Some would say that Obama was doing that with GM. I'd rather speed it up from the standpoint that it gets those who cannot compete out of the equation that others that might be able to compete, come up.

Yes they are, FOR NOW. Their power tools are quite often rebadged who knows what.

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

If it so wrong to want to buy white (German, American, Italian, Polish, whatever) because you have more in common with all of those folks than with the Chinese and other Asians?

Please do not insult free trade or free markets. US has major tariffs on Chinese products and China manipulates their currency values and has huge influence on the companies operating there (including full state-owned enterprises) there is nothing free about that

--

I am unsure of things lasting longer or being cheaper. I mean compare anything you have from the past and how long it lasted. American-made TV of 1985 probably lasted 10 years before repair and cost probably what, $399? Today you get TV twice as large and much better for like $180 and it probably last 10 or 15 years without needing repair. And that was 399 when gasoline was 67 cents, while today it is 189 at gas being $4,00. There is no way anything from say 1980 was cheaper than today, even considering TCO with repair vs replacement.

Anyway what could the US do? You have no time to waste making cheap crap and you're too lazy to earn 5 or 10 bucks an hour on an assembly line. US is still the world's largest manufacturing nation, but they pay guys $100/hr to rivet together Boeing airplanes or build Cadillacs. And still you have guys jumping fences from Mexico to wash toilets and pick vegetables. Who is left in the country to make those weed-whackers, and at less than $1000 each?

I admit having some pride when I pulled the inside door panel off a 2001 Saab in a pick and pull and it had a Polish language "quality approved" sticker, panel made in PL

Who is left in the country to make those weed-whackers, and at less than $1000 each?

The employees of Stihl in Virginia Beach, and for a lot less than $1000. You can be sure that is a prized lifetime job.

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'83 300D, 126K miles.

But what is the cost vs lifespan of such a piece of equipment? Without knowing that we don't know if the extra life is worth it or not.

__________________
01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

From an environmental standpoint -- i.e. not throwing away stuff that's energy intensive to make -- it's VERY worth it.

Perhaps, perhaps not. However, unlike you, I am NOT going to be that "one issue voter" or purchaser, in this case. If it is a Royal PITA to use and expensive but the last one I will buy, no thanks. If it stacks up as well, all things considered and is environmentally friendly, we are talking of a different thing and I'd probably buy it.

If the environmentally friendly one was $300 and the unfriendly one was $100, I am not going to buy it. OTOH, if all are $150, give or take a couple bucks, sure.

__________________
01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

In VB? Why don't they go down 64 and go knock on the doors, there are lots of jobs there, and not all at the Navy. I know a company that just expanded their manufacturing capability and is making a product that was made overseas for N American market before right there in Hampton Roads region and for less money than before. I don't remember how many they hired in the past 18 months but quite a few. Nobody is going to a "prized lifetime job" making weed-eaters especially in that area, nobody is starving...

It is wrong for people to be doing job that someone else can do cheaper. If this is possible then stop doing your overpriced and inefficient thing and do something that you can do cheaper and better than anyone else can. The US in particular is like China for practically all agricultural products for example and all the other countries always ***** about it. Remember the USA - ROK free trade agreement? Union idiots in the US were whining about Hyundais, and farmer bastards in Korea were complaiing about US beef... well, switch your wrench for a tractor...


But it's BS. Basically "energy intensive" = more money. So whatever costs less takes less resources (by definition, unless import tariffs are ****ing the calculation) and apparently is better for environment. Sometimes it can be somewhat different, but this needs to be proven and can't be assumed.

I do the same, and it's getting harder and harder to do. A couple of weeks ago, I went to a national chain feed and tractor supply place to buy boots. Of all the old brands, Georgia Boot Co, Danner, every last one of them, made in China. You have to buy Danner Custom or Whites now to get boots made in the USA.

That's how they're going to drive us under...they're going to get us all wearing cheap boots, and then they'll invade.

/rant off

Not really, it makes no sense to kill your customer, or your supplier, don't bite the hand that feeds.

I think the peace effects of trade is something important to consider. Note the "McDonald's effect"... no countries with McDonald's franchises in them have ever gone to war with each other.

Some countries that have them have fought in the past, before they had McDo's (e.g. Germany and Poland), some McDo countries have fought those with none at all (USA vs Irak)

But McDo on McDo has not happened.

Big Macs of peace!

We have "Weed Trimers" here in Korntucky, their called Goats.

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For the Saved, this world is the worst it will ever get.
For the unSaved, this world is the best it will ever get.

Clk's Ebay Stuff BUY SOMETHING NOW!!!

don't you call me subsidized!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dp0Bt2cbcc8

I have found this to be very true.

You can pick up a great weed whacker at Goodwill for about $10.

I was dropping some stuff off once and they were refusing to take week whackers because they said they could not sell the ones they had and had run out of places to store them.

Buy two, use them up and throw them away!