Things no longer made in the USA

[DaddyBuiltRacing]

I found this interesting especially Levi jeans

 

http://finance.yahoo.com/tech-ticker/19-iconic-products-that-america-doesn%27t-make-anymore-535569.html?tickers=f,ge,mat,DELL,MOT,aapl,bni

[04silvrz]

there are probably more foreign companies making products here than American companies. hah

 

I know Toyota and Honda employee a good amount of people here....

[KennyFKINPowerz]

Makes me sick.

[Adam]

Everyone loves capitalism until it works

[Trouble Maker]

Interesting this came up now. A mountain bike forum I'm on did an interview with Dave Turner of Turner Bikes and this is what he had to say.

 

We talked quite a bit about the market and what’s happening with outsourcing. How have you lasted so long being an American manufacturer?

Stubborn or scared. Stubborn in that I have tried really hard since the beginning to support the US worker and manufacturing machine. Scared in that to move any production overseas would require learning a whole new bag of tricks and working with Sapa is convenient and comfortable.

 

Is having the ”made in America” and the American flag on a frame still valuable?

Not much anymore I am sad to say. Walk into any dealer today and look for Made in USA stickers, nothing made here anymore so from a dealers view, why should he care if a Turner Bike is still made here when the rest of the shop is imported right down to the light fixtures and door knobs to the dressing rooms. As for the customers here in the United States? I don’t think that matter much anymore either, the slide to buying imported household goods and large ticket items started decades ago and I am really starting to see that even in the niche bicycle brands it don’t matter. Look at the most popular niche brands on the trial today, brands that were 100% Made in USA at one time, but their greatest growth and trail presence came after they shifted manufacturing off shore and were able to trim the prices a bit. If American mountain bikers cared, that would not have happened. And for customers outside the US? They certainly don’t care if it costs more, especially since no one in their country earns money for the manufacturing process.

 

With many manufacturing jobs going overseas – how do you think this will affect us all?

Man I bet the amount of research and writing on this subject is immense. But in my small view, when we can make nothing here anymore, what then? Can’t be good. I would like to say Turner Bikes makes a difference, but when companies like HP and GM and Ford and on and on do only the manufacturing they have to in the United States and outsource huge amounts, Turner Bikes making a few frames is not even a drop in the bucket against the ‘global economy’.

[BrianZ06]

Only the best for my GM Truck

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc178/1fstws6/000_1156.jpg

 

Wait !!! Made in China !!! SHITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc178/1fstws6/000_1171.jpg

 

VERY SAD

[Nitrousbird]

Easy fix - up import tariffs, which will equal the playing field.

[nurkvinny]

Those that think it is sad...

 

Take the time to research which of those elected officials feel the same way as you and also figure out (ie Google) how to buy American-benefiting products.

 

In other words, don't believe the "I can't make a difference; I'll just buy the foreign junk" mentality.

[Patterson]

Easy fix - up import tariffs, which will equal the playing field.

 

Yea, and then China asks the US to cash in its billions of lent cash that has furthered our decline of our dollar. And then America collapses. Not the best idea.

 

I wish we could though.

[TTQ B4U]

Very sad indeed. Went to iron my shirt this morning, ironically right after reading this article.

 

http://www.pbase.com/timothylauro/image/130175352/original.jpg

[Forrest Gump 9]

Balls!!

[Flyin Miata]

Everyone loves capitalism until it works

 

Winner winner, chicken dinner.

[DaddyBuiltRacing]

Anyone have a list of companies that have not outsourced? I am doing a paper for my composition class and could use this info.

[Mallard]

Easy fix - up import tariffs, which will equal the playing field.

Won't happen until we cut the national debt. It's up to you as a consumer to make your voice heard and buy American.

[Trouble Maker]

Won't happen until we cut the national debt. It's up to you as a consumer to make your voice heard and buy American.

 

I think one of the biggest and easiest thing someone can do to support the economy is buy local whenever you can. Support local businesses and the money is much more likely to get re-spent locally. Even if what you are buying from there is not made locally you are still supporting a local, probably small business owner. We are trying to do all of our grocery shopping at local businesses. Groceries are something you buy all of the time and can have a continual effect on the local economy or some big business bottom line based out of Wichita. Which would you rather effect?

 

Local Yokel which is a locally owned business (usually local grown veggies, fruit, etc delivered to your door), Anderson's, Huffman's, The Hills, Wieland's. We also try to get Ohio made items when we can, The Hills is really good at pointing those out.

 

It cost more but if more people bought locally it would lift up the local economy. I don't want to hear a single person bitch that they don't have the money to do it. 99% of us spend more a month on our cable or (extra things we don't need) on our cars than the extra it would cost to grocery shop locally. Everyone bitches that jobs are going overseas, they are getting paid less or getting laid off, but they've been going to Walmart and buying Chinese made items.

 

Then you can seek out USA made items on big ticket items. But those purchases for most people are few and far between. Unfortunately it might make sense to not buy American because what you are looking for is not made here. While this is a problem I'm not going to fault someone for buying something made overseas, simply because no one makes it here. I also think if it comes down to a cost or quality issue those choices have to be handled on a case by case basis. I posted a link to an mountain bike maker earlier in this thread. I would love one of their bikes when I go to buy a full suspension bike, but they cost $4.5k. I plan to spend somewhere around half of that on my next bike so it might force me into a frame made overseas. It's not a choice of buying US made or overseas made at that point. It's buying overseas made or not buying at all at that point. Also, like it or not the economy is global now. We will always import and (hopefully) export.