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Does "Made in USA" Amount to a Hill of Beans Anymore?

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Space Varmint

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I'm thinking with gas prices and all else that follows suit, that more and more are shopping at Walmart. Do you think it effects the consumer to even a small percentage? I'm thinking of sticking my neck out to make a common item that you hardly see made in USA if at all. I'm not doing it only for that reason, but I have a prediction as well. I think short-wave radios will begin to rebound soon. It has to do with the internet. Without getting too conspiratorial here, it is a fact that we have begun a transformation onto internet II.
 
The term shortwave radio seems such a misnomer these days considering PCS and such. They should rename it to longwave :)
 
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The term shortwave radio seems such a misnomer these days considering PCS and such. They should rename it to longwave :)

That's so true. Yes it was because of when it was invented. Back then it was short-wave. It is a very neat animal though. I am not sure what PCS is, but I will assume satellite. The thing is, when you get up to the higher frequencies you need all these supporting systems because of the fact that the really short waves like upper VHF, UHF and SHF on up just pass right through the ionosphere. At best they are line of sight communications. I have heard true short-wave (3 to 30 MHz) actually twice. The first time it hit my antenna and again after it went all the way around the world. If you had the money for a good bit of equipment you could actually play the propagation game to where you could have reliable communications at all times. Then you have those flukes where with sunspot activity and a few wind shears it's possible to communicate to the other side of the world on 5 watts. They call it "sporadic E".
 
I don't think much of anything is completely 'Made in USA' anymore, maybe assembled in, or re-packaged in, but not completely made in the USA. It really hurts a company, if they put a sticker on their product, and later somebody finds 'Made in China' imprinted on a sub-assembly or circuit board. Why pay extra for a sticker... Doesn't reflect on quality, or even involve any fraud, lots of people out-source such things, and the components are build to their specs, not just bought off the shelf because it's handy (which is also true). Walmart got busted a while back for slapping stickers on imports, maybe about 10 or so years ago.
 
I don't think much of anything is completely 'Made in USA' anymore, maybe assembled in, or re-packaged in, but not completely made in the USA. It really hurts a company, if they put a sticker on their product, and later somebody finds 'Made in China' imprinted on a sub-assembly or circuit board. Why pay extra for a sticker... Doesn't reflect on quality, or even involve any fraud, lots of people out-source such things, and the components are build to their specs, not just bought off the shelf because it's handy (which is also true). Walmart got busted a while back for slapping stickers on imports, maybe about 10 or so years ago.

Well Harvey, I hope your not suggesting that even every transistor must be made in USA. You know as well as I do that many of the big boy silicon production facilities have moved over seas. That's just out of our hands. What about this? If the product's PC board is fabricated in the US and parts no matter where they come from are assembled onto the PC board, and even the box is stuffed in the USA. Would that pass as made in USA? Or would some idiot claim you are a liar because they found a transistor made in Singapore?
 
SV: is there anything in your life that has you believing that the glass is half full, versus half empty? Yes there still are 100% USA made goods available. My tractor and mower are pure American as are a majority of my hand & power tools.
 
some japanese cars are 90% american I believe as some of the american cars are about 30% american:D

saw artical ones in the news paper that ford did claim their car was totaly an american car (in spirit maybe):D and it turned out that the toyota was more american than the ford

big marketing blunder

Robert-Jan
 
Well let’s see here. Looking under the hood of my American Pontiac Trans AM, I find a Mitsubishi part (Japan), oh here is an alternator made in China. Based on my VIN, I know my car engine was assembled in Canada and I think the seats were assembled in Mexico.

Unlike the early 19th century, the world has shrunk in size due to the advent of things like the internet, high speed travel etc. No longer is a trip to the Far East a day’s journey, but only a fax away. This closeness that technology has brought about has also paved a way for a more global market and cooperation amongst companies across the world spectrum. I see this as a good thing, as it brings the world closer to a co-op planet, rather than an isolationist one.

National pride is a good thing and I am all for it. With that said, I would also like to see a time when the world works more towards being one community.

I know I am a dreamer. :)
 
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Personally, i really don't care too awfully much where a product is made. If you BUY it the US, some of the money is going towards the local economy. That isn't to say that i don't favor products made in the US, as MORE of the money goes toward the economy, but still. nothing to get bent out of shape about.

My biggest concern is quality of the product. I will buy something from china if it is of higher quality than something made in the US.
 
OK, screw it! I'm gonna put "Made in the World"

Nah, then some activist group will take to me to court saying I'm discriminating against Martians.
 
Funny you should bring that up.
The British thinks American cars are absolutely awful. Even though they may not be made in America, lots of chevy's are actually daewoos, for that matter.
I suppose same with Ford. Come to think of it, same with eveybody else.
Damn this small planet, nothing is anything anymore.

I'm moving. I'm starting a new planet where anything can be something again.
 
Yip, you just can't beat the chinese..... and malaysians..... and indonesians..... and koreans..... and japanese.

Are we at the wrong side of the planet?
 
Funny you should bring that up.
The British thinks American cars are absolutely awful. Even though they may not be made in America, lots of chevy's are actually daewoos, for that matter.
I suppose same with Ford. Come to think of it, same with eveybody else.
Damn this small planet, nothing is anything anymore.

I'm moving. I'm starting a new planet where anything can be something again.

I hear that. And no bankers allowed!
 
I'm thinking with gas prices and all else that follows suit, that more and more are shopping at Walmart. Do you think it effects the consumer to even a small percentage?

I feel the effects of it. The slow economy has me laid off from my job. I worked at a place where we made air curtains(https://www.poweredaire.com/) for Walmart, Bed Bath and Beyond, and others. All these places are not building any new stores, so Walmart and everyone else is down. I think I would call it a BIG percentage.
 
I was a "Plant Wireman". Which amounts to wiring the internal parts; motors, contactors, switches, heaters, and all controls for the units. Very boring work!! But it paid the bills. Paid good, Better benefits.
 
Walmart is much too big, it's going to hurt bad if they close up shop. I work in a Grocery distribution warehouse, once owned by Walmart. We still depend heavily on their business (about a third of our sales, but not our profits, still sticking it to use there).

The stuff I buy... more interested in function, than where it comes from. Not a huge fan of name-brands either. Don't really care about how it looks, just that it gets the job done. My only point is that, if you pay a little extra for something promoting 'Made in the USA', the first thing you see when you remove the case, shouldn't be some other origin. You feel like the maybe only the case was made here, and you could have gotten a much deal on the off-branded, with similar features, might be exactly the same inside the case.

I buy a lot of store brand and generics at the grocery store, if it's the same package or container as a name brand, it's most likely the same product. I worked in a cannery in my teens, we ran 7 different brands, but the only thing different was the bag. Seeing the price difference in the store, on stuff we packaged, taught me a valuable lesson.
 
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