Okay, with the whole Chevy selling Nissan thread going on next door, I thought I'd start a new one on a sort of tangent from that for our Americans on the site. Namely, I'd like to know what your perspective is on "Made in America". What does it mean to you? Why is it important? Is it important? Is it about buying something actually made by an American, or is it about the image, the perception if you will, that you buy American, even if in truth is otherwise?
I'm a younger person, but even in my few years I have noticed a sharp decline in the, for lack of better term, patriotism toward buying products made in America. When I was a little kid and Wal-Marts were still a chain of big box stores springing up in one-horse towns all over the place, their big kick as a store was "buy American". Sam's Club was the same way. It seems as though the day Sam Walton died though, that went out the window almost instantly.
Besides the feeling that people don't really care about buying American, there is also the fact that it's difficult to tell if what you are buying is even truly American. Cars are a great example. Every single one of the big three domestic car makers will be offering at least one vehicle next year that was designed, engineered, and built outside of our borders.Heck, Chrysler's been owned by so many foreign car makers I'm not even sure what country their current owner lives in, and that's a company whose Mopar hemi was seen as a status symbol of Americana right alongside apple pie and baseball.
Cars aren't the only companies doing that though. Look in every other industry and you'll see it too. The late Steve Jobs of Apple, a company who used to pride themselves on making everything in the US, pointed a finger at Obama and said "Those jobs aren't coming back" when he was asked what could be done to bring computer building jobs back to the US. Much of what we use today, even though it has an American brand name, is being built overseas and shipped to us.
Then lastly there's the uncomfortable truth about quality. Growing up, I was told that we buy American because it's quality. Americans are the craftsmen of the world. But that's rapidly changing. With every generation, American craftsmen are losing their edge, while craftsmen abroad are making astonishing strides. Some of the longest lasting engines in cars today come from other nations. I knew a guy who put half a million miles on a Honda Accord, and the car was still running like a top. Compared to my old Reliant K from almost the same year that barely survived 150,000, that's impressive.
So, what is the kick behind buying American anymore? Is it still even possible? I would consider myself as patriotic, if not more so, than most people, but I've got to admit, it's a difficult task. Maybe that's why I drive a Studebaker. Those were simpler times, and that car was American, through and through.
Thoughts?
I'm a younger person, but even in my few years I have noticed a sharp decline in the, for lack of better term, patriotism toward buying products made in America. When I was a little kid and Wal-Marts were still a chain of big box stores springing up in one-horse towns all over the place, their big kick as a store was "buy American". Sam's Club was the same way. It seems as though the day Sam Walton died though, that went out the window almost instantly.
Besides the feeling that people don't really care about buying American, there is also the fact that it's difficult to tell if what you are buying is even truly American. Cars are a great example. Every single one of the big three domestic car makers will be offering at least one vehicle next year that was designed, engineered, and built outside of our borders.Heck, Chrysler's been owned by so many foreign car makers I'm not even sure what country their current owner lives in, and that's a company whose Mopar hemi was seen as a status symbol of Americana right alongside apple pie and baseball.
Cars aren't the only companies doing that though. Look in every other industry and you'll see it too. The late Steve Jobs of Apple, a company who used to pride themselves on making everything in the US, pointed a finger at Obama and said "Those jobs aren't coming back" when he was asked what could be done to bring computer building jobs back to the US. Much of what we use today, even though it has an American brand name, is being built overseas and shipped to us.
Then lastly there's the uncomfortable truth about quality. Growing up, I was told that we buy American because it's quality. Americans are the craftsmen of the world. But that's rapidly changing. With every generation, American craftsmen are losing their edge, while craftsmen abroad are making astonishing strides. Some of the longest lasting engines in cars today come from other nations. I knew a guy who put half a million miles on a Honda Accord, and the car was still running like a top. Compared to my old Reliant K from almost the same year that barely survived 150,000, that's impressive.
So, what is the kick behind buying American anymore? Is it still even possible? I would consider myself as patriotic, if not more so, than most people, but I've got to admit, it's a difficult task. Maybe that's why I drive a Studebaker. Those were simpler times, and that car was American, through and through.
Thoughts?
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