As a native Detroiter, I can say that Samuelsson's comment that auto production moved to 'southern US states' is a bit north of where the production really went. With the NAFTA agreement signed by George H.W. Bush in 1992, and implemented by Bill Clinton in 1993, the majority of production moved farther south, out of the country, to Mexico and South American states (automakers could import from South America on the back of NAFTA through Mexico to escape tariffs). Yes, technology transfer and cheap labor lead to the demise of the power of unions and protections for US workers, which lead to less money back into the US economy. Škoda is only successful because of the lower labor costs than in any other EU country on the back of low prices abroad and high prices for their cars at home in the Czech Republic. One only has to look to the US for the opening of China and support for their manufacturing base (planning stages) back in the 70's. That's where it all started. President Richard Nixon and National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger reopened U.S. relations with the People's Republic of China then and subsequent administrations fostered that relationship by transfer of technology, money and political influence for cheap products and geopolitical influence against its adversary at that time, the Soviet Union. Now China has the upper hand, as they have learned, developed and took advantage of the consumerism the West has encouraged, the latter having no foresight as to the consequences of the entity they have actually created.