Are you fed up with "MADE IN CHINA" stuff (VANITY)

Made IN USA ^ | July 24, 2007 | Chee Fulton

[CHEE]

If you are upset with the USA trade balance, as I am, then you may wish to check out some of the merchants on the Source URL.

[Realism]

"I suspect the odds wouldn't be as "good" as you believe."

I don't know, an awful lot of nylon products are made by American companies in China. Dupont is a major one.

[AbeKrieger]

I’d only be trading the enemy without for the enemy within. Given that choice, I’d rather pay a lower price.

God bless you for that comment. I feel so strongly that when dealing with two forms of communism I'd rather deal with the one making the smaller profit.

[1rudeboy]

It would be interesting to find out one way or the other. Unfortunately (for me), it would be too close to busy-work and thus completely unappreciated.

[4yearlurker]

I’ve been sick of buying Chinese junk for 20 years now. I’m so glad my daughters have grown and I don’t have to buy that junk made by political prisoners anymore. One thing the wife and I miss is garlic powder. Every jar from the cheapest to the most expensive reads”product of China.” I refuse to but it. We’ll do with out. Any seasonings made in America anymore with American ingredients?

[webheart]

It irks me when I see “Made in China” OR “HECHO EN MEXICO”.....

Hecho en Mexico is far more preferrable to Made in China. Mexico is our neighbor, and China is like in another town. Economically, the benefits of trade are greater with Mexico. It gives their people jobs, raises their standard of living, and decreases migratory pressure. I just don't see the downside of that.

People complain about Mexicans coming and taking jobs, but the Mexicans I know don't have tweak sores on their faces like a lot of white people, who don't want to work anyway because they are enjoying their drug addictions. I went to a minor league baseball game, and the woman who searched us on the way into the park was obviously a retired tweaker, as was the woman who sold us the beer. I shouldn't complain, because the people closest to me who were tweakers before now are staunch conservatives. I just have a disdain for people who smoke pot and use crank, and don't get out and work for a living. But the point I want to make is that we shouldn't hold our wages hostage to the whims of white people who spend all their time getting stoned.

One more point: I drive by a homeless shelter on my way to work, and I don't see any Mexicans among the hundreds of people lining up for breakfast pushing stolen shopping carts. It's because they are too busy mowing peoples' lawns.

[ElectricStrawberry]

All that proves is that you have no freakin’ clue about ANYTHING having to do with me, let alone my search for a flag at the time and just want to throw a tiny little on-line barb at a stranger.

Congratulations....feel bigger?

[rhombus]

Of all the crap found in hardware stores now, none angers me more than parts that used to be made in metal that are now made in plastic. Weak, easily broken, they strip...forget it.

I sometimes wonder about the hardware itself (screws, bolts, etc.). The metal seems to be soft and easily stripped, ripped and bent.

[servantboy777]

“The downside is I won’t be able to shop in Wal-mart anymore,”

Not true. My last couple trips to Walmart, I have bought all products made in the USA.

It’s difficult, but it can be done.

Most personal products are made in the USA. Shampoo, deodorant and so forth.

I actually bought a piece for my daughters bed that was made in the USA. The equivalent crap made in China was “get this” more expensive. Just had to chuckle.

[chrisser]

Unfortunately, we even have Freepers who could really care less about anything beyond their own lust for cheap goods.

Show them that Chinese weapons are killing our soldiers and they still don’t care. Instead they try to blame it on democrats.

Can I assume then, that you hold gun and ammunition manufacturers responsible for murders and robberies? Who do you blame more, those that assist and enable a criminal act, or the manufacturer of the tools the criminal uses?

You show me an American company that makes goods in a shop where the employees aren't forced to be in a union (and thus support the very people who enabled the Chinese to make more sophisticated weapons via technology transfer) and I'll buy from them, regardless if it costs me a little more.

You think making weapons and selling them on the world market is worse than being a key player in the undermining of our troops, the offering of aid and comfort to our enemies, and the support of policies that directly lead to troop deaths. I don't. I think the Democrats are a more clear and present danger to our Republic than the Chinese and a key means of support for Democrats are unions.

I'd rather support neither, but if I have to choose, I'll choose the lesser of two evils, and the lesser just happens to sell products at the lower price.

[1rudeboy]

It's not a matter of feeling "big," it's a matter of growing weary of people complaining that they cannot find items made in the U.S.A. when they are unwilling to perform the most elemental form of legwork.

I was stranded in the middle of rural Michigan (meaning, no store of any kind for 10-12 miles in any direction), and I "managed" to find an American-made, American flag in the space of ten minutes. The company in Texas would have shipped it to me Next Day Air, if I had so desired. Out of curiousity, after the flag delivered, I went shopping for a comparable one . . . and discovered that the price I paid (not including shipping) was a whopping $2 more.

[Marie2]

“I couldn’t find an American flag made in America.”

“If you do happen to find one, odds are the materials to make it were likely imported.”

I ran into this myself - in a previous thread I recommended our garlic powder to a USA-garlic-powder-seeking freeper. My company, Watkins, is an old American company in Winona, MN (since 1883!) - has a big plant there, and makes most of its own products. It certainly processes and packages them all.

However, it turn out, the garlic is indeed imported from China.

With many spices, of course, you are going to have to import. At least Watkins processes and packages here. However, it seems to me we could grow our own garlic!

[Realism]

a key means of support for Democrats are unions

Likely because the Dem's show more support for the unions. It's too bad because unions main reason for existence is collective bargaining for mostly blue collar workers. The Republican Party may cash in on the corporate cow but it's at the expense of a lot of middle class votes.

[edge10]

It sounds like you want and excuse to be cheap. Most jobs in the U.S. are non-union (a quick search showed in 2000 only about 13.5% of jobs were union), so there is no excuse to not buy U.S.A. made goods, as a rule.

If you want to boycott certain manufacturers, because you know they are union shops, I guess that’s fine, but don’t lump all of Americans in that boat.

[BureaucratusMaximus]

So, if we lowered our standard of living equivalent to that of China or India we'd be in much better shape?

No...not at all, but standard of living is a relative term.

We enjoy infrastructure that enables us Americans to have stable electric power, drinkable water, the availability of cheap food, sewage disposal, and airports/roads/railroads to transport people and stuff pretty efficiently. This is what separates us from China and India as far as standard of living goes (IMHO).

As far as consumer goods goes...I don't know how much better we are as American's than China or India when you take credit out of the picture. We buy a crapload of junk on it on credit. We might have alot of stuff...but we have alot of debt too. I'm sure that adds nothing to our general standard of living...in fact, I think it detracts from it...but thats for another thread. :)

At any rate...no, we should not lower our standard of living. Government should lower its intrusion, taxation and regulation of people and property.

[chrisser]

It's too bad because unions main reason for existence is collective bargaining for mostly blue collar workers.

That may have been true in the 50s, but if you look at the actual actions of the NEA, the UAW, AFL-CIO, and AFGE, its difficult to make that argument now.

I have much less of a problem with companies in which the employees choose to unionize, as long as it isn't compulsary for all employees as a prerequisite for employment, but that happens very infrequently in manufacturing and typically only in right-to-work states.



The Republican Party may cash in on the corporate cow but it's at the expense of a lot of middle class votes

Have you taken a serious look at where the two parties get their cash? This isn't 1955.

[chrisser]

It sounds like you want and excuse to be cheap. Most jobs in the U.S. are non-union (a quick search showed in 2000 only about 13.5% of jobs were union), so there is no excuse to not buy U.S.A. made goods, as a rule.

You can believe what you want about me. Frankly, I can pretty much afford to buy whatever I want at this point in my life and I tend to look at country of origin and product quality more than I look at price. For me, a lower price is just a bonus.

Still, I'm not going to "buy American" out of blind faux patriotism when it just serves to benefit the same enemies in different ways, or benefit different enemies. I want to know where and how the products are made, and by whom, and then I'll factor all those into my purchasing decision.

As I've said twice on this thread, show me companies where employees aren't coerced into union membership, and I'll be happy to purchase their products. Don't, however, give me a list of "buy American" companies which end up just being just a bunch of union shops - trying to use my patriotism to support political enemies and the enemies of our Republic.

Contrary to what you may think, I've seen these lists in the past, and was quite happy to find them initially, only to find out that the list is usually a list of unionized companies. No thanks.

[Honor above all]

I was not trying to imply any guilt as I myself have purchased my share of ‘Made in China’ items from the very people that I have railed against. The thing that prompted my change in habits was a bumper sticker that read “Walmart: your source for cheap plastic crap”. That really struck home. Many of the things I purchase have NO lasting value yet in total they amount to a significant dollar volume. I realized that I am (or hopefully was) the epitome of the American consumer. No longer concerned with quality, I am (generically) concerned with quantity and low price.
A friend of mine said that he would no longer ride that train. From now on he would only purchase a few material possessions. Those would be items of the highest quality that, upon his demise, would be well worn and used. Kinda like a good saddle or six shooter to a cowboy.
/rant off/

[Leatherneck_MT]

I prefer the enemy within. At least here I can keep an eye on him and he’s not selling weapons to people killing my countrymen.

[Leatherneck_MT]

“Some things just CAN’T be made here.........”

anymore

[ClaireSolt]

Oh take me back to ole Virginia to the days of the humming cotton gins. Let my children get up early and go off to the mills like they did in days of yore. s/