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Edited on Fri Jul-22-11 05:12 PM by Cherchez la Femme
In, rather starting from that time period, I had a television repairman in to fix my TV, which was of course on the blink.
This very chubby, happy guy instead tried to talk me into buying a new television even while the one I had was only --and this is true-- just two days past end of warranty (my VCR that died was one day out: 366 days since I had bought it).
This TV repairman instructed me how it was all "The American Way".
That "Americans" should buy products such as, but not limited to TV's, appliances, automobiles
--the more expensive the better--
and that they SHOULD break down quickly, in a timely manner, then American's could go out and buy MORE of the same
and everybody was happy!
He happily informed me that U.S. manufacturers
--this was when we actually made products in this country--
deliberately figured this shoddy quality=they'll buy again & soon right into their business plan!
Yay, unpatriotic, parasitic Capitalism!!
THIS "American", however, was NOT Happy. She felt that she had worked, nay slaved (I was on my feet so much that my shoe size changed from 6 1/2 to 8 1/2; and often was working 4 jobs at once ...while attending college!) for her hard-earned money.
I felt that what I had so dearly purchased should actually last.
It wasn't as if U.S. manufacturers didn't have the knowhow or technology to build quality merchandise: a mere 10-20 years prior "American Made" was a guarantee of quality products.
It was just that U.S. manufacturers no longer wanted to manufacture quality.
It was because of Greed.
About this time the U.S., through Trade Agreements, allowed much more importation of goods.
I did my homework, and started buying Datsun, which turned into Nissan, Z cars.
Every one of my cars lasted over 250K miles. In every case, the need to replace them came not because of crappy manufacture, but because of body and frame rust. Unfortunately I happened to live in Western NY where the winters were horrendous and salt was the weapon of choice against road ice and accumulated snow -- this was as kryptonite to my vehicle's metal.
The car that stands out among my many Nissan's: my 1981 260Z, whose engine still sounded like a JET even after 277,000 miles; it even got over 25 MPG city.
A truly awesome car,
but the unrepairable, unreplaceable frame was ruined.
THIS is what established brand loyalty and continued purchase (although not quite as fast as U.S. replacements -- still, what company made more money?)
not this so-called "American Way" of poor quality/fast turnover.
Heck, I even broke with my brand loyalty and bought the AMC/Renault Alliance, the then "Car of the Year".
Ugh. That's all I can bring myself to say,
and came back to my 'don't sabotage yourself' senses.
So I'm sorry, truly, that U.S. workers suffered because of ill-conceived corporate decisions;
personally I'm surprised that the unions, then quite powerful, didn't try to push to reverse this travesty of policy the Boards came up with.
Did they also buy in to the 'if I make crap, then people will buy many more replacements of said crap and I'll have a guaranteed job foreva?'
I don't know -- but crap still continued to be made...
So what should I have bought instead of my long-lasting Datsun/Nissan's?
Pintos? K-Series cars? Vegas? Corvair? Maverick? Citation? ...the dozens and more of crappy cars that barely made it to their more & more limited warranties? The reason why 'Lemon Law' finally had to be legislated?
And this also goes for other goods such as electronics, appliances, and TV's which started my awakening?
...although now, one cannot find one single kitchen or laundry appliance which is made in the U.S.; but that's not even the fault of once-shoddy parts and manufacture.
They're STILL shoddy, only now shoddily made in places like Mexico, China, India or other third world countries
for slave wages.
It wasn't even for poor quality these jobs moved: but to accrue even more corporate profits
off of crap.
So again, I am sorry American workers suffered;
but for me, it was a choice between being a knowing sucker and constantly having to buy their deliberately poorly made products
and refusing to be a door mat. I made the right choice.
But still, it didn't have to be that way
yet nobody fixed it.
edit: Typos
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