Buy American?

[kentuck]

How important is it?

Are foreign care really that much better than American cars right now?

And should we buy everything from China because it saves us a little money here and there?

Should we start looking for the "Made in USA" label? Is it important?

[pscot]

1. I've been looking for the Made in U.S.A.

label since the late '80s. It's gotten harder to find with each passing year. Of course congressmen are still made in America, but the average citizen has been priced out of that market for a long time.

[xchrom]

2. is economic diversity in any economy important?

it seems to me that all jobs -- and that means people wh want to manufacture stuff -- are important.

everything now seems to be swallowed by 'economies of scale'.

but from my humble point of view -- economies of scale -- open our country - any country - to some pretty severe economic instability.

buying 'cheaper' products from china or india or viet nam is what we've settled for instead of the pay raises we were all entitled to.

'economies of scale' have created wealth -- a lot of wealth -- but 'the people' haven't benefitted as much as a few have.
and that's true in countries other than ours.

so yes -- 'buy american' is important to me -- but so is 'made in france' or 'made in germany' -- any country where people are being offered what i think of as snake oil in this globalized world.

[Orsino]

3. And are American cars really that much more American?

It's way late to be looking for Made In USA stuff. That boat sailed long ago.

I'll still applaud those who try, though.

[Romulox]

7. The government keeps track of this information. You pretend like its unknowable.

The FTC regulates the "made in USA" claim.

[Orsino]

9. It's not unknowable.

Just damned rare to find this stuff where we do most of our shopping.

Folks who care have to look pretty hard.

[Romulox]

10. You were speaking about cars. The information is readily available.

[Orsino]

12. And shows that "American" cars are less american than they used to be.

Oh--I get it. It may not have been clear that my question was rhetorical.

[Romulox]

13. Right. But it doesn't show, (as you imply) that Japanese cars have the same US content

"It may not have been clear that my question was rhetorical."

How can a question be "rhetorical" if it is amenable to a simple, factual answer? :shrug:

[Orsino]

14. Rhetorical...

...because American cars are arguably not much more American than foreign cars. Anyone looking to Buy American had better be willing to settle.

[Romulox]

15. No, questions subject to simple factual inquiries are not "arguably", anything.

You are simply wrong, and your attempts to attempt to make a save aren't helping. :hi:

[Orsino]

16. I'm sorry.

I seem to have touched a nerve, and didn't mean to offend you.

But no, what's "American" is a matter of opinion, too. An American car company's product may contain much that was manufactured elsewhere.

[Romulox]

17. You don't seem to understand the difference between a fact and an opinion

It's irritating because this is basic stuff.

"An American car company's product may contain much that was manufactured elsewhere."

The percentage of foreign made content is a factual inquiry, not a matter of opinion. One for which hard numbers are tabulated and readily available.

[Orsino]

18. Then blame folks who are imprecise enough to call acar "American"...

...rather than us folks who do recognize the distinction you're emphasizing.

[lib2DaBone]

4. Anything made in China is pure junk....

Finding anything made in America is difficult.. what a shame. Our leaders let the Bankster/Gansters disassemble our manufacturing plants brick by brick.. and ship them to China.

As a home handyman.. I can attest to the quality of anything made in China.

If you purchase spray paint from China.. it runs. Screws.. strip out. Nails.. bend. Drywall smells like rotten eggs and has mildew in it. Bought my kid a bike made in China.. it lasted one week until the wheels fell off and the cheap handle bars bent and cracked.

Dog food has poison in it, toothpaste has anti-freeze in it and kids toys have lead paint. Clothing made in china last one trip into the wash and the garment falls apart.

Ya.. what a "SAVINGS" our leaders have forced on us. I wouldn't give you 10 cents for the complete inventory of Target and Wal-Mart combined. CONgess has a death wish and Americans sit idle and stare into the abyss watching Amercan Idol. (IMHO)

[elocs]

6. I remember when I was a kid, "Made in Japan" was considered junk too.

My, how times have changed.

[Deja Q]

11. Yes, Japan learned from its mistakes...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/06/AR2008100600547.html
(reported from Japan, and not the first time melamine was used as a cheap-ass substitute...)

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-07/09/content_5421631.htm
("China's reputation at risk" -- hasn't gotten any better since 2007, I regret to say. Especially with China balking at environmental actions saying doing so might hamper their economy... so much for a global effort for such a big big problem... they either know more than everyone else or are even more foolish than everyone else. )

[Xenotime]

19. American stuff isn't any better.

[SoCalDem]

5. I have an old cracked plastic serving dish in my cupboard

on the bottom.. "Made in the USA"..

[Romulox]

8. >50% of the cars sold in the US are a foreign make.

I won't go out of my way to "buy American" so that a worker in California can make their Hyundai payment. "Buy American" is over for me.

[madamesilverspurs]

20. I have problems with the "Buy America" thing.

Maybe I'm picking nits with this, but there is a very significant difference between "U.S.A." and "America". Much as we'd like to think otherwise, we don't own the continent. We happen to live on the North American continent, as do the residents of Canada and Mexico. South of us is the South American continent, and there's that rather important isthmus in between. The residents of Hawaii are citizens of the United States of America by virtue of statehood, but residents of Juarez have the better claim on "American".

I'm on my way to an appointment, so I'm typing in a hurry. Apologies if I'm not making myself clear. Yes, I favor promoting 'homegrown' products, but I think we can find ways of doing so without demonizing other countries. And we sure as heck don't need to be adding any fuel to the GOP's xenophobic fire. "Buy American" has come to grate on my eardrums just as badly as the chants of "USA! USA!" used by the wingnuts to drown out the voices of anyone who dares to disagree with them.

Later...

[MazeRat7]

21. I buy the best "widget" for my need based on value and expected useage patterns...

Be that a car, tool, dishware, clothing, etc...

I really could care less "where" it is made, I am far more focused on "how" it is made and what is the "value" proposition.

For something I plan to use a few times and toss... cheap is best. For something I plan to use daily, that is harder because I have to find a balance between cost, features, and performance.

Is this economy, brand or regional alliance is a fools proposition. The only advice I have is find the best "widget" for your application that meets your budget. Ultimately, in the global economy of today, your purchase is more likely to help workers from many regions vs workers from a specific region.

Just my $.02
Peace,
MZr7