It's this desire for cheaper and cheaper goods that is killing the working class

[Hugabear]

Corporate America has succeeded in locking us into this vicious circle.

They move a few of their factories overseas to take advantage of cheap labor. Consumers notice that prices on many items are now cheaper, therefore they migrate towards these products and stores. After all, most people enjoy saving money. Businesses notice their profits rising, and as a result, shift more and more of their factories overseas. It gets to the point where the vast majority of manufacturing now takes place in places like China, Pakistan, Vietnam, etc. The working-class, who once could rely on decent-paying manufacturing jobs, now find themselves competing with each other for low-wage jobs selling those cheap products. Because they have even less disposable income, they are now forced to buy those cheaply made products.

It's one of those things that most of us are aware of, but too many of us are powerless to really do much about.

[uppityperson]

1. Also the rapid turn over of goods mentality. We don't need new things every yr,

or even every couple yrs, beyond a few basics. Rather than more and more cheaper goods, we need to go back to a few more expensive ones that last longer.

[dkf]

2. Even expensive products are made outside the US.

I bought high end earphones and am looking for a laptop and these are not cheap but they still aren't made in the US.

[Ikonoklast]

3. Actually, I look for highest quality for the money, not cheapest price.

Whether it is clothing, electronics, appliance, home furnishing, what have you, I have found that paying a little more for quality always has a better return than just buying by price.

[CaliforniaHiker]

5. I look for quality as well

I generally try to buy the highest quality that I can reasonably afford, and when it is possible, I get things repaired rather than throw them away. I have one pair of shoes that I've had resoled several times. Generally, it isn't worth having a poor quality item repaired, but it is certainly worth having a good quality item repaired.

[dkf]

6. And that isn't made in the US either.

[Lorien]

11. Me too, now more than ever. I also choose handmade (in a non-cheap labor

Country) over mass produced whenever possible. Just bought two Native American made pieces of jewelry for friends today. If it costs more-a lot more- then I often have to tell them it's a Christmas/ Birthday gift, and most people like that (they still get cards on the non-gift day). So yeah, we CAN do something about it. Be the change you want to see in others, and all that!

[Lorien]

12. Which reminds me; does anyone know where I can get well made women's cotton

V-neck T-shirts? I have one that i bought in the 80's that still looks, new, but the ones that I purchased two years ago look like crap and are nearly tissue thin.

[Mimosa]

17. Orvis is good. They use good cotton.

V Necks at Orvis:

http://www.orvis.com/store/search_results.aspx?x=40&y=9&keyword=v+neck

L.L. Bean, too.

http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/504209?qs=3006444_pmd_google

Made in USA:

http://americanapparel.net/wholesaleresources/ExpressOrder/catalog/category.aspx?cid=199

[Merlot]

4. Or could it be that people just don't have as much money?

I don't think it's just that people like to save money, it's that they have less money to spend. Many people shopping at wal-mart would be happy to shop elsewhere if they had more money.

[bhikkhu]

8. and don't forget ebay - I buy used much more often

and it works pretty well. I know that I'm working with actual people, and basically recycling things that might otherwise go to waste.

[dkf]

10. Maybe they can't afford a computer unless they get one of the 10 $279's advertised.

[Lorien]

16. Funny, but no matter how broke I've been I've never been short sighted enough

to shop in a Walmart. Used items are cheaper (check eBay or Craig's list), there's freecycle, Costco, and my local farmer's markets have better prices on produce WITHOUT paying for 0.20 an hour prison labor. If I really can't afford it elsewhere I don't buy it.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

7. The fact that workers have not had a raise since 1974 might be a factor.

[phasma ex machina]

9. War pig central banksters gave away America's jobs for the sake of THEIR Anglo-American Empire

[PETRUS]

13. This is an excellent argument in support of collective action.

You are right that most people are aware of this, and are not happy about the situation and their limited choices. A couple hundred million separate consumers have no alternative but to attend to their necessities. But a couple hundred million organized citizens could alter the situation and create a new set of choices.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

14. Catch-22. Lose your job or have your salary cut. What are you going to buy?

Everybody likes to think of poor quality high-end products like computers and TV's. But, for the ordinary working (or not working) stiff it's things like t-shirts, socks, frying pans, fans, and all the little things that America doesn't make any more. Which is why the the folks can't afford to "Buy American" because the previously American companies have gone out of business or moved away.

Ain't capitalism grand?

[TheKentuckian]

15. I put the hunger for cheaper goods further back in the process.

At this point due to diminished buying power there are few options but cheap, cheaper, cheapest, and doing without for a huge number of people. The bottom 40% only has about 2% of the income and probably less of the wealth.

Our resource distribution is feudal level bad, we are already in a trap that we cannot escape via consumer choices now but no question that the avarice for seemingly unlimited cheap shit put us here.

No question that we must internalize our interconnectedness and learn that our purchasing decisions impact our communities and our society but unless their is a real shift in resource distribution and the tax set up then only policy can hope to change the trajectory. Too many have to little to move the needle now.

[Starry Messenger]

18. They don't pay us enough to buy things.

When there were factories in the US, and the working class was paid enough to buy what they were making, they bought things made here that were quality. When real wages diminished and overproduction became too much for the consumer to absorb, factories moved overseas and people lost jobs. With no job and lower real wages, what is left but to buy cheap crap? I don't "enjoy" saving money. I have a long list of neat stuff I would love to purchase. But I can't afford it. I have to save for emergencies and buy cheap crap.

[FarCenter]

19. Back when the US did a lot of manufacturing, we were a high-volume, low-cost producer of cheap goods

Higher quality, better designed products were made in Europe up until WW II.

Even during WW II, our advantage was in turning out a large volume of fairly crude weapons. We had some advantage in having better raw materials available so that we could use better alloys.

[socialindependocrat]

20. Marketing philosophy drives up prices, also.

Two marketing principals are being taught:

Charge what the market will bear.
Don't leave any money lying on the table.

Meaning if I charge you and you walk out happy then,
I need to have charged more for my product.

Vets are my biggest peeve. They nail you in the heart!
You have a dog that costs $400 but you'll spend way
more to save your child's pet or the pet you've had
for years so they charge you $1200 for some things and
people pay.

Manufacturers used to find cheaper ways to produce a product.
Then they could sell the product at a nice profit but still
charge you less - a cost savings. Now they produce a new product
more cheaply but charge what the original product was worth and
they pocket a larger profit. Example, they make roofing tiles that
look like slate from rubber. This costs a lot less but they still
charge you pretty close to what the slate used to cost so they
can make more money - no savings is passed on to the customer.