Is it too late to buy American?

[East_TN_Patriot]

Interesting article with links to companies that sell products made in the USA.

» Is It Too Late To Buy American? Alex Jones' Infowars: There's a war on for your mind!

[Mike.357]

bought a car battery yesterday from the little battery shop near the house. Owner said the battery was made in Bristol TN.

[wjh2657]

Lately I find myself shopping more and more at Tractor Supply Center (TSC) stores and Lands End on line. They both carry some foreign made things but they are clearly marked and can be avoided. Walmart is a lost cause. The clothes are shoddy and the colors run in the wash. When the big business "bean counters" bought out the small industries and went on their profit binge they got way too hungry for bottom line and could only reach those crazy profits by outsourcing. They also destroyed our small industry base. I keep hoping it will come back.

[Oh Shoot]

... When the big business "bean counters" bought out the small industries and went on their profit binge they got way too hungry for bottom line and could only reach those crazy profits by outsourcing. They also destroyed our small industry base. I keep hoping it will come back.

The average consumer ("average", just like "no child left behind", meaning, "lowered") hasn't a choice. Wages have remained rather stagnant if extant at all, lowest price is all that can be considered.

Of course, it's naive to think that even if all those who could afford US made only did so, that it would have any real effect, since the have nots are over half the population now. If you don't net enough to pay taxes, you don't net enough to buy American either, for the most part.

And actually, while half the foreign stuff is still junk, the other half has increased in quality. China, Taiwan, Japan can tool up for anything, it's just a matter of the specs demanded. Even Central and South America have made big strides.

I've acquired some 15 or so Chinese Made Not Pretending To Be American Made Knives recently, from some of the same companies that have made the Spyderco, Buck, Gerber, CRKT, etc. outsourced models. They are now offering as good or better quality as those they made for the US names, and will soon be a worldwide force under their own monikers. SanRenMu, NAVY, Enlan, etc.

The most expensive golf clubs in the world have been Chinese made for decades now, even though they say Taylormade, Nike, Callaway, etc. China just shipped the first part of the San Francisco Bay Bridge renovation. Etc etc.

If the US ever actually ever again sees quantity and quality of production, or even quality of overall life, it reached in the 50s-80's, it will be at least a couple of generations down the road from here.

So, yeah, for the most part, it is "too late" to buy American. Even half the "US Made" stuff really means "US Assembled".

- OS

Edited July 25, 2011 by OhShoot

[NRA]

We are doomed and it may be to late if people do not wake up soon. We have lost way to many jobs to foreign countries. We can thank NAFTA for allot of our problems. O'well even Rome did not last forever.

[Caster]

Sad part is, made in america doesn't mean what it used to. I don't mean to stomp toes here, but Made in USA and quality doesn't go hand in hand like it used to. Take GM, their cars suck compared to the Japanese competition. It's no wonder too, if americans had the work ethic some Japanese companies did things would be different.

[mav]

So, yeah, for the most part, it is "too late" to buy American. Even half the "US Made" stuff really means "US Assembled".

Sheesh OhShoot, you are so pessimistic. Unfortunately, you are correct as well.

Most of my american-made items I own are knives, guns, and guitars. Everything else is pretty much made elsewhere.

[East_TN_Patriot]

The average consumer ("average", just like "no child left behind", meaning, "lowered") hasn't a choice. Wages have remained rather stagnant if extant at all, lowest price is all that can be considered.

Of course, it's naive to think that even if all those who could afford US made only did so, that it would have any real effect, since the have nots are over half the population now. If you don't net enough to pay taxes, you don't net enough to buy American either, for the most part.

And actually, while half the foreign stuff is still junk, the other half has increased in quality. China, Taiwan, Japan can tool up for anything, it's just a matter of the specs demanded. Even Central and South America have made big strides.

I've acquired some 15 or so Chinese Made Not Pretending To Be American Made Knives recently, from some of the same companies that have made the Spyderco, Buck, Gerber, CRKT, etc. outsourced models. They are now offering as good or better quality as those they made for the US names, and will soon be a worldwide force under their own monikers. SanRenMu, NAVY, Enlan, etc.

The most expensive golf clubs in the world have been Chinese made for decades now, even though they say Taylormade, Nike, Callaway, etc. China just shipped the first part of the San Francisco Bay Bridge renovation. Etc etc.

If the US ever actually ever again sees quantity and quality of production, or even quality of overall life, it reached in the 50s-80's, it will be at least a couple of generations down the road from here.

So, yeah, for the most part, it is "too late" to buy American. Even half the "US Made" stuff really means "US Assembled".

- OS

I tend to agree with your point. Even if you want to buy American, you find that many "American" companies actually make their products overseas while many "foreign" companies make them here. It's especially true with cars. I try to find American products when I can, but many times the quality isn't there to justify the price difference. There is a company in Bristol, TN that makes nice denim jeans and work clothes called Pointer Brand. Pointer Brand Overalls and Jeans | Denim Jeans I have some and the quality is top-notch and the prices competitive.

I also despise Wal Mart. They try to make it look like they are an all-American type business, but the vast majority of their products are imported. I think they actually played a part in the outsourcing of many products because they force suppliers to agree to sell their products to Wal Mart for a low price that Wal Mart specifies. If the supplier doesn't agree, they don't get to sell their products at Wal Mart. If you can't make the products cheaply here, you go overseas where you can be competitive.

Apple is another company that annoys me (while I type this on my MacBook). They are a massive "American" company that makes all of its products in China, which is well-known for its terrible environmental record, terrible working conditions, and human rights violations. All the while, you will see more Apple products on college campuses used by the academic elite that talk about how evil capitalism is and how we should punish those evil rich people. In other words, mutli-billionaire Steve Jobs has made his money off of Chinese labor and lax environmental policies, but is a darling of the elitist political left.

In any case, I figure anytime we can support true American businesses, it's a good thing.

[NRA]

Sad part is, made in america doesn't mean what it used to. I don't mean to stomp toes here, but Made in USA and quality doesn't go hand in hand like it used to. Take GM, their cars suck compared to the Japanese competition. It's no wonder too, if americans had the work ethic some Japanese companies did things would be different.

Oh yeah I forgot the Japs can do no wrong.

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[LastRebel70]

Do some research and see how much of the big 3 cars are made over seas and how much of a Toyota is made in the US. I work for a Toyota plant that is right here in Tennessee and we ship mostly to plants in the US, a couple are in Mexico and Canada. When the earthquake hit Japan that there was only 17 parts that were made in Japan for the vehicles here in the US, and out of an entire vehicle that is not very much.

[DaveTN]

All the guns I have that I bought are made in the USA. I have one foreign gun, but it was a free gift from a friend.

All my vehicles are made in the USA, one was assembled in Canada.

We can’t buy everything made in the USA, but we can buy the most import stuff… Guns, Motorcycles, Cars, and liquor.

[LastRebel70]

Dave, like I said, do some research and depending on the vehicles you have that might just be assembled in the US of foreign made parts.

[jonlisha]

I buy the best my money will allow, when america brings something to the table worth buying at a fair price I buy it, but that's not very often and that's the sad truth.

[DaveTN]

Dave, like I said, do some research and depending on the vehicles you have that might just be assembled in the US of foreign made parts.

Who cares where something is bolted together? Where are the skilled trade jobs, the Engineering, the Mold Makers, Die Makers, Machinists, Welders, sheet metal workers? My Harley may not start if I had to remove all the foreign parts, but Harley Davidson is still an American manufacturer.

You won’t ever hear the Japanese you work for saying that Toyotas are American Made. The only people you will hear saying that is the people that buy them and try to make the argument that they aren’t part of the problem.

[Oh Shoot]

...Apple is another company that annoys me (while I type this on my MacBook). ..

My latest box is a Thinkpad. No longer IBM, but Lenovo of course. But nobody makes a better Winders laptop. Has US made CPU though, which is sort of amazing in the scheme of things.

- OS

[Magiccarpetrides]

Some of your alls close-mindedness is astounding...last rebel makes a very good overlooked point...and I do drive a Lexus 233,000 miles same engine and transmission...only failure in the last 100,000 was a power door lock actuator.Also for you Walmart haters keep in mind how many people they employ...if everything was American made you would only complain about how expensive things are.Don't worry though cheap Chinese labor is drying up pretty soon you can complain about everything saying made in Vietnam.

[Erik88]

Who cares where something is bolted together? Where are the skilled trade jobs, the Engineering, the Mold Makers, Die Makers, Machinists, Welders, sheet metal workers? My Harley may not start if I had to remove all the foreign parts, but Harley Davidson is still an American manufacturer.

You won’t ever hear the Japanese you work for saying that Toyotas are American Made. The only people you will hear saying that is the people that buy them and try to make the argument that they aren’t part of the problem.

So I suppose you think it's a bad thing that many Nissan's and now VW's are made in TN? Outsourcing works both ways. I don't know what you drive but the fact that it's assembled in Canada isn't doing us much good. You're car might be an American company but I bet the majority of the parts are made overseas.

The people who buy Nissan's and VW's are doing just as much to help out our economy as buying an "American made" car. What about all the jobs here in the U.S. provided by these "foreign" car companies.

I like the idea of "buying American" but when you really dig deeper even the majority of American owned companies are outsourcing.

[LastRebel70]

Dave, I have 2 Fords, don't own a Toyota have never owned a Toyota. How am I part of the problem? I work in a factory that is in the US so guess where there taxes and everything else gets spent? If the press that are making the parts for you Harley are in a foreign country, then that's where the die makers, the mold makers, and the machinist etc are.

[Oh Shoot]

.....if everything was American made you would only complain about how expensive things are.Don't worry though cheap Chinese labor is drying up pretty soon you can complain about everything saying made in Vietnam.

I read somewhere a pretty compelling case that there are actually more people needed for employment in the supply chain from importation to final sale and service than all the jobs that have been lost in state side manufacture.

Folks like to argue they are lower paid jobs than the ones they replaced, but there is also much evidence that higher technology and efficiency were already reducing labor needs, especially the relatively unskilled, at a very fast rate.

It has been a trend since the steam engine that it progressively takes fewer of "us" to provide increased production for all of "us". Computers really bumped that up exponentially.

- OS

[LastRebel70]

OhShoot, you said something about "lower paying jobs", we all need to remember that's why Toyota and the other companies are putting their new factories in the south, we have no unions so hence lower wages.

[deerslayer]

You won’t ever hear the Japanese you work for saying that Toyotas are American Made

Not true. Honda usede to brag about their cars being built in Ohio, I think. Toyota went out of their way to point out that my 06 Tacoma was made in California. It had a Japanese-made gas pedal, which was not included in the gas pedal recall. Guess where those were made??

My 02 Ranger had a sticker on the side of the engine that said MADE IN COLOGNE, GERMANY. How do we define an American-made car?

[Guest bkelm18]

It's useless to try and point out the fallacies and inaccuracies in Dave's close-minded "Buy American" pontifications, but it sure is entertaining to watch.

[Oh Shoot]

OhShoot, you said something about "lower paying jobs", we all need to remember that's why Toyota and the other companies are putting their new factories in the south, we have no unions so hence lower wages.

And a good thing, too.

Lower wages are better than no wages.

You can no longer produce a product with the traditional absurdly high pay/bennies for unskilled labor of the Detroit era and price it to make a profit in the US.

It's simply another facet of the upside down pyramid of population/resources that is toppling. Worldwide, but in the developed nations first.

- OS

[Jasongar8]

Booze and guns are the only thing that I can think of that I consistently buy American.

[Caster]

Everything is so globalized now anyway, I can't see how this makes one bit of difference. If anyone thinks buying something that's marked Made in the USA benefits anything other than the warm fuzzy feeling inside, they are deluded. Buying the tag won't fix our economy. Nothing will fix this economy. But hey, if it makes you feel all patriotic, By all means.