Posted on 05/23/2008 8:16:35 AM PDT by WesternCulture
I of course have mixed feelings about the “tyranny of the market.”
It is a shame that quality, etc, is not universally valued by consumers in all segments of the market. And it is a shame that American consumers (myself included in many things) are so keen on cheap-cheap.
However on the bright side, the Gates and Kamprad types would go that way as soon as the free market demanded it, and it might just do that someday.
Some FReepers have scared me by suggesting that the Federal Government should be given more control over enforcing minimum quality standards for “Made in the USA” products...and that is surely the fastest way to send us to Soviet-style scarcity and stagnation in product design and feature availability.
“Doing jobs Swedes won’t do?”
- Are you referring to Muslims in Sweden?
Many Muslim immigrants to Sweden are unemployed, especially in the third largest city of the country, namely Malmö.
On the other hand, the situation is completely different in Gothenburg, Sweden’s second largest city and home to manufacturing facilities of Volvo Cars, Volvo Trucks, SAAB Automobile, SAAB Aerospace, AstraZeneca, Ericsson and SKF where I happen to live.
Since the 1950s, immigrants from all over the world who’ve settled here have had little problems finding well paid jobs in Gothenburg based industry and today Gothenburg streets are flooded with cars most other inhabitants of Europe can’t afford.
The best we can hope for is that Muslim immigrants to Sweden could be encouraged to adopt this culture of hard work, productivity and civilization persuaded to return to the medieval swamp they once fled.
- I am, for certain, not the right man to tell the Americans which path to chose in this regard, basically because I'm not American.
However, I feel every non-German and non-Swede ought to stay in a country like Germany or Sweden for a year or two and get to know what it really means to be “quality minded”.
Germany is one of the toughest markets there are and the foreign companies who've made it there are admirable. One of them is IKEA and although some people deem IKEA “junk”, I think it's safe to say that IKEA and founder Kamprad knew exactly what they were up to upon opening up the first German IKEA store in Munich back in 1974.
CORRECTION:
“The best we can hope for is that Muslim immigrants to Sweden could be encouraged to adopt this culture of hard work, productivity and civilization OR BE persuaded to return to the medieval swamp they once fled.”
Sorry.
Thinking about government intervention....I wonder if one way to encourage longer-term buying cycles might not be a capital-equipment depreciation type sales tax rebate?
In other words, something that might encourage buying and repairing a more expensive refrigerator rather than buying one and replacing it a short time later.
Something where the incentive is to keep products longer.
Probably a real bad idea to involve government at all, but it’s governmetn monetary policy and corporate tax policy and safety regulations and labor laws that got US manufacturing to where it is in the first place.
But it might help offset the resultant “quality” problem at the source: the consumer.
I imagine everyone was tired after assembling the facility with nothing but a hex key.
“IKEA here in Bratislava is a pretty neat store. I have bought most of my bedding, kitchen and other household goods there.
IKEA’s head man is listed as the richest man in Europe.”
- Some experts claim he’s actually the richest man on earth. There continues to exist a disagreement concerning whether Kamprad, technically, controls all of IKEA himself or not.
Being Swedish and also being aware of certain aspects of Swedish fiscal matters, I’m inclined to say Kamprad controls IKEA finacially, technically, emotionally and eternally but this issue isn’t of any greater importance.
Something of much greater importance is the fact that the part of Europe where you live recently was haunted by Communism but today is one of the fastest growing parts of Western Civilization in terms of economy and individual opportunity.
Soil reclaimed.
Well...I made the “Junk” comment as well...obviously, they sell all levels of stuff in many price ranges.
And you know, I have German heritage, and have walked around impressed at the Deutches Museum of technology outside Munchen....and it’s the only place in the world I can think of that has an exhibit devoted to machine tools and precision lathes!!!
On the other hand, Germans are renowned for their “New Dresden” plastic-box architecture, and frankly, it doesn’t float my boat. Cold. Minimalist. No, I’ll take victorian styled new furniture, or Western leather/hide any day.
In fact, I’ve never found a German or Scandinavian design shower which can keep from deluging the bathroom floor with water!!! They look sleek, and feel great....but they’re hardly functional at the basic level which is to keep water in the shower and headed for the drain!!!! =)
So we all have our strong and weak points!
I thought the richest man in Europe was someoene from Britain, but then again, these rankings change by the month.
Yes, and don't forget the beautiful girls, nature, and scenery. Notice my tag line.
Check out photos of Slovakia www.vvpg.net
“Well...I made the “Junk” comment as well...obviously, they sell all levels of stuff in many price ranges.”
- Correct.
Few Scandinavians or Germans furnish all of their homes with goods from IKEA. Maybe some poor/young people do so, but hardly middle class (Western) Germans/Scandinavians - in similarity with ordinary Americans.
“Deutches Museum of technology outside Munchen”
- I’ve lived and worked in Munich, but still haven’t experienced that famous museum:D! During my free time in the Bavarian capital, I never managed to find my way out of the biergartens:). Anyhow, there is a MAGNIFICENT museum in Hamburg that I guess can compete in the context of models and history of technological development (albeit not machine tools and precision lathes), namely Museum für Hamburgerische Geschichte (Museum for Hamburg History) that I return to as often as I can. Vistited it recently (four weeks ago). Hamburg isn’t beautiful, but what a city it is!!
I think, as devices and appliances get more complex, and less easy to repair, even by trained servicemen, these issues will gain prominence.
For example, if you were to buy a laptop today, and discover that it has a flaw on, say, the keyboard, there is next-to-no-way the flaw can be repaired, without causing damage to the laptop’s casing and surface finish, while accessing the flawed component. Only a complete replacement can guarantee an immaculate product. As the glitz factor of manufactured goods gain importance in today’s markets, such factors will become important. The only way for companies to stem losses from replacements would be to make them well, in the first place.
I’m hugely partial to the Sudentenland, since Bavarians tend to remind me of country style Texan and Southern culture here.
(Drinking heavily, eating lots of dead animals outdoors, pretty ladies, friendly characters, laid back work schedules!)
But places like Dresden make me sad to see the nasty post-war utilitarian structures, instead of the design beauty of places like the Zwinger.
“Check out photos of Slovakia www.vvpg.net”
- I did. Thanks for sharing fellow freeper! I guess it must feel great being a part of this fascinating atmosphere (like your tagline suggests).
My mother visited the neghboring city of Prague during the Communist era in the late 1970s.
Making personal phone calls to our family back here in Sweden, she was interrupted by operators requesting her to speak in English so secret service could follow what she was saying.
Somewhere there, as a 7-8 year old boy, I began to realize there exists a major distinction between the discipline and authority men like my maternal as well as my paternal grandfathers personalized and downright tyranny.
- Been to Dresden.
A very special experience.
In one way I disagree with what you wrote, even If I too dislike DDR architecture.
One thing that springs to mind sitting here enjoying a glass of German weisswein and communicating with all kinds of people on the Internet on a Friday evening (I'm 38, not 18:D), is that Dresden never developed into a Communist, post-war utilitarian structured city like, for instance, Magdeburg and East-Berlin.
The prewar population levels of Dreseden has yet not recovered and furthermore the magnificent, classical architecture of the city is something so ever-present in memory the Communist morons of the past seems to have abandoned the idea of reshaping Dresden into a “model” DDR cityscape. But OK, they left some imprints.
We have Ikea shelves and a TV stand. It is soft wood, and takes a lot of dings from our two little boys but the ‘good’ furniture is taking a beating from them as well and I don’t feel as bad when I see damage to the Ikea stuff. It looks decent and being real wood it is a lot better and lighter than all the cheap pressed wood furniture. Overall we think the Ikea furniture was a good value for the price.
I like 38D's! =)
Jk. Well Prost to you and your weisswein....and thanks for not being offended by my use of the term Scandinavian....I've been chewed out a few times for misusing 'Nordic' and 'Scandinavian'...(I still don't really get the differences....)
And I've never visited past the low countries...but I hope to get up there someday!
Have a good weekend, I'm about done "working" for the day, and might just have an ice-cold Texas Tito's vodka beverage now in your honor! =)
- Most Scandinavians are unable of providing a proper definition of “Scandinavia”, just like many people living in the Balkans really don't not what countries belong to this region and which countries in south eastern Europe do not.
I guess it's very much the same problem concerning, for instance, an issue like what states in the US actually constitute the “Heartland”
“might just have an ice-cold Texas Tito's vodka”
- Been to the US (only Fla though) and I like vodka, but I must admit I've never heard of it, although there are other great opportunities of enjoying Texan culture in my home city. One of my favorite restaurants here in Gothenburg, Volvo Land, is a place called Texas Longhorn. The best steakhouses in Texas probably are better, but this establishment serves some of the best steaks I've ever had - and I'm fortunate enough to having experienced something like the legendary bistecca alla fiorentina in Florence itself (unforgettable).
They have Lone Star beer too! That's what I'd call “Lovin’ it!”
Long live the proud state of Texas!
Warm greetings from the Land of the Vikings, an eternal friend of Texas as well as all of America - whatever impression you get from ignorant, PC, European politicians..
“Overall we think the Ikea furniture was a good value for the price.”
- I’d say this goes for most of the things they sell. Most of it is rather priceworthy stuff, but there are some annoying exceptions.
I’m more impressed with the success of IKEA than the products I’ve bought from of IKEA:D
My bad - but for some reason, my wife's ancestors are buried in Wise County, so I thought they were in the same county. I should probably pay more attention to the signs...
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