who buys american?

[thedunhill225]

The sneaker thread got me wondering. How many here make an effort to buy American produced goods? Of course if you are not American this won't apply to you and I don't mean when you have no choice. I can't get an American made Sprint phone for example.... And I dont mean when you have no choice for financial reasons like if you live paycheck to paycheck and the only used car you can find that's reliable and will get your family around is a Toyota... I ain't ripping anyone but just wondering if I'm the last, or almost last, of my kind? If I ever have an option I buy American made products... I've started putting more and more effort into making sure I do.
Maybe its a dumb thread but I'm just wondering.

[funmetal]

It is a dumb threads when most USA goods are manufactured abroad, at most put together or labelled in the states. Then the USA company usually has the headquarter in another country with lower taxes and the benefits for the population go there. Only 30% of USA owned company pay any form of taxes as rest say they don't make profit. Most probably the company is owned by people outside the country.

There you go. When you buy USA products be sure it's a very complex distribution of wealth going on from your hard earned bills. Maybe what you get is a feeling of nostalgia but that's about it.

funmetal

[DOHCrazy]

I don't live in America, I live on Earth, where in 2011 we have a global economy.

*insert 'you're an ignorant 23 year old' comments*

[steel1970]

I buy American with things such as trucks and cars, but this past month we bought our first Kia. Couldn't beat the deal in many ways. I believe its hard to find GENUINE American products with so much stuff being outsourced to other countries. And to be honest, I have no desire to buy something where the parts are made in Japan, its assembled in Mexico, has a "Made in USA" sticker on it cause the parent company is American, and then pay double for it so I can ease my conscience about not buying foreign. I am for the best deal...that does not necessarily mean lower price...the reality is that its very hard for true American companies to compete with other foreign big business. And ith the economy and lack of spending money, I think MOST are looking for the best deal. I'm not gonna pay 20 cents more a gallon at the local gas shop either. I work too hard for my money and have more important things to spend it on, like 3 kids...

[Pheedno]

xenophobia and patriotism are two responses to fear of globalization.
I'm about as patriotic as it gets. I think traditional America kicks the worlds ass in ideas and values but I'm not about to buy American just because it's supposed to be patriotic. It's the governments fault that we aren't producing in America. The government needs to change it's tune on the way it polices the business environment here and we wouldn't have this thought of buying American because it's for our country. We'd buy American for what human nature dictates we'd do it for......selfishness and self interest. I buy the best quality for the best price. If America can make that, it's in my home. Fix the euro-value, high reg, accomplishment stifling, wasteful policy making and you fix the problem of having to buy American for patriotic reasons. I'm a patriot, and I'll not enable government to keep fucking shit up by putting my life in further consequence, buying products that should be competitive and are not.

[lhart6272]

I try (emphasis on try) maybe not so much to "but american" but to buy local. If i need tile i get it from the localy owned tile shop not lowes, for that matter anything i can get from a locally owned hardware store over lowes i do even if it means paying a couple extra dollars. I also prefer to eat out at the locally owned resteraunts as opposed to the big franchise chains. etc

[bruce777]

I try (emphasis on try) maybe not so much to "but american" but to buy local. If i need tile i get it from the localy owned tile shop not lowes, for that matter anything i can get from a locally owned hardware store over lowes i do even if it means paying a couple extra dollars. I also prefer to eat out at the locally owned resteraunts as opposed to the big franchise chains. etc

Same here, I like the mom&pop places
Gotta support the little guy

[blackdog1996]

To fix the Euro-value is being afraid of globalization, too. If China would ask payback of government credits at once USA would be bancrupt-not to provoke but just as a matter of fact. Where do plenty of (als US-based) companies produce their products? In China, a worker gets a salary of 150 US-$ monthly only.

[Pheedno]

To fix the Euro-value is being afraid of globalization, too. .

How is that?
I'm not sayin Europe should change their values. I'm saying America shouldn't adopt other countries values. (or did you think I was talking about fixing the euro value, as in monetary value of that currency?)
E pluribus unum -from many one. That is America. We shouldn't be E pluribus pluribus. Our key to competitiveness in a global economy is embracing exactly the values that America once celebrated. Free Market, Low tax, Low Regulation, Small Government.
Not sure where China and our debt comes into this particular subject but if you want to inject it, all you have to look at is America's value system and traditional principals to overcome that as well.

values:
E Pluribus unum
Liberty
In God We Trust

principles:
Free Market
Low Tax
Low Reg
Small Government

[lhart6272]

How is that?
I'm not sayin Europe should change their values. I'm saying America shouldn't adopt other countries values. (or did you think I was talking about fixing the euro value, as in monetary value of that currency?)
E pluribus unum -from many one. That is America. We shouldn't be E pluribus pluribus. Our key to competitiveness in a global economy is embracing exactly the values that America once celebrated. Free Market, Low tax, Low Regulation, Small Government.
Not sure where China and our debt comes into this particular subject but if you want to inject it, all you have to look at is America's value system and traditional principals to overcome that as well.

values:
E Pluribus unum
Liberty
In God We Trust

principles:
Free Market
Low Tax
Low Reg
Small Government

isnt lack of regulation in the banking industry what got us into some of the trouble we are in? and how do you run a country based off of a religion?

oh ya, holy hell a blackdog1996 sighting....

[blackdog1996]

I thought you were referring to fix the currency value-big trouble because of Greece at the moment.
Why I brought China into play? You become more and more dependent on that country. They were "coughing" lately regarding your (meanwhile solved or deferred for some years) debts problems and then you were downgraded.
Anecdote? Bought a pair of Levi's 501 orginal lately in Germany-made in Bangladesh. Label inside is translated into 9 languages-so in this case you buy US brand but not US product anymore.

[Pheedno]

isnt lack of regulation in the banking industry what got us into some of the trouble we are in? and how do you run a country based off of a religion?

oh ya, holy hell a blackdog1996 sighting....

I'm not suggesting no regulation. I talking about common sense regulation. Additionally, if government wasn't trying to get people in homes that couldn't afford it, we'd have a different story. On top of that, if banks didn't have the opportunity to sell their bunk mortgages to the government we'd also have a different story(though, home prices were inflated)

I dont think it's all of one or th other.

Also, not running a country on a religion. Just accepting the fact that the pronciples and values that America has followed in large, came from a background of judeo-christian traditions. I'm not religious in the slightest bit. I dont think that area of our history should be separated, though, and as a fair minded individual, despite my non-religious view points I can recognize that that part of American culture is one of the factors that got us to being so successful.

[lhart6272]

I'm not suggesting no regulation. I talking about common sense regulation. Additionally, if government wasn't trying to get people in homes that couldn't afford it, we'd have a different story. On top of that, if banks didn't have the opportunity to sell their bunk mortgages to the government we'd also have a different story(though, home prices were inflated)

I dont think it's all of one or th other.

Also, not running a country on a religion. Just accepting the fact that the pronciples and values that America has followed in large, came from a background of judeo-christian traditions. I'm not religious in the slightest bit. I dont think that area of our history should be separated, though, and as a fair minded individual, despite my non-religious view points I can recognize that that part of American culture is one of the factors that got us to being so successful.

well said. i thought you were advocating laissez faire(which is a fine theory)
Though im pretty burnt out on religion, i think it often does as much harm as good. Thats only my opinion though.

ive got alot of other thoughts on the housing market etc but one that wasnt the point of this thread and two im lazy as fuck right now and trying to flesh them out would require way more effort than i can put out right now....

[5spotbullseye]

xenophobia and patriotism are two responses to fear of globalization.
I'm about as patriotic as it gets. I think traditional America kicks the worlds ass in ideas and values but I'm not about to buy American just because it's supposed to be patriotic. It's the governments fault that we aren't producing in America. The government needs to change it's tune on the way it polices the business environment here and we wouldn't have this thought of buying American because it's for our country. We'd buy American for what human nature dictates we'd do it for......selfishness and self interest. I buy the best quality for the best price. If America can make that, it's in my home. Fix the euro-value, high reg, accomplishment stifling, wasteful policy making and you fix the problem of having to buy American for patriotic reasons. I'm a patriot, and I'll not enable government to keep fucking shit up by putting my life in further consequence, buying products that should be competitive and are not.

Great post.....I agree 100%

[Pheedno]

well said. i thought you were advocating laissez faire(which is a fine theory)
Though im pretty burnt out on religion, i think it often does as much harm as good. Thats only my opinion though.

ive got alot of other thoughts on the housing market etc but one that wasnt the point of this thread and two im lazy as fuck right now and trying to flesh them out would require way more effort than i can put out right now....

cheers