[Mr Tiles]

In the last few years, I have been trying to buy domestically made goods, from clothing to bikes to whatever. It is getting harder and harder to do it. Just today, I did a google search for "Made in USA" and was disappointed at how few relative links popped up. One site had some links older than 1996. I guess what I'm getting at is, do any of you guys try to buy domestic or does anyone really care? I've always had a strong belief that our economy can't survive unless we manufacture stuff and sell it domestically and abroad. Then I hear that we are moving towards a service market only to sell all our tech jobs overseas also. Help me out with this. And anything Zod posts doesn't count - he's a commie...

 

[me89]

awsome dude im in. i do what i can. and i totally agree with you have to sell domesticly and overseas to survive and whats with giving all our jobs to the illegal immigrants in this country now really. im tired of having to talk slow cause some mexican behind the counter cant speak much english. now really. also whats with all our jobs going overseas we need them here to keep our economy running smothy and have a constant flow of money.

 

[JRogers]

Personally, I don't really care. If there are two equal products and one is foreign, one domestic, I will pick the Made in USA one but, other than that, I don't really put too much into it. It's a complicated issue. I mean, I sure as hell am not going to buy a car that I know will crap out sooner than another. I cannot spend 60 bucks on a shirt. Besides, "Made in USA" is such a vague term anyways. The relationships among MNCs these days are so large and complex, distilling it to the place of manufacture (what does that mean anyways?) is easier said than done and sometimes becomes a rather arbitrary process anyways.

 

[Curb Hucker]

i try and ride stuff made in the USA, and i currently have an american car, and a british one as well , but i will NEVER buy a foreign pickup EVER

 

[BurlyShirley]

If I cant buy American, I try to only buy things made in sweatshops. That way I know that even though Im not helping America, at least Im making some poor bastard who's not an american miserable.

 

[The Kadvang]

If I cant buy American, I try to only buy things made in sweatshops. That way I know that even though Im not helping America, at least Im making some poor bastard who's not an american miserable.

Oh man .

 

[Curb Hucker]

If I cant buy American, I try to only buy things made in sweatshops. That way I know that even though Im not helping America, at least Im making some poor bastard who's not an american miserable.

youre my hero ink:

 

[blue]

It doesn't matter...even if it whatever it is was made in the USA, chances are what was used to make it/money used to produce it/people who get paid cause you buy it isn't "made in the USA". It's a nice concept that can comfort some people who know their shoes aren't sweatshop made, but it's incredibly difficult to truly get around.

 

[Mr Tiles]

What gets me fired up the most is that I searched out a week ago a new wallet, made in the USA of course. I found a company called Hartmann that actually has a factory tour on their website so they make you think a lot of emphasis is placed on American jobs and American quality. I paid $50 for a wallet from their product line, get it in yesterday and the damn thing is made in China. I paid the same if it were made stateside even though the company reduced their cost significantly by making it in commie china...pisses me off sometimes.

 

[zod]

I shop at Walmart and they're an American company :dancing:

 

[Echo]

What gets me fired up the most is that I searched out a week ago a new wallet, made in the USA of course. I found a company called Hartmann that actually has a factory tour on their website so they make you think a lot of emphasis is placed on American jobs and American quality. I paid $50 for a wallet from their product line, get it in yesterday and the damn thing is made in China. I paid the same if it were made stateside even though the company reduced their cost significantly by making it in commie china...pisses me off sometimes.

I would return that f*cker and tell them why.

 

[Westy]

If I cant buy American, I try to only buy things made in sweatshops. That way I know that even though Im not helping America, at least Im making some poor bastard who's not an american miserable.

Buy Chinese crap then. They pretty much consider workers to be expendable.

Chinese mining deaths estimated at 10,000 a year.

I may be unrealistic but I try to buy American crap whenever possible. I work in manufacturing and I have seen way too many places closed down because stuff could be made cheaper in China.

 

[Ridemonkey]

I was shocked last year when Levis closed their last US manifacturing facility. It's getting tough to support the working class in this country. Carharts are still made in the US... I think

 

[JRB]

I may be unrealistic but I try to buy American crap whenever possible. I work in manufacturing and I have seen way too many places closed down because stuff could be made cheaper in China.

It's incredible how many parts Ford brings in from Mexico. There is a trucking company called TSI and they haul junk to Mexico and come back with dashboards from Mexico. Idiots here really think Mexico is TX, so they think it is ok. NAFTA made many of my friends in the cattle business go broke. I still want to kick George Bush (the old man) in the nuts for it. It was slick though. He got the ball rolling and it went through on Clinton's watch and now people here hate him for it. Soon enough we will be someone else's country anyway I am sure.

Edit - most peeps in our factory don't speak english.

 

[golgiaparatus]

Jobs go overseas because of the greed of US corporations, stuff made in the USA cost more because of greed of american corporations.

Fuhk corporate america! And Fuhk GW Bush too just for good measure since it seems that corporate america and american leadership (under him) see eye to eye.

 

[Westy]

Jobs go overseas because of the greed of US corporations, stuff made in the USA cost more because of greed of american corporations.

Fuhk corporate america! And Fuhk GW Bush too just for good measure since it seems that corporate america and american leadership (under him) see eye to eye.

It is not just corporate America but cheap Americans. Americans want a lot of crap, and the best way to do that is to make cheap crap readily available. A $99 DVD player would cost much more if one was made in the US. The average consumer would rather buy the cheap chinese player and get a few copies of Girls Gone Wild for the same price of a domestic unit.

 

[Mr Tiles]

I was shocked last year when Levis closed their last US manifacturing facility. It's getting tough to support the working class in this country. Carharts are still made in the US... I think

Assembled in Mexico of US fabric I believe. I used to like Carhartt...I think Pointer brand is still made in Tennessee though...

 

[Mr Tiles]

I would return that f*cker and tell them why.

I think that's what I'm going to do.

Another example where I didn't necessarily lower my standards, but chose European for lack of competition, was a purchase of Vasque boots. I bought them thinking they were handmade in Italy. The company is owned by Red Wing Shoe Company, which frequently advertises on OLN, of being an "American company" with American values and jobs at its core of beliefs. I got the Vasques in and guess what, the mutherf*ckers were made in china. I sold them on ebay for what I paid for them and bought a pair of Italian made Alicos from Sierra Trading Post, consequently the best pair of hiking boots I've ever owned!

 

[JRogers]

It is not just corporate America but cheap Americans. Americans want a lot of crap, and the best way to do that is to make cheap crap readily available. A $99 DVD player would cost much more if one was made in the US. The average consumer would rather buy the cheap chinese player and get a few copies of Girls Gone Wild for the same price of a domestic unit.

It's mostly not about the greed or corporations; you will find that in any country. This is especially true in other countries with less of a middle class and a higher divide between the richest and poorest.

The difference is quality of life, relative income and American expectations. Simply, we pay our workers more because of a combination of these factors. As a result, stuff is more expensive and American production is less economical. Our standard of living is our pride and our curse. We want it all ways: cheap commodities, lots of jobs and high standard of living. These principles and desires fight against themselves. We are stubborn in what we expect to be paid and how we expect to live.

Also, some other points to consider: Aren't countries and national identities a little, well, arbitrary? Why is someone in another country not as deserving of a job? Unemployment has been higher here since the economic slowdown of the past years. Still, our unemployment is below most other countries. Also, our social safety nets and services are much greater than many other countries.

 

[Mr Tiles]

Also, our social safety nets and services are much greater than many other countries.

Maybe that's why our cost of living is so high?

 

[JRogers]

Maybe that's why our cost of living is so high?

"High" depends on your definition. Compared to a developing nation, our cost is astronomical. Compared to other developed countries, not so much. Our national tax rates are lower than many developed nations and the cost of many goods is also less. That can vary a lot, though. Taxes are often higher in other countries because of beaurocracies and social services. Compared to a lot of EU countries, the US is cheaper to live in and has less government run social programs and expenditures.

Note: much of this is conjecture based on some isolated facts. I believe it to be true but, well, I lack what one might call "real evidence."

 

[Dartman]

Gotta love "Made in the USA!"

Mike

 

[Mr Tiles]

Nice disclaimer. I sometimes am outraged at how much government spending goes to crap, namely medicade. My wife is a nurse at a hospital owned general practice and she can give you an earful of common daily misuses...