Interesting point you're trying to make to all of us who found good paying jobs in america.
And who ships that merchandise from all those points?
Now let me see, I know it's someone, I had it on the tip of my tongue, can I buy a vowel? Uh what about a
U!
Sammie,
Very good points. My 13 year old daughter is a percussionist and she plays in a symphony orchestra. She also performs with a percussion ensemble and the director is also the percussion professor at a nearby university. Recently the university had a special guest for their percussion students of a Ugandan Drum Master from Africa and my daughter was invited by this professor to attend and it also helps that her drum teacher is a graduate percussion student at this college.
The drum master brought a handmade African tribal drum to give to the college and the students also gave him a drum. What was funny was during the exchange, the drum master of course explained his desire to give something from his people to the college and then the students went up with a snare drum and the exchange went something like this.
"It is an honor on behalf of the students to present something made in America....(
a pause while the presenting student flipped over the drum to read something on the backside and then with red face).....orat least the idea to make it came from America" and of course the whole place just erupted in laughter. The snare drum was of course "made in China".
Diesel has a valid point (although his motive was more an attempt to slam Repubs and Bush and they do deserve that) and your's about the poor quality is also valid but I don't blame the foreign made part as the root cause because it's sadly proven IMO that many of the Japanese made cars are of better quality and durability than many of the American made. Many of these cheap foreign made products have American company lables on them. Last time I looked Mattel, started in America in 1945' is headquartered in El Segundo California not Bejing China or even Hong Kong.
At one time in America we weren't driven by consumerism and we bought products that lasted. I'm not picking on Wal-Mart but one of the key factors of their success is you buy a much cheaper price toaster and they know within 2 years you'll be back for another. Sure, you could buy a higher end model at another store and maybe over the span of time you'll pay the same amount of money (you buy 1 high cost toaster to the 3 low dollar jobs over 10 years, maybe even 4 or 5) but over that 10 years you won't enjoy the latest bells and whistles to come out with the lone high dollar job like the latest cheap toaster that also brews your coffee, walks your dog and warms up the car on cold mornings. Next year's model will have HDTV on board! I know I'm going overboard with toaster features but we are driven today by looks, appearances and gimmicks not just so much of what really works and it's lasting quality. Wonder how many low buck toasters end up in landfills compared to the number of high dollar jobs? Just looking from the enviro side of the picture. Hey Al, where are you?
Besides, if people took that approach of quality over price in a serious way, I'd imagine UPS would have to downsize as they've geared themselves to this throw away world and it's shipping habits we now live in.