The Cellar - China is NOT our pal

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- - China is NOT our pal (http://cellar.org/showthread.php?t=22010)

It’s called a free market. China is getting businesses that it deserves. Recently talked to a chemist whose company when out of business. They knew what China was doing to make the chemical better. They just could not figure out how the Chinese were doing it.

Another has Porcelain statues made in China. Quality is better than what they were buying in the states.

Many American companies call engineering an expense. Therefore it is cheaper to let the Chinese do designs. What their business school training forgets to tell them - he who designs the product is then also discovering and accidently finding many new innovative solutions. Solutions that never appear on the spread sheet. Solutions that mean the Chinese designer today manufactures the products - and tomorrow own the business.

The magic word - innovation. What never gets discussed when business school graduates measure everything only in terms of costs.

Even when the stuff is designed in the US, it may well be assembled in China. My i-pod: designed in California; assembled in China.

You'd be hard pressed to find an Made in America label in many stores.

Walmart is just blatant about it.

Even luxury and high end brands like Dana points out are half made in China.

http://marketplace.publicradio.org/d...made_in_china/

Giorgio Bonacarso: Today, many of these brands will do some part of the operation here in China, and they will finish the shoes in Italy to be allowed to still put "Made in Italy," even if it is not made in Italy.

Take the Risen Shoe factory in the southern city of Dongguan. Chinese workers shape and stitch coral pink sandals that'll go for $250 this summer at Bloomingdales. That's double each worker's weekly income.

Dorothy Goh helps manage in this workshop.

Dorothy Goh: These shoes are high-end brands. This shows that China's factories are capable of making high-end shoes.

But Bonacarso says 9 out of 10 of the top European brands now make their shoes in China -- just very quietly.

Consultant Paul French explains why.

French: There might be a backlash, where people say, "Well, hang on a minute. We know that your heritage is luxurious. You started in the backstreets of Paris or Milan or wherever. But now you're just producing out of factories in China." And if people start to question that, then they feel they could have a problem. So it's better just not to talk about it.

Facing declining sales, many makers of luxury brands have moved production to China to cut costs. Still, you may not find 'Made in China' on their products. Scott Tong explains why.

Quote:

Originally Posted by skysidhe (Post 633000)

You'd be hard pressed to find an Made in America label in many stores.

Which is why sites like this are growing in popularity.

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Quote:

Originally Posted by classicman (Post 633027)

Which is why sites like this are growing in popularity.

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I saw those too.

One year working at a department store ( not walmart!)
a customer was piqued she could not find anything made in America. I took her to the Columbia Sportswear. Portland's own.

I think they are still made here. I could be wrong.

I dealt with that when I was selling Men's Shoes in a Department store. I pointed them to the Dexters.

This was at least 10 years ago, so who knows now.

Got this email today.

Quote:

One Light Bulb at a Time
A physics teacher in high school, once told the students that while one grasshopper on the railroad tracks wouldn't slow a train very much, a billion of them would. With that thought in mind, read the following, obviously written by a good American ..

Good idea .. . . one light bulb at a time . . . .
Check this out . I can verify this because I was in Lowe's the other day for some reason and just for the heck of it I was looking at the hose attachments. They were all made in China.
The next day I was in Ace Hardware and just for the heck of it I checked the hose attachments there. They were made in USA. Start looking ..

In our current economic situation, every little thing we buy or do affects someone else - even their job. So, after reading this email, I think this lady is on the right track. Let's get behind her!

My grandson likes Hershey's candy. I noticed, though, that it is marked made in Mexico now. I do not buy it any more.
My favorite toothpaste Colgate is made in Mexico ..... now I have switched to Crest.
You have to read the labels on everything ..

This past weekend I was at Kroger. I needed 60 W light bulbs and Bounce dryer sheets. I was in the light bulb aisle, and right next to the GE brand I normally buy was an off-brand labeled, "Everyday Value." I picked up both types of bulbs and compared the stats - they were the same except for the price..
The GE bulbs were more money than the Everyday Value brand but the thing that surprised me the most was the fact that GE was made in MEXICO and the Everyday Value brand was made in - get ready for this - the USA at a company in Cleveland, Ohio.

So throw out the myth that you cannot find products you use every day that are made right here..

So on to another aisle - Bounce Dryer Sheets....yep, you guessed it,
Bounce cost more money and is made in Canada .
The Everyday Value brand was less money and MADE IN THE USA!
I did laundry yesterday and the dryer sheets performed just like the Bounce Free I have been using for years and at almost half the price!

My challenge to you is to start reading the labels when you shop for everyday things and see what you can find that is made in the USA - the job you save may be your own or your neighbors! (We should have awakened a decade ago)

Let's get with the program.....help our fellow Americans keep their jobs and create more jobs here in the USA

From what I've heard, just because it says its made in the US doesn't actually mean it is. I think New Balance shoes does something like that to an extent.

Quote:

Originally Posted by piercehawkeye45 (Post 633274)

From what I've heard, just because it says its made in the US doesn't actually mean it is. I think New Balance shoes does something like that to an extent.

Michelin developed the radial tire in 1948. To keep a superior product out of America, Congress (urged by anti-innovation Firestone, Uniroyal, Goodrich, et al) put up massive tariffs on radials.

Goodyear imported completed radial tires from Michelin, glued a Goodyear tread on, and became the first American radial tire in 1975. Whereas crap tires got 10,000 miles, Michelins radials did 40,000 miles.

Buy American is how one puts Americans out of work. Patriots only believe in the free market - buy the best. Why were all American tire companies (except Goodyear) driven to extinction? America had 'buy American' laws that simply put American tire employees out of work. That simply encouraged what always destroys jobs - stifled innovation.

Had Americans stopped buying GM cars 20 years ago. Had we all bought Honda and Toyota (cars chock full of American innovations), then GM would be a productive company today. But too many so hated the American worker as to stupidly buy American - resulting in the massive job losses that must always happen.

How to keep Americans employed. Always buy the best. Then the only reason for job losses - management that stifled innovation in the name of profits - is quickly removed. Buy American only protects the problem; is not a solution.

How to increase American foreign oil imports by 10 or 16%? Buy discount gasoline at Sheets, Wawa, Hess, Merit, etc. Not only do you spend more money per mile. You also increase foreign imports by not using superior American technologies - such as additives that mean gasoline costs you less money. Always buy the best. Buy American is just as silly as buying only on lower price.

Buy, Buy American Pie by the Capitol Steps

Quote:

SOUTH KITSAP —

The South Kitsap Wal-Mart was evacuated Sunday after a 51-year-old Belfair man allegedly dumped “Stink Bombs” liquid and sprayed “Super Fart Spray” inside the store.

South Kitsap Fire & Rescue crews were sent to the store at about 12:40 p.m. Sunday for a reported hazardous-material incident. A man was reportedly throwing onto the floor a liquid that was creating a severe smell and causing headaches.

Deputies estimated about 75 shoppers and store employees were evacuated.

The man admitted dumping liquid onto the floor that made people nauseated. He said there were more bottles of the liquid in his glove compartment.

Deputies found bottles labeled “Stink Bombs,” which included a warning that the liquid is an irritant containing ammonium sulfide. He also handed the deputy a can called “Super Fart Spray,” which he said he also sprayed.

The man said he did it because he thought it would be funny.

The man’s girlfriend, a 46-year-old Belfair woman, said she was shopping and didn’t know what he was doing.

I guess she just figured it was typical Wal-Mart ambiance. :greenface

Read more: http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/f...#ixzz0f9BsPWUA

He is obviously a Walmart hater and thinks that Walmart is evil.

He's obviously a real American and a true patriot.

Quote:

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce (Post 633693)

He's obviously a real American and a true patriot.

I am not sure that person really exists.