Made in the USA

[gcbryan]

What kind of rebuttel is this??

Well I don't agree with that. I don't know. I guess the alternative would have to be put to them and then I am not so sure what they would have done.

The fact is that the world over people are pretty good about understanding things on a personal level. Most people don't spend more than they make etc (yes, I know there is personal debt).

Where the disconnect comes is with the larger picture as is being demonstrated in this thread.

We know that we can't spend more than we make but many/most think that it can be done by the government.

Or...they think protecting their jobs from overseas competition is simply a matter of enacting legislation.

The world is connected and will continue to be even more so in the future. Buy American simply shows that one doesn't understand the larger economic picture even though I'm sure everyone intuitively understands their own economic picture.

If you're looking to buy a lawn mower from two of your neighbors you will most likely buy the best one at the lowest price. Most people understand that.

They would never buy the one that was not so good and was a little higher in price just because the seller said he had a large payment to make on his vacation property.

When it comes to the global economy people just lose their focus and most just were never educated in that arena in the first place.

 

[gcbryan]

The only reason those jobs are in South Carolina rather than Chengdu is because Boeing depends so much on sales to the US military.

This was their commercial line. If you're suggesting it's because of military bases in S.C. there are at least 5 in Washington State.

Why isn't Airbus in Chengdu?

 

[Sas]

You said that the U.S. has not thought long term:
From an industrial view, there is no such thing as a monolithic "U.S." thinking, long-term or otherwise. Individual profit-maximizers have to compete with each other or die; they often don't have the luxury of thinking long term. Contrast that with chaebols in South Korea, keiretsu in Japan, state-owned businesses in China--they have the luxury of thinking long term, and it has benefited them greatly. In other words, it is not a level playing field, and as long as the United States continues to compete with one hand tied behind its back, it will continue to lose market share and wealth.

I was talking more about certain industries as a whole and also the U.S. government. And I don't think they have not tried to compete as much as possible, just a lot of the time they have screwed it up. Some U.S. businesses have been and continue to be successful of course.

 

[gcbryan]

You said that the U.S. has not thought long term:
From an industrial view, there is no such thing as a monolithic "U.S." thinking, long-term or otherwise. Individual profit-maximizers have to compete with each other or die; they often don't have the luxury of thinking long term. Contrast that with chaebols in South Korea, keiretsu in Japan, state-owned businesses in China--they have the luxury of thinking long term, and it has benefited them greatly. In other words, it is not a level playing field, and as long as the United States continues to compete with one hand tied behind its back, it will continue to lose market share and wealth.

What you are talking about are "different" systems not necessarily better. Since they are different they do have their strength as well as weaknesses.

The chaebol and keiretsu system of interlocking ownership has it's weaknesses as well as was demonstrated in the banking mess in Japan (and Korea) a few years ago. There is the potential for companies to fail and to bring the whole system down since they are so interwoven. It's not a particularly healthy system in many regards.

It was a good system to be able to deal with the aftermath of World War II. It's certainly not a system for the US to emulate.

 

[vladimir]

Why isn't Airbus in Chengdu?

Because they also depend on politicians to subsidize their business, perhaps even more than Boeing does. Just different politicians.

 

[vladimir]

The chaebol and keiretsu system of interlocking ownership has it's weaknesses as well as was demonstrated in the banking mess in Japan (and Korea) a few years ago. There is the potential for companies to fail and to bring the whole system down since they are so interwoven. It's not a particularly healthy system in many regards.

I'm glad we don't have such worries.

 

[gcbryan]

Because they also depend on politicians to subsidize their business, perhaps even more than Boeing does. Just different politicians.

If other countries don't get their act together China is going to be an even bigger economic monster than Japan.

Now their cheap products are cheaply made as well for the most part. That's OK for inexpensive flashlights but when they get their act together (years of experience and putting all that profit to work for them) they will be the next Japan. Less expensive and high quality will be the reasons for buying Chinese.

They will have to reform their banking system and certain business laws but in time it will happen. Certainly before anything like that happens in Russia for instance.

Instead of beating up on China and Chinese products businesses should clean their own houses. Complaining does nothing. Live goes on.

Japan is here to stay (the old scape goat) and so is China.

 

[OldNSalty]

Back on topic part 2.

US Divers makes great stuff and the Freedom Plate is excellent. You aren't comprimising by buying American when you go with products that are clearly as good/better then what is produced elsewhere.

 

[deich]

American businesses wont have to worry about competing with China... They will be taxed to death by the government or crushed by labor union demands... Dont worry yall our government has a plan...

 

[Nemrod]

Back on topic part 2.

US Divers makes great stuff and the Freedom Plate is excellent. You aren't comprimising by buying American when you go with products that are clearly as good/better then what is produced elsewhere.

U.S. Divers is long gone. The "brand" is currently part of the:

U.S. Divers is the sporting goods division of Aqua Lung America, makers of scuba diving equipment.


Which is:

Aqua Lung America, along with Aqua Lung International, is a division of Air Liquide, which held the patent on the first "Aqua-Lung" until the patent expired.

Air Liquide is:

L'Air Liquide S.A., or Air Liquide (French pronunciation: [ɛʁ likid]; English: /ˌɛər lɨˈkiːd/; literally "Liquid Air", Euronext: AI), is a major French company supplying industrial gases and services to various industries including medical, chemical and electronic manufacturers. Founded in 1902 it is second on the world market in its field, operating in over 70 countries. It is headquartered in Paris, France. Air Liquide owned the patent for Aqua-Lung until it time-expired.

Essentially there is very little 100% US made scuba gear. Most consumer value added industry has moved overseas and now heavy industry and IT are doing the same. Thus welcome to the future Banana Republic of America, if you don't make value added things and if you don't make babies then there is no America. Burger flipping and real estate bubbles and stock manipulation only get you so far, well, to be exact, they got us to one year ago when it all collapsed, maybe somebody other than me noticed that?

N