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We're not going to win a flat out price war with China for manufactured goods because workers there make pennies compared to what we make. But, could it be possible to maybe emphasize that, when considering quality, the US might be cheaper than China to manufacture goods?
Let's say product X is $5.00, made in China with poorly paid sheeple and crappy plastic. It's average "life" is a year.
Product Y is $8.00, made in the US with decently paid people and a stronger material. Its average life is $3 years.
Can we make a point that US goods are cheaper when factoring in better quality?
Maybe but product X is made buy someone who makes about 50 cents an hour while product Y is made by someone that probably makes about $10 an hour. You still have to factor in the cost to produce the product.
So in reality product X can probably sell for a lot cheaper (maybe $3.00 or less) and still turn a profit while product Y will have to sell for TOP DOLLAR($15-20) just to make a profit.
Maybe but product X is made buy someone who makes about 50 cents an hour while product Y is made by someone that probably makes about $10 an hour. You still have to factor in the cost to produce the product.
It's already priced into the assumption. X is from a cheap chinese dude and Y is from an american dude.
Absolutely, I hate that Chinese crap. Seriously, I won't buy anything at the dollar store anymore,because what seemed like a great deal is not so great when the cheap POS breaks the first day, and the kid is crying and wanting to go back to the store. It has happened one too many times for me.
But here is the rub. We need to do more than talk about quality, we need to mean it. It will involve investing on our country and our workers, rather than pursuing get rich quick schemes for the CEO and stockholders. Germany and Scandinavians do it pretty well, as do the Japanese. But I think we can still rebuild our manufacturing, by doing the best work in the world for the price.
We're not going to win a flat out price war with China for manufactured goods because workers there make pennies compared to what we make. But, could it be possible to maybe emphasize that, when considering quality, the US might be cheaper than China to manufacture goods?
Let's say product X is $5.00, made in China with poorly paid sheeple and crappy plastic. It's average "life" is a year.
Product Y is $8.00, made in the US with decently paid people and a stronger material. Its average life is $3 years.
Can we make a point that US goods are cheaper when factoring in better quality?
So how much are you willing to pay for an iPad made here instead of China? Are you still going to be using an iPad 2 in 2021, or will you be using the iPad 14 that all your friends are using?
I agree with the posters that point out that manufacturing has severe obstacles. However, we cannot have 300 million software engineers and investment bankers. Working class jobs have to be a major concern, and we need to create incentive for American corporations to not sell the American worker down the river.
Pipedream. The only way you get American manufacturing back on track is through tariffs. China manipulating it's currency and exploiting it's people are enough that we should realize that aren't playing fair, and thus the playing field should be leveled.
Unfortunately, the people who really control the govt (wall st and big corps) love to outsource everthing to boost their bottom lines, so they will lobby tooth and nail so that this never happens. The result: US 3rd world nation in 20 years.
The main problem is the american people are cheap. When given the choice of a high quality american made product that costs a little more vs. a cheap piece of crap made in china that costs a little less, 9 times out of 10 they'll go for whats cheaper. Long gone are the days where it would be unheard of to not support your country and buy american.
I agree with the posters that point out that manufacturing has severe obstacles. However, we cannot have 300 million software engineers and investment bankers. Working class jobs have to be a major concern, and we need to create incentive for American corporations to not sell the American worker down the river.
Right now it works the other way. American corporations create incentives for politicians to allow them to keep selling American workers down the river. They have everybody bickering about Democrat this and Republican that, when the truth is that neither party will do what needs to be done to save the country, which is institute protectionist policies, because they are owned by Wall St. and big corps.
There would be problems with this too, you'd see inflation on some items, but in the long run it's for the good of everyone in the nation. I really don't care if an I-pad doubles in price, if the I-pad is made here, by an American worker, who pays taxes and puts the money back in OUR economy, it's a long term benefit.
Labor costs alone will keep them in other countries.
$1.38/hour with no benefits vs $15-$20/hour with benefits.
You do the math.
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