Immigrant Americans and "Buy American"

[zinfamous]

Why do you want Americans to waste their time making shoes?

quality > China?

 

[zinfamous]

No, let the chinamen do it while we invent the new ipod.

so it can be made cheaply in China?

next to the shoes?

 

[ussfletcher]

Shit, good luck finding any products other than produce (and a good portion of that is imported too), dairy, meat, poultry, and cars that isn't imported.

I just bought a pair of boots that were made in Italy. I was actually stunned that they weren't made in China.

America is still the largest crop exporter, by far

 

[sandorski]

I know I am talking to a wall but let's try. China makes iPods because we tell them to. We tell them how. If you cannot see that the "developing" part of the iPod is infinitely more valuable than the actual manufacturing, then you won't really "get it."

The problem with that though is that you can't Employ very many People by just Developing "iPods". Another problem with it is that anyone anywhere can Develop "iPods", so it's rather too hopeful to try and assume you can create an Economy based upon that alone.

 

[zinfamous]

I know I am talking to a wall but let's try. China makes iPods because we tell them to. We tell them how. If you cannot see that the "developing" part of the iPod is infinitely more valuable than the actual manufacturing, then you won't really "get it."

that is certainly more important.

but you're leaving out the all-important quality control that prevents devices from blowing up or melting your lap, bricking, or poisoning you with lead that you don't get with highly corrupt management and labor practices in cheap developing nations.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

I know I am talking to a wall but let's try. China makes iPods because we tell them to. We tell them how. If you cannot see that the "developing" part of the iPod is infinitely more valuable than the actual manufacturing, then you won't really "get it."

I think it is you that doesn't "get it." America grew and prospered by being large enough, varied enough and, smart enough to be self sufficient. I'm not saying that it doesn't make sense to trade, I'm saying that using corporate greed as a international economic plan is foolish to the extreme.

 

[Hacp]

I know I am talking to a wall but let's try. China makes iPods because we tell them to. We tell them how. If you cannot see that the "developing" part of the iPod is infinitely more valuable than the actual manufacturing, then you won't really "get it."

How about we manufacture it AND develop it? We're at 10% unemployment. In china, rural factory workers are getting raises because they LACK workers. They have very low unemployment. Some are earning 2 dollars an hour now for doing grunt factory work .

 

[0roo0roo]

it just bugs me when hippies buy "fair trade" coffee and other junk and don't buy domestic vehicles. apparently a brazilian farmer is more important than an american with healthcare

 

[StrangerGuy]

Good luck finding a motherboard, RAM or video card that isn't made in China.

 

[ConstipatedVigilante]

I think it is you that doesn't "get it." America grew and prospered by being large enough, varied enough and, smart enough to be self sufficient. I'm not saying that it doesn't make sense to trade, I'm saying that using corporate greed as a international economic plan is foolish to the extreme.

You haven't taken much economics, have you? "Corporate Greed" is usually about efficiency. It is most efficient to manufacture in China and develop here. Ultimately, more money comes back into our economy (although not necessarily to the working man) when we outsource.

 

[MJinZ]

Good luck finding a motherboard, RAM or video card that isn't made in China.

Or an iPod.

 

[Chaotic42]

We're all immigrants.

I was born here. Do I get a cookie? :awe:

 

[brblx]

You haven't taken much economics, have you? "Corporate Greed" is usually about compensating for corporate waste

fixed.

 

[PhoKingGuy]

My old roommate was 1st generation Polish and his entire extended family was born and raised there. They have all Jeeps, Ford trucks and Merc AMGs. Ironically, his dad said everyone hates driving a small gutless shitmobile but thats all they can drive since gas is so expensive.

Most of them genuinely like american stuff because its "better built" than things they can find in europe.

 

[darkswordsman17]

I was listening to an article from NPR a while back and they made it out like other countries desire products and goods from USA as it's perceived as high(er) quality.

Not sure how true this is, and found it a little unlikely myself, but who knows...

I think that's products sold in the US, not just produced in the US though. Even our cheap shit tends to be higher quality than plenty of other countries' cheap shit. And there's a ton of stuff that we throw away that would be considered good in other places. Plus, in some markets our regulations require a certain quality, where it could be more iffy if its something that was made for a country without such regulations. All those lead toys? Something tells me they ended up somewhere. I think it definitely depends on what it is though.

 

[ultimatebob]

No, let the chinamen do it while we invent the new ipod.

There are probably 150 million people in the US workforce right now, and I'll bet that less than 1% of them are smart enough to build the next iPod (or do brain surgery, or design the replacement for the space shuttle, or whatever ultra high skill job you have in mind).

What should we have the other 148 1/2 million people doing? Working at Panera Bread or Walmart?!? I'd rather have a higher paying manufacturing job myself.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

You haven't taken much economics, have you? "Corporate Greed" is usually about efficiency. It is most efficient to manufacture in China and develop here. Ultimately, more money comes back into our economy (although not necessarily to the working man) when we outsource.

If you consider putting more money into corporate execs and shareholders pockets more "efficient" then, you're correct. I believe the impact on the quality of life of the "working man" is a more accurate report card of the efficacy of outsourcing.

Oh and, I argued against the legitimacy of outsourcing and down sizing as business practices in my economics and business classes til it affected my grade. Then, I shut up and got 'A's. The point is that just because big business agrees that it makes sense doesn't make them right.

I wonder how many times corporate greed will negatively affect the majority of Americans in their daily lives until there is backlash resulting in draconian economic measures. Corporate America will find themselves a wholly owned subsidiary of China/Japan and they STILL won't care as long as they get their quarterly bonuses.

 

[TuxDave]

I've never really seen this. People mostly either buy the cheapest, or brands that they are already familiar with, which is usually not a US brand.

You'll be surprised on the difference of how you value the Levi's brand and how China sees it.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I always try to buy Canadian made, or USA made items (whichever I find first). Sadly it's rare to find. Everything seems to be made by 5 year old slaves in china land.

What I find crazy is some of the simple items that come from china, like pencils, and drywall. Seriously? Heck, one time they had these Canada day pins or something (I forget) and they were made in China! The PM was pretty pissed off when he found this out.

 

[slayer202]

not sure how there is actually a discussion going on in here considering the OP's post makes no sense.

OP, you fail to realize the meaning of buy american, or rather the reasoning. It is a way to keep our money in OUR economy...it has nothing to do with the quality or even the products themselves

 

[Mike Gayner]

Here in NZ, goods which are manufactured in the USA are generally perceived as higher quality. "Made in the USA" stickers are usually much larger than their asian counterparts. I would buy American made over Chinese/etc in most cases, all else being equal. The salient exception being Americans cars, which are generally perceived as complete rubbish by the rest of the world.

 

[BoomerD]

I try to buy products in this order:

1) American-union made
2) American made
3) European or Canadian made
4) ANY free, non-Communist, non-dictator-led country
5) Chinese made
6) the rest of the 3rd world shitholes. (I REFUSE to buy any products from Vietnam.)

 

[slayer202]

I try to buy products in this order:

1) American-union made
2) American made
3) European or Canadian made
4) ANY free, non-Communist, non-dictator-led country
5) Chinese made
6) the rest of the 3rd world shitholes. (I REFUSE to buy any products from Vietnam.)

when I see something union made, I break it, and then spit on it

 

[brblx]

What I find crazy is some of the simple items that come from china, like pencils, and drywall. Seriously? Heck, one time they had these Canada day pins or something (I forget) and they were made in China! The PM was pretty pissed off when he found this out.

small items are easy to ship in bulk. what i find odd is that a place like harbor freight can sell a fifty pound chinese bench vice for less than half what it would cost to have a free one shipped from china.

 

[Mike Gayner]

small items are easy to ship in bulk. what i find odd is that a place like harbor freight can sell a fifty pound chinese bench vice for less than half what it would cost to have a free one shipped from china.

Pertinent word bolded. When you ship them by the container load it's suddenly much cheaper per item.