I have a particular dislike toward chinese products. I have found through experience their products are crap. I also am even more disappointed that the American consumers choose to support a communist country that has no consideration for human rights by improving their economy at our expense.
I have no problem buying products made by the EU. They are superior to the US made ones.

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DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012

hey man! the best thing to do is: buy an american car on credit, and then pay interest to the bank for how long the car lasts. after that you can junk it and get another american car on credit! that way you'll always have payments. payments are the american way, right?
I did some behaviour studies whils in the US

I do understand the political argument, but we have to decide if we are helping their people more by trading with them or by boycotting them. Do you also object to exporting U.S. goods (e.g. boeing aircraft) to them?

I would disagree that we are "improving their economy at our expense." I think we simply export jobs to them because their labor rates are lower, just like many other parts of the world. However, the U.S. is not supporting the current chinese boom singlehandedly, remember they have about five times the population of the U.S. They are going to grow regardless of the U.S. We should not wish them ill, when/if their economy crashes (like the japanese did) it will have worldwide effects and will make a significant dent in the U.S. economy.

With regard to quality, I do think you do have a point. I think the chinese are about where the japanese were in the 50s/early-60s. I also think that they will improve in the coming years, just like the japanese did. In 20 years they may be kicking the japanese (and american) auto industry's butt.

I've been to China. they are really nice people and very helpful. their kitchens may be kinda dirty sometimes but the food they cook is not genetically manipulated or injected with hormones. chinese people seem way healthier than american people. as a nation they still pollute this earth much less per capita than we do. that is cool.
here in the US the INS and the CIA have interrogation techniques that are being used a lot, and mostly in guantanamo bay, that are considered 'torture' by Amnesty international and the Red Cross. researched tehniques to hurt prisoners the most without leaving marks. that's pretty ****ed up.
also, the (our) US government actually kills people by death sentence. a country that does that kind of stuff can not be taken serious. or say anything about the chinese.

You do have a good argument Craig but that's only my opinion and others may share it as well. I personally would love to see china's economy crash.
I think ultimately it is the fault of greedy US corporations and a government who doesn't care what happens to US workers that are to blame for the mess our economy is in.

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DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012

So do many other countries ESPECIALLY china. Don't you recall the government official that was put to death recently in china for accepting bribes?
I would like to see that happen here.

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DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012

I understand, but (to me) it appears to be a conflict between short term issues (loss of current jobs, supporting a questionable government) and longer term issues (making U.S. companies stronger in the world economy by using lower labor markets, opening up china as a customer for more U.S. goods/services). I just don't think it's possible (or wise) to ignore 1.3 billion people because we don't like their current government.

I'd love to see the "playing field" evened up by our two countries but our trade deficit seems to be growing larger and larger by the month.
I still don't like their products and their disregard for consumer safety from them. I feel it is really malicious of them to put lead in their toys.

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DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012

I agree, so what's the best way to fix this? Implementing protectionist trade policies will not increase out influence with them. The rest of they world will continue to do business with them anyway, it will be like cuba (times about 100,000). How much did our 50 year boycott of cuba help their people?

Regarding unsafe toys, their customers (mattel, etc.) will have much more influence than the U.S. government because they can actually do something substantive.

Good points again. The corp influence may work with big companies like Mattel but most dangerous chinese toys make it here without any help from Mattel, etc.
Lets go back to talking about diesel prices before we turn this thread into an OD one.

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DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012

Fuel is about the cheapest thing I buy. I think fuel went up about a dime, its $3.06 now, but I forget what I was paying before, high $2.XX probably.

Diesel usualy goes up this time of year, I have been paying aobut $3 a gallon for awhile now, not much has changed.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Actually, it's been fun, but I'm going to bed (old guy).

Likewise.
I'm "old" too but I'm not ready to sleep yet. I actually have a hour more because of time zones.

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DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012

Diesel here was $2.73 then for some reason, it went up to $2.87 - still not a bad price.

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Houston, Texas
1984 300CD 235K miles, Elvira, one owner
1987 300TD 180K miles
1974 TR6 78K miles Sarah Jane, one owner
OBK #27

That's a sizable jump. Did it happen overnight?

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DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012