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Edwardianlady, I agree that we should not buy Chinese goods - been saying that since the late 90s when I realized stores were flooded w/ their stuff.
But the problem is - our manufacturing plants and factories no longer exist. Most people do not realize that textiles and furniture, for ex., no longer are made here in NC, other than some small private label businesses (and folks who upholster in their garage or basement). And the textiles mills are basically gone, as well (the big names, i.e. Cannon, Stevens, etc). All the plants shut down - some have been razed - and the equipment sold.
This means we CANNOT simply start making our own goods. Not unless folks have millions of $$$ to start up a plant again . . . and it really is millions . . . plus the workers have spread to the wind. Who knows who is still out there who could quickly step into those jobs at any one given location.
We have ourselves in a MUCH worse mess than folks realize. You see, the Chinese know this - they know our plants and factories are no longer on our soil cause they were moved to China. So this means the Chinese are gonna start RAISING PRICES of the goods they sell to us.
THey got us hooked! Now they are gonna raise prices and there isn't a damn thing we can do about it.
If they jack the prices up to much I just won't buy .They don't have me "hooked " in any way shape or form . If I buy anything it has to be falling apart before I have to buy more China crap . If America hadn't gotten so greedy for money the jobs maynot have left .I wonder sometimes how the chinese do it money wise . Do they simply scrap by or are services just cheaper ? Self reliant perhaps ? The less we have ,the more it befenits China .
Where I live they recently closed down an auto parts manufacturing plant,I don't know where they went .The company offered employees 15 bucks an hour on average .There was one woman who made about 25 bucks an hour half her wage .She was complaining it wasn't enough. It made me wonder how much of the auto price tag is actual car and not a ballooned price so they can make a profit ?I know not all manufacturing probably would make this much money and if they did I understand why they left .America only has itself to thank for it's own job woes .We had the jobs once.This makes me ashamed to be an american ,it makes us looked spoiled money grabbing brats . How can people afford to live ? Oh right the standard of living is much is lower I should have thought of that.
If they jack the prices up to much I just won't buy .They don't have me "hooked " in any way shape or form . If I buy anything it has to be falling apart before I have to buy more China crap . If America hadn't gotten so greedy for money the jobs maynot have left .I wonder sometimes how the chinese do it money wise . Do they simply scrap by or are services just cheaper ? Self reliant perhaps ? The less we have ,the more it befenits China .
Where I live they recently closed down an auto parts manufacturing plant,I don't know where they went .The company offered employees 15 bucks an hour on average .There was one woman who made about 25 bucks an hour half her wage .She was complaining it wasn't enough. It made me wonder how much of the auto price tag is actual car and not a ballooned price so they can make a profit ?I know not all manufacturing probably would make this much money and if they did I understand why they left .America only has itself to thank for it's own job woes .We had the jobs once.This makes me ashamed to be an american ,it makes us looked spoiled money grabbing brats . How can people afford to live ? Oh right the standard of living is much is lower I should have thought of that.
I feel as you do - love that illustration you gave about the parts manufacturer where you live! Our country is in a mess - wages are gonna go down down down b/f jobs go up.
What I meant by "hooked" was . . . since we don't make anything much in this country anymore - we have no choice but import most products - and since China is the only country manufacturing many of the items we need - we have been "hooked" - cause retailers are "hooked."
I doubt WalMart could stock its shelves much more than for a matter of weeks if they suddenly stopped importing stuff from China.
I hauled out the sewing machine. I refuse to buy anything else made in China and I am putting my money where my mouth is. I am making my own clothes, repurposing household items and recycling and buying used stuff. Sounds like you are feeling the same way!!!
I feel as you do - love that illustration you gave about the parts manufacturer where you live! Our country is in a mess - wages are gonna go down down down b/f jobs go up.
What I meant by "hooked" was . . . since we don't make anything much in this country anymore - we have no choice but import most products - and since China is the only country manufacturing many of the items we need - we have been "hooked" - cause retailers are "hooked."
I doubt WalMart could stock its shelves much more than for a matter of weeks if they suddenly stopped importing stuff from China.
I hauled out the sewing machine. I refuse to buy anything else made in China and I am putting my money where my mouth is. I am making my own clothes, repurposing household items and recycling and buying used stuff. Sounds like you are feeling the same way!!!
This is what we all need to do. Scrimp and save! The banksters will HATE it because they want us to borrow and spend because if we aren't in debt, they don't make money! If we save and dare put a substantial amount of money in the banks, if interest rates go up they will have to PAY us interst on our money.
The other thing we need to do is Reinstate the Glass Steagall Awhich they repealed in the Clinton years which PREVENTED banks from doing anything other than basic banking. When this regulation was lifted under Clinton it was Open Season for the Banksters to do more than banking (which was when they started all their ponzi schemes ie consolidated debt obligations and mortgage backed securities that failed).
I feel as you do - love that illustration you gave about the parts manufacturer where you live! Our country is in a mess - wages are gonna go down down down b/f jobs go up.
What I meant by "hooked" was . . . since we don't make anything much in this country anymore - we have no choice but import most products - and since China is the only country manufacturing many of the items we need - we have been "hooked" - cause retailers are "hooked."
I doubt WalMart could stock its shelves much more than for a matter of weeks if they suddenly stopped importing stuff from China.
I hauled out the sewing machine. I refuse to buy anything else made in China and I am putting my money where my mouth is. I am making my own clothes, repurposing household items and recycling and buying used stuff. Sounds like you are feeling the same way!!!
I certainly am I have had it in regards to China and the fact that this country is too dependant .I worked for Walmart and all they have is chinese made goods .I had more than one customer come to and ask isn't there anything made in america anymore ? No not unless you count food items and toiletry items .Thanks heavens we don't need China's help to feed ourselves and wipe our butt.
I certainly am I have had it in regards to China and the fact that this country is too dependant .I worked for Walmart and all they have is chinese made goods .I had more than one customer come to and ask isn't there anything made in america anymore ? No not unless you count food items and toiletry items .Thanks heavens we don't need China's help to feed ourselves and wipe our butt.
There isnt even much food made here when you think about it ie Tomatoes from Mexico, Peppers from Peru, Apples from New Zealand. Well here is the USDA list. It looks like we import most things.
I certainly am I have had it in regards to China and the fact that this country is too dependant .I worked for Walmart and all they have is chinese made goods .I had more than one customer come to and ask isn't there anything made in america anymore ? No not unless you count food items and toiletry items .Thanks heavens we don't need China's help to feed ourselves and wipe our butt.
OMG - ROFLMAO!!!!!
My big laugh for the day!
But in all seriousness . . . I pray that across this country, folks will realize how important it is for us to start insisting that we are SELF RELIANT. We need to get back to basics and not cave in. We have become a consumer society rather than a "producer" society.
There isnt even much food made here when you think about it ie Tomatoes from Mexico, Peppers from Peru, Apples from New Zealand. Well here is the USDA list. It looks like we import most things.
And what makes me mad as hell is . . . FDA and gubment policies instituted under this Prez are making it very hard for small farmers to move the sustainable food movement forward.
Don't want to get off track w/ the China theme for this thread . . . but it just fries my hiney that we are making it HARDER for Americans to be self sufficient by doing all this importation.
If we can't grow grapes here, then let's don't eat grapes. I stopped eating Tilapia the minute I realized it was all being imported. And God knows, if I see any seafood imported from China, wh/ has the most polluted waterways in the world . . . that is just heinous to even think about!!!! I will just go without.
Sorry for sounding like a hard ass, but that is how I feel.
Sounds like after the news of the downgrade China is shutting us off. No more endless borrowing and no more Dollar as the reserve currency. It is finally time to take our medicine.
"The U.S. government has to come to terms with the painful fact that the good old days when it could just borrow its way out of messes of its own making are finally gone," China's official Xinhua news agency said in a commentary.
We DO HAVE the ability to remain a strong and independent nation. However, we CANNOT HAVE irrational and one sided trade policies that were initiated during the CLINTON ADMINISTRATION.
WAKE UP. Other countries, such as Germany and Japan, have maintained thier manufacturing sector and high wages. They have done one thing we have not done-...........................
SELL OUT THE NATION TO MEXICO AND CHINA THROUGH INSANE TRADE 'AGREEMENTS' WHICH GUT OUR ECONOMY.
Bill Clinton emasculated the middle class and the US manufacturing sector, yet the left loves him (despite the fact that he has done more to damage the middle class than any foriegn enemy, including the Confederacy, the Germans and Japanese in WW2, and the Russians in the Cold War). Liberalism has GUTTED our economy and lifestyle. We need politicians who have the sense and guts to either reject or dismantle these unfair trade policies. This will never happen under Obama, as he lacks the sense or intelligence to undertand what is happening.
China is America's largest creditor, so of course they are concerned about our credit rating and the way the US manages its finances. I think they have the right and the place to criticize the US. To put the China vs US financial situation into perspective, we have over 14 trillion in debt, while China has almost 4 trillion in savings. They are building up, while we dig further in the hole. And we argue that we need to increase our debt?
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I have had it in regards to China and the fact that this country is too dependant .I worked for Walmart and all they have is chinese made goods .I had more than one customer come to and ask isn't there anything made in america anymore ? No not unless you count food items and toiletry items .Thanks heavens we don't need China's help to feed ourselves and wipe our butt.
