Buy American

veni vidi vici

Active Member
Im just curious how many here that are American citizens,buy only American?Would you buy American made products right now rather than foreign made goods even if the foreign made good is better, for the sake of the country's economy? Why?
 
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usirchchris

Guest
I will absolutely buy American if it is a comparable product...I will even pay a little more. However, if the product is inferior I will buy foreign everytime. Capitalism is at its finest on a global scale. If you continued to buy the crappy product just because it is American there would be no motivation for them to improve the product.
 
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usirchchris

Guest
You know I have always driven American cars...well out of 5, one was a honda, but a friend brought up the point that many American cars are not even built in the united states...and we have Honda right here in Ohio. So if the foreign car is built in America by American workers is it still a foreign car...who is really benefiting? Something I did not put much thought in, but it is provoking..
 

veni vidi vici

Active Member
Originally Posted by usirchchris
http:///forum/post/2900994
You know I have always driven American cars...well out of 5, one was a honda, but a friend brought up the point that many American cars are not even built in the united states...and we have Honda right here in Ohio. So if the foreign car is built in America by American workers is it still a foreign car...who is really benefiting? Something I did not put much thought in, but it is provoking..
I wouldnt have a problem buying a Toyota built in America.As a matter of fact i once owned one.But if its not made here im not buying it.Right now i think is a time where we need to pull together as a nation for the sake of our well being.Hopefully our Government dosent

[hr]
things up worse than they already are.It appears they are trying.
 

mimzy

Active Member
i like to buy local. i'll go to the farmer's market b4 i go to the grocery store...i'll even time my shopping around the wacky farmer's market hours. if i can't do that, then i go to the supermarkets i know for a FACT stock stuff from local farmers.
as far as non food items, if i find something that says "made in the USA" on it, i'll buy that - but how often does one come by such things?? not very.
the ugly truth of it is not much stuff is MADE here anymore. I try to buy handmade gifts & decor via sites like www.Etsy.com & as I said I patronize the local farmers like mad, but there is only so much stuff you CAN make in America... we just don't HAVE that many factories anymore! We've crippled ourselves somehow... It's kinda scary!
 

veni vidi vici

Active Member
Originally Posted by Mimzy
http:///forum/post/2901119
but there is only so much stuff you CAN make in America... we just don't HAVE that many factories anymore! We've crippled ourselves somehow... It's kinda scary!
So true,ill challange you to pick up 5 things around you right now and tell me how many of them say"MADE IN THE USA"on it.
 

stdreb27

Active Member
Originally Posted by Mimzy
http:///forum/post/2901119
i like to buy local. i'll go to the farmer's market b4 i go to the grocery store...i'll even time my shopping around the wacky farmer's market hours. if i can't do that, then i go to the supermarkets i know for a FACT stock stuff from local farmers.
as far as non food items, if i find something that says "made in the USA" on it, i'll buy that - but how often does one come by such things?? not very.
the ugly truth of it is not much stuff is MADE here anymore. I try to buy handmade gifts & decor via sites like www.Etsy.com & as I said I patronize the local farmers like mad, but there is only so much stuff you CAN make in America... we just don't HAVE that many factories anymore! We've crippled ourselves somehow... It's kinda scary!
That is a bit different, there is a clear cut difference between fresh produce, and stuff from a store. Than the concept of buy american.
Personally, I don't think it helps all that much, plus the reality is, if I go down and buy a dell (a texas company) I'll get tech support from Bangkok, the computer is assembled in indonesia, the software installed in vietnam, and pay a guy in the USA. Most companies are truely multi-national. And I have no problem with that at all. And that is just a reality, because there is no markup in computers at all, and to differentiate themselves, they must do it only on price. And it is cheaper.
Second I don't have the money to pay a premium to buy an item that costs more simply because it is made in America.
Third, it does promote complacency, if a company does enjoy differentiation solely because they are made in America, it will create a degree of inefficiency.
Fourth,
Why? I have yet to see a dip in national unemployment that can be attributed to outsourcing, if it was truly an issue, then why over the past 20 years has out unemployment been under 5 or 6% and the lowest in our nations history.
During this time period technology has bloomed to make outsourcing a viable option for companies over this time, major barriers have been removed, yet we've experienced the lowest unemployment in our history.
Plus if you truly want to end world poverty what better way then a self sustaining way of getting 3rd world countries industry. vs say what we do in africa which is basically fund dictators with "humanitarian aid"
Now craftsmanship type items is another story.
 
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usirchchris

Guest
Originally Posted by Mimzy
http:///forum/post/2901119
we just don't HAVE that many factories anymore! We've crippled ourselves somehow... It's kinda scary!
Manufacturing is out. We are a service economy now. It is a natural progression IMO. Can't be in the industrial revolution forever, there must be progress. You are growing or you are going.
 

mimzy

Active Member
Originally Posted by usirchchris
http:///forum/post/2901186
Manufacturing is out. We are a service economy now. It is a natural progression IMO. Can't be in the industrial revolution forever, there must be progress. You are growing or you are going.
right...but... as we've seen... there can be crises... crises in which the countries we depend upon for our manufacturing can basically blackmail us into paying higher and higher prices for goods we have crippled ourselves out of being able to manufacture. when we relinquish our ability to be self sufficient, we put ourselves at the mercy of our suppliers.
when the American Dollar is worth dirt in the world economy, darlings, we're scr3w3d.
 
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usirchchris

Guest
Originally Posted by Mimzy
http:///forum/post/2901243
right...but... as we've seen... there can be crises... crises in which the countries we depend upon for our manufacturing can basically blackmail us into paying higher and higher prices for goods we have crippled ourselves out of being able to manufacture. when we relinquish our ability to be self sufficient, we put ourselves at the mercy of our suppliers.
when the American Dollar is worth dirt in the world economy, darlings, we're scr3w3d.
The crisis is on a global scale at this point, everyone is going down. As far as the blackmail goes...it's cyclical...they depend on us to buy the goods they manufacture, if we can't afford to buy them because of their demand for more money they will only blackmail themselves. everything has a breaking point as far as what people will pay it's the beauty of capitalism and the businesses will pick up and move again if wages/production/taxes become an issue. On another scale it would be nothing to get the manufacturing back over here. Lower taxes...give the business incentive, as quickly as they picked up and moved out, they could come right back.
 

stdreb27

Active Member
Originally Posted by Mimzy
http:///forum/post/2901243
right...but... as we've seen... there can be crises... crises in which the countries we depend upon for our manufacturing can basically blackmail us into paying higher and higher prices for goods we have crippled ourselves out of being able to manufacture. when we relinquish our ability to be self sufficient, we put ourselves at the mercy of our suppliers.
when the American Dollar is worth dirt in the world economy, darlings, we're scr3w3d.
When the value of the USD is low compared to other foreign currencies that is GREAT for the manufacturing sector.
Think about it, most domestic manufacturing is based off the value of the USD. So if our dollar is weak, they can charge less USD since they are still making the same profit in USD.
Think about it, say they sell a product in Germany, for 100 euros. If our exchange rate is 1.5 euros per usd. If it calls to say 2 euros to 1 usd. They are making 25% more. Prices for lots of on the shelf goods are stick and don't change really rapidly to reflect daily fluctuations in the exchange rate.
Or they can lower prices to be more competitive with foreign competition.
But to put it in a nutshell, a week dollar is great for exporting companies.
Second, you underestimate our power on other countries. If a corporation decides this country's labor is no longer competitive, their are other countries. If you remember (might be more visible since I'm in texas) but in the 80's and early 90's everyone was worried that we were losing jobs to mexico. Now mexico is ticked because instead of outsourcing to mexico, we are outsourcing to china. There is a real political feeling of animosity to the chinese because of that.
Plus developing nations are highly dependent on new investment. (how you really grow an economy not consumer spending) If they lose it, they lose everything. Hunger is a real issue in many countries. They can't afford to lose it, this puts downward pressure on prices.
Seriously how many items do you see going up in price for the identical product? (more so than just inflation due to monetary policies, and fuel prices or improvements in technology)
For you blackmail idea to work, you need a place that they are the only one making manufacturing the product. And typically in manufacturing, american companies own the design, they just pay someone to build it. And it is not a huge issue to find another manufacturer to make the product.
 

creekchub

Member
Look at Harley Davidson's bolt on parts and their $400 leather coats (Made in China). They don't make 1 pair of boats made in the USA.
For years buy Harley, it the American way, shittttt, it's now the China way.
I like and try to but American made stuff, but it's hard to find.
My 2 cents....
 

darthtang aw

Active Member
Originally Posted by Veni Vidi Vici
http:///forum/post/2901148
So true,ill challange you to pick up 5 things around you right now and tell me how many of them say"MADE IN THE USA"on it.
Let's see, hmmmm. I have a Maxim, FHM, Play-boy, Pent-house, Dex yellow pages, and look.........Rolling Stone. ALL made in america. That wasn't so hard.
 

jdl

Member
It is 2009, not 1970. Those still stuck in the past will never succeed in the future. This is a global world now, deal with it. America is now more a service county instead of a production country.
 

nwdyr

Active Member
Nothing is made here anymore because the American worker has been rewarded for producing a inferior product. Make a bad car ( Ford , Chevy..) and get a 14 BILLION dollar "bailout" how many of us can go to work and continue to be paid to fail?? Imagine a CEO in Japan or China flying in on his private jet to ask his gov. for a BILLION dollar GIFT....yea... that CEO would be DOA!
 

kjr_trig

Active Member
I recently purchased a car and really wanted to buy American, but I really don't want to reward poor business practices to "support America"....Many Japanese cars are made here, and several German cars as well.....They certainly were not speaking German or with German accents at the BMW dealership where I bought my car.
I guess I will continue to buy based on what I think is the best value for the $$$
 

veni vidi vici

Active Member
Originally Posted by nwdyr
http:///forum/post/2901539
Nothing is made here anymore because the American worker has been rewarded for producing a inferior product. Make a bad car ( Ford , Chevy..) and get a 14 BILLION dollar "bailout" how many of us can go to work and continue to be paid to fail?? Imagine a CEO in Japan or China flying in on his private jet to ask his gov. for a BILLION dollar GIFT....yea... that CEO would be DOA!
Ummm the American worker just makes the car the way that the company they work has them do it.They do not design the auto,nor do they choose the way to do it.You want to place blame ,place it somewhere else.not on the worker.
 

veni vidi vici

Active Member
Originally Posted by mgatdog
http:///forum/post/2901546
It's the American way now. Buy what you can afford and the best product for it's brand.
My question is answered here.So you wont buy American ,just because its made in America to help our economy?You will make China,Japan,Mexico......profit but dont consider the state of our economy and how buying American made goods will help us here.
 

veni vidi vici

Active Member
Originally Posted by kjr_trig
http:///forum/post/2901601
I recently purchased a car and really wanted to buy American, but I really don't want to reward poor business practices to "support America"....Many Japanese cars are made here, and several German cars as well.....They certainly were not speaking German or with German accents at the BMW dealership where I bought my car.
I guess I will continue to buy based on what I think is the best value for the $$$
Even at the cost of our economic future?
 
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