Made in the USA

Occasionally there is an advertisement or a rally-cry to buy products that are "Made in the USA". In this global economy, I can't discern whether made in the USA is a good thing or just a sign of the times. I think global economics are too complicated for the average person to analyze or understand. I think the US import/export structures allows for companies to manufacture overseas and they do so without penalties. The cheap labor markets around the world make it more lucrative to manufacture overseas and then jobs in America are lost.

To all my fellow Americans, look at the labels in you clothing and you will likely not find a Made in America label.....in clothes that have an American company name. The other day I was at Sam's Club and I saw a sign for Eddie Bauer flannel shirts. When I looked at the label...made in Vietnam. I told my wife, so for my birthday she looked for made in America clothes and found a flannel shirt and fleece pullover made by Arrow and the label said "America". She didn't look far enough. The flannel was made in Egypt and the fleece in Kenya.

Right now I'm wearing.
1. Martin Guitar (Americas Guitar) hoodie - Label: Campus Heritage Collection...made in China.
2. True Value Hardware T-shirt - Label: Gilban...made in Nicaragua.
3. Gym pants, full length - Label: Champion...made in Jordan.
4. Boxer shorts - Label: IZOD...made in Sri Lanka.
5. White Socks - Label: Nike ... no label, only the swoooosh, don't know where they are made.
6. Boat shoes - Label: Rockport...made in China

Oh yea, so many things are NOT made in America which is partly why I've purchased American made cars (Chevy, Ford)the last 10/15 years.

Look at it this way MC, you're sort of the "League of Nations" when it comes to attire.


TIS

Exactly MC. In my classes we cover Globalization because it is one of the unavoidable realities of today's economy. Are you old enough to remember the transistor radios (among other goods) that were made in Japan and that just about everyone had? Remember when Made in Japan was a pejorative term that you would yell at the other guys in the neighborhood?

The Big Physics is that labor is a lot cheaper in Asia (particularly China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Indonesia, etc.) than it is here. Americans don't want to pay a lot for everyday items like casual clothing, small electronics, compact cars. etc., so we buy them from overseas, or from US companies that outsource to overseas producers. I will bet that a significant proportion of what goes into our military aircraft, fighting vehicles and other armaments is produced overseas.

This is a natural evolution. Americans--including you and I--don't want to work cheap anymore, nor should we. As a people, we spent decades building a better way of life and we're not going to turn back. Every time management asks employees for givebacks so "we can compete with Asia," I want to ask the bosses if they'd be willing to accept cutbacks in their salaries, bonuses and stock options so they can be paid like their management counterparts overseas. And we don't want to pay more to have stuff made in America that can be made cheaper (and sometimes better) overseas. We do best what we do best here, especially high-tech stuff.

One of the more unfortunate consequences of these jobs going overseas is that the bulk of what kept the middle class strong all these years. When those jobs were either lost or outsourced so did an easy and simple means of a decent income that did not require much education or skill.

What's replaced them is an unequal structure of low paying minimum wage service jobs, and high paying professional or skill jobs. For the latter you need at the very least a college bachelor's degree. For the former, people who work those services can barely live off of the salary. No one even working full time at a fast food joint is going to be living relatively well on that kind of money.

There have been calls to raise the minimum wage and overall salary. The problem is most states, can't damn well pay a higher wage or salary. Most businesses would just cut hours anyway. And Unions can still be greedy. Bad leadership and unsustainable pension funds bankrupted Detroit.

My basic point is that I recognize an income inequality gap in this country and it's due to what Marycas mentioned above. These jobs once held by Americans are now held by Asians so we can buy them at a lower price. We've evolved a higher standard of living but it's only attained by a small number.

Me being a fiscal conservative, I have my own ideas on how to solve it. But that's another story. Sorry if I hijacked this thread

I wish one of our great politicians would pass a law saying that right under the product it must state where it was made in big letters.

Also buying on line it must say the same thing in big letters.

You think I want to buy stuff made outside the US?

Make where it is made easy to notice. I would always buy made in USA.

The problem with the middle class is politicians like to say want people to get to middle class and keep the middle class strong.

I would rather hear lets try to get people already in middle class to move higher then that. I have not heard any of these lying bastard politicians said that.

None of these pricks are content with middle class so why should the voters be content with middle class?

What is wrong with trade school instead of college.

Go to trade skill for example carpentry you can maKe really good money and you can make it any where. Your not tied down to an area.

Plumbing school is another good trade.

When my daughter the communist decided to move to Germany. Here graduating Columbia University with honor meant shit to them.

They wanted to know what trade do you have.

On minimum wage that a bullshit issue. Minimum wage is for teens who want to work during the summer.

You can not support anyone making minimum wage. It's for kids to get use to working not for people with families.

Same applies to the UK. We manufacture nothing here any more. Everything comes from China, Taiwan,Vietnam, Bangladesh etc. etc.

Sign of modern times i suppose....

In 1985, President Reagan visited one of my employer's top-producing factories. We turned out all the employees to greet him, wearing ball caps with the flag on them and the motto: "USA #1."
The label inside the caps said, "Made in China."

Thats funny Turnbull!
I am not so concerned about my clothing or products being made in other countries but I did check a couple meds. I found out that Zyrtec's active ingredient is made in Belgium and my inhaler is manufactured in Ireland...I never would have thought about checkling where this stuff comes from before.

I know one thing for sure. I won't buy or order Tilapia. If it comes from China chances are its raised in pens that are submerged in polluted rivers. ... but I slightly digress. Here's a true story similar to Turnbull's hat story.

At Ma Bell, I was an Engineering/Construction Manager. The AT&T equipment rep asked to come to our construction garage to demonstrate new equipment that we would be using. This was a common practice. The fellow did his demo for a group of 30 cable splicers. As is customary, he brought hats with the AT&T logo. After the demo he handed out the hats. One of the union guys yells out, "These f****n hats are made in China." Everyone threw them on the table and walked out of the room. I had to laugh because many of them drove home that day in their foreign cars.

My husband and I wear a lot of True Religion jeans/clothing, all made in USA. If they say on the inside tag that they're made anywhere else, they're fake.
That brand is the only one I can think of that's made in USA, that I own.

I recently went out and traded my gas guzzling Mercedes for a thrifty Ford. I thought I was buying a USA product, but it turns out it was made in Mexico.

You're kidding? Were the parts made in Mexico and then assembled in Detroit?

Whether you intended to or not, you make a great point DT: buy American. You have the choice to do so or not.

The ones I bought from Canal say Taiwan. What are you trying to say?

MC: Reagan began his speech at our factory this way: "Now I know that the good people of Oklahoma are just as sore as I am about those big companies that have tax loopholes so big you can fly a 747 through their plant." And there we were, in AT&T's Oklahoma City Works--32 acres under one roof--and AT&T had paid no Federal taxes the year before because of the breakup of the Bell System. With friends like him...

dt: I needed a new car in 1983. I was thinking of buying a Honda Accord, which at that time was called "the class act of compact cars." But I was working in a manufacturing unit of AT&T at the time, and I felt patriotic. So I bought a Dodge Aries. Worst new car I ever owned. What a piece of sh*t.

In 1775, Boswell said: "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel." I might have added: "Patriotism in car buying is the mark of a sap."

Wellll, like I said in my original post; they're fake. And not for nothing, but they're extremely well made, not worth the money but what is.

I think pretty much all American cars in the 80's were total pieces of junk. Many of us who bought American cars to be patriotic were suckers. We all learned our lesson and from then bought Japanese or German vehicles. At least that's what ppl in CA did.

I got taken for a ride huh? the african guy said they were real. oh well, live and learn.

i liked The Joeys, they fit well.

My only gripe with TR's is they make the inseams so long and I have to wear 4 inch heels to get them to not drag on the floor, but they make my bum look bangin so it's worth it.

My Carhartt FR gear is made in America. That's about it.. Even that is being sourced out to Mexico I think now.

Carhartt's a pretty rugged brand. Their jeans fit me perfectly. 34 waist, 32 length. 55 years old. Take that, young'uns .

Your bum? Can't you just say ass like a good American?

That's funny because originally, I had typed the word "ass" but then remembering I'm down here in General Discussion, I thought I should tone it down a bit. Believe me it was hard (shutup, get your mind out of the gutter).

Eh, that was really in response to our pm about patriotism earlier. That's why I used the phrase "good American" .

Ohhh I get it. That was really very clever then, PB!

Well, I haven't started drinking yet. And that's also in response to our earlier pm .

I'm Pizzaboy, and I approve of this message (but thank God those political commercials are over for the next nine months or so).

Yep it's about all I wear these days. I'm 36x32 by the way, I haven't seen 34's in quite a few years Probably when I first started linework and before the higher ups introduced me to the "grunt buying the beer" technique and us drinking every day

I also wear Carhartt slip on boots when I'm not wearing my 16" Red Wing climbing boots. I think the Red Wings were made in the USA too. Even though PB even the foreign made Carhartt stuff is still great, you can tell a difference in material in my FR jeans and my regular Carhartt non FR jeans made in Indonesia or wherever the hell they are made (FR material is thicker but still the difference in stitching, etc. can be seen). I'm brand loyal though so I stick with what works.

I'm about to buy me some Hall's slip on boots that are made in Pennsylvania. I try to buy "Made in USA" but it's just so damn hard to find these days....