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The kid and I were working on a jigsaw puzzle yesterday. A Ravensburger puzzle, made in Germany. Great designs, every piece strong and well-made, the contribution to the world admirable. Seems like most German and Japanese products rise to this standard. Perhaps it is a cultural thing.
I wonder how many USA companies can rise to this standard? We used to make some of the best products in the world, and we still can, but it seems to me that most of our companies are turning into fly-by-night operations selling addictive crap. I am not very impressed by all the cell phone apps either. Not bad, but our economy needs a hell of a lot more than that.
I don't think this is a left vs. right thing. How about professional pride? Seems like folks who flip a few houses, or build McMansions with illegal alien workers or brew up hedge fund garbage are considered successful, but a craftmen cabinet maker is not.
I think that professional pride is the well spring of our national wealth. How do we get back to that?
Actually, I can think of quite a few right off the top of my head. There's Zippo, the lighter company, Buck knives, Case knives, Smith and Wesson, Sturm & Ruger, Harley Davidson, Gibson guitar, Frye's (boots), Hershey candy, Kitchen Aid, Hawaiian clothing company, and on and on. I'll agree that many products have become shoddy in design, but we still have many that put out quality stuff. It all levels out in the end; those who produce crap don't last, while those who take pride in their products and provide excellent customer service are around for a hundred years or more.
We used to make some of the best products in the world
We still do.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fiddlehead
I am not very impressed by all the cell phone apps either. Not bad, but our economy needs a hell of a lot more than that.
I read a report a year or two ago (don't ask me to cite it - you'll have to do your own research if you want to challenge this info) that showed that the U.S. is still the leading manufacturing country. China wasn't far behind, and they may have passed us by a little at this point, but we were still turning out more goods than anyone else.
I think you have a dim view of the U.S. and it's manufacturing capacity/ability because of the people you associate yourself with and the sources of information you choose to use. I've noticed that the hardcore liberals (sorry if you don't consider yourself one, but based on your history here, I do) have a very negative and unjustified image of this country. Maybe if you guys stopped looking exclusively for bad news, you wouldn't find quite as much.
That's low. Fiddlehead and I almost always disagree, but that is just low.
[Well, consider the source.... If I thought his opinion was worth a rat turd, I might be hurt.]
Otherwise, good posts on this thread. Thanks for calling me out, I was feeling a bit down on things. Like everyone else, I am trying to figure out how the USA can stay the best in the world in business, and sometimes I see so much of the cheap schlock I get descouraged. The whole housing bubble, financial derivatives garbage has me pretty jaded. When our best kids aspire to be investment bankers, I feel we've lost something.
Good point that the best manufacturing companies tend to last. I agree with that.
Last edited by Fiddlehead; 06-25-2012 at 06:26 PM..
[Well, consider the source.... If I thought his opinion was worth a rat turd, I might be hurt.]
Otherwise, good posts on this thread. Thanks for calling me out, I was feeling a bit down on things. Like everyone else, I am trying to figure out how the USA can stay the best in the world in business, and sometimes I see so much of the cheap schlock I get descouraged. The whole housing bubble, financial derivatives garbage has me pretty jaded. When our best kids aspire to be investment bankers, I feel we've lost something.
Good point that the best manufacturing companies tend to last. I agree with that.
Don't forget about farming. I know it isn't *sexy*, but we are awfully good at that.
kitchen aide, snap on, plus Bose is made here and elsewhere.. quality.
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If I thought his opinion was worth a rat turd, I might be hurt.]
