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Discussion » Questions » Jobs » Do you kvetch about American jobs being sent abroad? Do you buy only American-made products or do you buy what you can afford? Why?
RosieG

Do you kvetch about American jobs being sent abroad? Do you buy only American-made products or do you buy what you can afford? Why?

CHEAP LABOR is what drives  business owners to send jobs abroad. CHEAP LABOR. Are Americans willing to work for the same wages as foreign workers? Whose fault is it that CHEAP LABOR exists elsewhere? Whose fault is it that people on budgets need to get the most value for their money and so they will buy goods made in foreign countries because they are CHEAPER? Lay the blame on whom for this situation? Why?

Posted - April 4, 2017
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Responses


  • Much of an answer lies within your description.  If one is shopping for a product, say a kitchen appliance, and the more affordable, and of known quality is from Japan, it is the more reasonable choice.  And one must consider not all American products may be fully domestic.   They may have components which are foreign made.   We are all part of a huge, interdependent global economy.  I sus[ect most of us participating on AM are using Japanese made computers. 

    And yes businesses go to foreign countries with cheaper labor.  A business bottom line is profit for the business, not job creation.  
      April 4, 2017 8:21 AM MDT
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  • 113301
    Exactly. Trump and Ivanka have their clothing lines manufactured in foreign countries because of CHEAP LABOR so they don't put AMERICA FIRST. They put their own bottom line first. Why would you buy an  inferior product just because it is made in America? That would be illogical. You buy what you like and can afford and if products are comparable but one is made in America then buy American. But not at the cost of lower quality or inferior components. Thank you for your thoughtful answer whistle! :)
      April 5, 2017 6:31 AM MDT
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  • 34246
    I get the one I like the most. If deciding between two similar products and one is American made and the other not ....the American made will win out.
      April 4, 2017 9:05 AM MDT
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  • 113301
    Precisely! Why would you do otherwise m2c? I'm not going to buy a product I dislike and pass ib one I do like just because of the place it was made. What we need to do is make a lot more products in America that are BETTER and don't cost an arm and a leg and your first-born grandchild! That's a lot harder! Thank you for your reply! :)
      April 5, 2017 6:28 AM MDT
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  • 34246
    You are right. And that is why we need: tax cuts, less regulation, better trade deals, stopping currency manipulation...so we can be competitive and still make a great product.
      April 5, 2017 8:31 AM MDT
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  • 113301
    The problem is wage disparity m2c. Labor is much cheaper abroad and that is why  Trump has almost ALL of his product lines made abroad as does Ivanka. How do you deal with that? Will Americans be willing to work on the cheap as those in other countries do? Will Americans be willing to PAY MORE for American-made goods than they could get otherwise? Assuming quality and availability is comparable would YOU pay more for a product made in America than for one made elsewhere? Many folks are on budgets so they have to make purchases that will fit into those restrictions. Thank you for your reply and Happy Friday to thee! :)
      April 7, 2017 5:32 AM MDT
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  • 34246
    I make my product....I make it here in America. So I know I can compete with Mex. 
    Yes people will pay more for quality. Some won't. But it is not only wages that make it hard to compete. It is also taxes and regulation and unfair trade.
    As far as Trump products, they have talked about it and said he wants to fix the reasons that are forcing the company to make it's products overseas in order to be competitive. This is why we need a business man in the Presidency, he knows why and what needs to be changed. This post was edited by my2cents at April 7, 2017 5:42 AM MDT
      April 7, 2017 5:40 AM MDT
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  • 113301
    Thank you for your reply m2c. I will believe it when Trump does it. Talk is cheap. Actions speak louder than words. And so on!  :)
      April 7, 2017 5:41 AM MDT
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  • 314
    Affordable is NOT my catchphrase.  It's not the criteria I seek.  I'm broke as hell, so when I do buy I investigate quality.  cheap can cost more in the long run.  I buy for something to last.  If American made is the best quality, the best value, of course it gets priority.  But I drive a Volvo.
      April 4, 2017 10:29 AM MDT
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  • 113301
    100% American-made products are very hard to find Sugar. SIGH. Thank you for your reply and Happy Wednesday! :)
      April 5, 2017 6:26 AM MDT
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  • Like Sugar, I shop by highest cost to quality ratio.  I try and buy American as often as I can.   I see the failure lying mostly in the failure of Federal government in imposing proper tariffs on foreign made goods that competed with domestic made goods.   It's weakened us immensely.
      April 4, 2017 12:08 PM MDT
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  • 113301
    100% American-made products are hard to find Glis. Thank you for your reply! :)
      April 5, 2017 6:25 AM MDT
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  • Nowadays yes.   Since the Federal government failed its duties to impose proper tariffs on foreignly produced goods that competed with domestically made ones.   They sold us out a long time ago under the BS of "free trade".   It has weakened us immensely.  Not only economically but by losing our own means of production.

    Goods made over seas that competed with goods here should have been tariffed to all hell.  If Apple wants to make it's Iphones in China.  They should pay the tariff  If Toyota wants to sell cars here?  They should pay the tariff.  etc. etc.
      April 5, 2017 6:35 AM MDT
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  • 113301
    But if we do that to their products won't they do that to ours Glis? I am not well-informed about how all of that works but it seems to me that they would hit back in like kind. Do we import more than we export or vice-versa? You seem very knowledgeable about this and I appreciate being educated with such replies as this. Thank you m'dear! :)
      April 5, 2017 6:48 AM MDT
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  • Who cares? They were poor dark age hell holes and often goods are sold over there at a loss or near zero profit.  Meanwhile under the system we had the past 80 years they been sucking our wealth stock out of the USA while making them stronger and us weaker.  Our Federal allowed them, even encouraged them, to build themselves off the citizens backs.  Keeping foreign aggression and competition in check and controlling immigration are the three primary  legitimate duties of a good national government. 

    We used to be the king of innovation and manufacturing.   Not no more thanks to allowing unchecked competition from Asia and South America for so long.
      April 5, 2017 7:06 AM MDT
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  • 113301
    Do you fault companies for doing business abroad to take advantage of cheap labor? Can the problems be resolved strictly using appropriate tariffs? You cannot control what people choose to buy. Most of us are on budgets and need to get the best ROI we can. Manufacturers know that so they go where costs are cheaper. Everyone is out for him/herself and cost/expense is always at the heart of things. How do you reset things?  Thank you for your thoughtful reply  Glis.
      April 5, 2017 7:13 AM MDT
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  • Somewhat but they are only doing what is allowed.   I blame the failure of the Federal government allowing them to do so by not imposing tariffs.   If an American company sends the manufacturing over seas then they are really just importing a foreign made good and it should tariffed as to not compete with American wages.  The way it is did good for the Federal government though.  It knocked down that pesky middle class it was losing power to and made the people dependent on it and allowed top grow into the Big Brother.  It's the same reason they try and convince us that the dollar losing value is good and debt is good.

    Believe me,  I'm with you on wanting goods I don't need and looking for the cheapest price to be able to get them.  Hyperconsumerism is addictive,  but it's still a disease.
      April 5, 2017 7:27 AM MDT
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  • 113301
    What about wages? American labor costs more so the products they make cost more. If we put high tariffs on imports won't the countries to whom we export do likewise? Won't they retaliate? Are Americans willing to pay more for the same quality/availability just because it is American-made?   Jim and I live within a budget. That's why we compare prices all the time. We shop at Walmart and Winco for food. I clip coupons and I am not embarrassed to use them! Our non-food purchases are likewise impacted by what we can afford . And so on. Thank you for your reply Glis and Happy Friday! :)
      April 7, 2017 5:40 AM MDT
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  • Has anyone shopped at Toys R Us lately?  It's almost impossible to find toys made in the US, some educational toy stores do have toys made here but the popular ones, the ones the kids always want for Christmas are made in China.

    I also found out the hard way that unless pet food says on the label made in the USA then it's made in China and even when it says made in the US it can be made with imported ingredients.
      April 4, 2017 11:20 PM MDT
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  • 113301
    I rest my case. Your answer is typical of everyone's experience! Trump clothes are made in foreign countries by foreign workers providing cheap labor. So much for his  "AMERICA FIRST" bullsh**!  Trump tries to foist it off on us when he himself and his daughter don't put America first!  They put cheap first so they can make more money. You cannot buy what does not exist and 100% American-made products are few and far between. Thank you for your reply Yogafan and Happy Wednesday! :)
      April 5, 2017 6:24 AM MDT
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  • Isn't that precisely what Trump is trying to do?  He's already persuaded one company not to move to Mexico and is proposing tax incentives for companies who manufacture in the US.

    Trump's daughter makes her own decisions where she has her clothes manufactured and in this case it seems she is going against daddy's wishes.
      April 5, 2017 10:25 PM MDT
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  • 113301
    Daddy's clothing line(s) are also made abroad Yogafan. From what I read. Ties and suits and whathaveyous. Talk is cheap. Thank you for your reply.
      April 7, 2017 5:11 AM MDT
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