Anyone tired of having to buy Chinese "junk" when American made goods aren't available?

Question

It seems to me that the United States has put itself out of business in manufacturing consumer goods. Everything in the stores, in the catalogs is marked "Made in China." Often these are inferior goods to what we were once used to here in the U.S. when American manufactures, and American workers, took pride in products. Every time I get exasperated with something I bought from China, I say under my breath, "Chinese Junk," and I'll comment to my wife that someday we'll be made in China, too. Seems to me that the U.S. has given away an important part of its economy and such folly may come back to bite us. What do you think?

Answer 1

I would like to have more stuff made in the U.S. , but not all of it is junk. Some of the things they make in China are actually very nice. Like some of the electronics.



It would be nice if the U.S. would put themselves back up there.
And I do think that one day it will come back and bite us.

Answer 2

Economics is something that is very much talked about yet not understood in the least bit by a lot of people. Put these same people in a class and they will hate it. I guess people hate economics class because it throws in there face the falsehoods that they have believed their whole life. Americans have a much richer life today because of all that Chinese "junk." The reason American made goods aren't available is because people have chosen to by the Chinese goods.

I suggest you and everyone else in America take at least 6 credits of college level economics. We would make much better political decisions if you did. It's pretty hard to beet economic ignorance out of a stubborn head though. People like being pissed off about the things they believe and don't like it when they find out they are false.

There isn't enough space here to fully answer your question although the guy below me brushed the surface of the answer. If you genuinely want the answer, take the classes.

Answer 3

I am less concerned about manufacturing jobs going to China then I am call center operations being located to Pakistan, India, where ever they have a poor English (take it both ways) speaking population.

With the emergence of the internet and the rapid fashion in which information can be communicated, products ordered, products shipped and money collected internationally, America should take advantage of this opportunity to shift our manual labor over to depressed economies. Then, we are really in a capable position to master the art of world distribution. When I was a kid my step father worked a graveyard shift at the mill where he sat in a box with buttons.

Those cubicles being filled over seas is because call centers have a hard time filling a graveyard shift when they are trying to make profit. The call center atmosphere for customer service and order taking requires health coverage and salaries, which means they have to pay unemployment. These costs are not there overseas. And when it comes down to it this really isn't that much money. The money can be made up by advanced phone room technologies. With the incentives provided by Mr. Bush a small business can open a 100 man call center completely tax deductible and run for 3 years without paying capitol income tax. If you go to an economically depressed area there are other incentives as well, grants and loans. They key thing is that American companies need to bring American Call Center jobs home.

Then, take the international existing call centers and combine an international marketing effort to the world populations. Increase manufacturing overseas will ultimately help America to lead the world into economic prosperity. Ours first and foremost, but we started over 200 years ago. They all got a long way to go. Lets help em along.

Answer 4

I have no objection to buying Chinese made goods. I'm sure left to their own devices they can turn out quality merchandise at a reduced price. I think the day is coming when that gap in pricing between us and India and China is going to be narrowing due to social costs.
I find that the products that I have a quality problem with are generally something that has been private labeled for a big box retailer and I believe the quality is compromised by the retailers' buyers trying to make a price point by cutting corners and costs and material.

Answer 5

Bravo. Well put. To answer your question I would have to say that most people have given it a shot, but they more or less get stuck with ridiculous conspiracy sites that undermine the ACTUAL truth movement. When faced with crazy unsubstantiated and non-peer-reviewed research most people looking into 9/11 become put-off by some pretty unsubstantiated claims of conspiracy. I tend to read scholarly data and scientific research, it serves a far more credible approach to the whole mess, so therefore I believe probably less than 10% hang in there long enough to find the hundreds of architects and engineers asking some VERY basic 7th grade type physics questions and are told by the govt that the questions have not basis for investigation...thats all i needed to be compelIed to look deeper at the EVIDENCIARY anomalies and omissions in the original report....

Answer 6

You made it apparant that America cannot compete with foriegn work forces. That is totally true, but not all chinese goods are junk, and that is exactly why we are losing jobs to them. There are to many american companies to count that have gone to foriegn countries because honestly american laborers cannot compete with the wages of foriegn laborers. So next time you ***** about an illegal mexican immigrant taking a job, think of what it would be like if all these jobs went to other countries. After NAFTA we saw a lot of jobs moving over seas, and that is why we are losing the battle of globalization, and that is also the reason our government is lienient on illegals.

Answer 7

Cannot be truer. Fortunately, it's just a pendulum swing, and small businesses will find new opportunities making consumer goods that compete with china soon. Hopefully in the next 10 years or so.

Answer 8

To me, its simple economics - if it costs less to have it made in China, why decrease your profits just to have it made in the US? Manual labor is much cheaper in China than in the US.

Our economy has steadily migrated from a manufacturing base to an information base. We deal in information and ideas. Microsoft, Google, and Yahoo were not created in China.

Longing for the days of Made in the US is a longing to be isolationist - it means not allowing other countries to compete to make things cheaper. But because we cannot afford to be isolationist with our trade, we must instead recognize where we are no longer competitive and concentrate primarily on those areas where we are.

Answer 9

Mostly all Chinese products are cheaply manufactured but i've came across a few that were okay.

You should try to look for places that sell nothing but american goods, but it might cost you more doing so.

Answer 10

Well theres a reason they are so crappy, it is because kids make them for your pricey picky azz. Who are you to say they are crap, ever make something that was so cheap to make that the mark up price would make you consider, Im getting screwed?
Fret not, there is a place that belongs soul ie to children such as these. Think about that next time a kid jumps into a reflection upon the surface of the waters...why do you think Jesus believed that a non believer could walk on water? " My kingdom is not here" he said as well, where is the spirit of god hovering in the start? keep flushing your toilet , your doing just fine ; )