. jobs. Companies like Nike (NYSE:NKE) and Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) are overcompensated, hoarding billions while workers see crumbs. Proponents of this system argue high profits drive innovation and keep prices low, but innovation doesn’t justify 9,900% markups when workers suffer. Domestic production with fair wages can balance profitability and ethics—sharing these excessive profits with American workers should be the norm.

If You Keep Buying Cheap Big Box Stuff, You’ll Stay Broke Forever

Let’s break it down: buying cheap stuff at Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) keeps you poor. You buy low-cost products from China, making rich company owners richer by selling you things that are made for pennies on the dollar. Those same rich people send good American jobs overseas, reducing the well-paying job opportunities for you or your family. Without good jobs, you’re stuck earning less, so you keep buying cheap junk. It’s a trap. Every Target (NYSE:TGT) purchase keeps you broke. Want better pay and better stuff? Spend on things made here, even if they cost a bit more, to bring jobs back and break the cycle. Opponents  claim you can’t afford American-made goods, but paying a little more for quality creates jobs that improve your long-term economics—$10 big box shirts keeps you in a $10/hour job; while high quality $20 U.S.-made shirt support $20/hour jobs. Cheap stuff now means staying poor forever.

Microplastics: A Health Crisis Fueled by Imports

Cheap imports have a darker cost: our health. A 2025 Neurology study found stroke patients with high microplastic levels in their arteries face a fourfold higher risk of heart attack or repeat stroke (Yahoo News, April 2025). Microplastics—from China’s single-use plastics, which account for 60% of global production (UNEP, 2023)—pollute oceans and infiltrate our bodies. The wealthiest profit by selling these hazardous goods to poorer populations. Domestic manufacturing with sustainable materials could curb this crisis, but only if we reject disposable culture. Proponents argue plastics are essential and regulation raises costs, but biodegradable alternatives like Mushroom Packaging are viable, and tariffs on high-pollution imports can incentivize greener production without broad price hikes.

Automation: Coming for All Jobs—Onshore or Be Jobless

Automation isn’t coming, it’ s here. Xiaomi’s Beijing factory produces 1 phone per second with no production workers, operating 24/7 in the dark (X, April 2025). Tesla’s Giga Shanghai, 95% automated, builds Model 3s for under $10,000 each (Reuters, 2024). By 2030, robots could cut iPhone production costs to $200 even in the U.S., not the $3,000 some claim (Pew Research, 2023; Forbes, 2018). Soon, the $2 cost to make sneakers will be roboticized globally. By 2027, 60% of U.S. manufacturers will adopt robotics, shrinking supply chains—U.S. imports from China may drop 30% by 2035 (McKinsey, 2024; Bloomberg, 2024). CEOs who sent jobs to China for $3/day will jump at paying $0/day with robots—no benefits, no taxes, no vacations. Without onshoring, Americans will have no jobs. Automation could lower prices—sneakers sold for $200 might retail for $50—but 70% of robotic factory profits may go to executives, not workers, unless profit-sharing is mandated (Oxfam, 2023). Proponents say automation will create new tech jobs, but CEOs prioritizing profits over people won’t share the gains—70% of profits to executives proves it. Onshoring with profit-sharing ensures workers benefit, not just the C-suite.

A Model for Fair Wages

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) proves fairness and profitability coexist. Employing 211,000 U.S. workers, it pays $17.50/hour, with benefits bringing total compensation to ~$27/hour (Starbucks, 2024). Automated factories could adopt this, offering $20–$30/hour with benefits, potentially creating 5–10 million jobs (BLS, 2023). Companies profiting from imports and automation—like Nike, with $6B net income (2023)—can fund this by sharing margins.

A Path Forward

To break the disconnect:

  • Expose profiteering: Use X to reveal import markups and automation savings. Promote ethical brands like Patagonia.
  • Enact bold policies: Tariffs on low-wage, high-pollution imports; tax breaks for reshoring; global environmental standards.
  • Demand fair profits: Mandate companies share automation and import margins with workers through higher wages.
  • Shift culture: Reject status-driven consumption. Value ethics over trends.

This is economic, environmental, and moral. Microplastics in our arteries, wealth concentration, and automation’s inevitable takeover threaten our future. By reshoring manufacturing, prioritizing sustainability, and ensuring fair wages, we can forge an America of dignity and opportunity. It starts with our wallets, votes, and voices.

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