Why America's Economy Fell off The Cliff

[Rider]

Greed is the only answer.

[pauldun170]

that's the dumbest thing I ever read

My alarm clock is made in China,my coffeepot made in Italy
I don't wear designer Jeans...cupcake.
Don't wear a watch
Fucking Calculator?
They're goddamn sneakers not fucking tennis shoes.
New electric skillet? I'm sorry I have fully functioning kitchen and barbecue. I don't need an "electric skillet.

My radio is part of my alarm clock, I haven't had a dedicated "radio" in years.
My jap car was made in America
My gas was most likely made in America using crude ship from America.

The rest of it is just isolationist, protectionist xenophobic entitlement driven bullshit probably written by some overpaid union worker who likes to divide everything in to "us' (meaning the other guys in the union) and "them" (everybody else) finished off with a ignorant racist bullshit.

[Amber Lamps]

Originally Posted by Rider

Greed is the only answer.

In a way I agree with this sentiment!

The problem with a lot of the complaining about products being made overseas is one simple question. Are you willing to go to work for $3 an hour? Maybe we should bring slavery or child labor back. That's how we used to compete... It never ceases to amaze me when people (no one specific) are sitting at the desk of their $40-60,000 job complaining because "Americans" won't take the same pay as people in Sri Lanka or wherever. Let's suppose that we wanted to start competing with China, are you willing to pay 4-10 times as much for stuff as you do now? In many cases, more expensive American versions of products are available, why don't you buy them? No offense but the OP typed this thread on a computer, most likely made overseas. Sitting at a desk, most likely made overseas. A desk cluttered with items most of which were made overseas...

[pauldun170]

Originally Posted by TIGGER

In a way I agree with this sentiment!

The problem with a lot of the complaining about products being made overseas is one simple question. Are you willing to go to work for $3 an hour? Maybe we should bring slavery or child labor back. That's how we used to compete... It never ceases to amaze me when people (no one specific) are sitting at the desk of their $40-60,000 job complaining because "Americans" won't take the same pay as people in Sri Lanka or wherever. Let's suppose that we wanted to start competing with China, are you willing to pay 4-10 times as much for stuff as you do now? In many cases, more expensive American versions of products are available, why don't you buy them? No offense but the OP typed this thread on a computer, most likely made overseas. Sitting at a desk, most likely made overseas. A desk cluttered with items most of which were made overseas...

"they took our jobs"

http://www.youtube.com/user/theycall...WtfNfDju98eA9g

[Rider]

Originally Posted by TIGGER

In a way I agree with this sentiment!

The problem with a lot of the complaining about products being made overseas is one simple question. Are you willing to go to work for $3 an hour? Maybe we should bring slavery or child labor back. That's how we used to compete... It never ceases to amaze me when people (no one specific) are sitting at the desk of their $40-60,000 job complaining because "Americans" won't take the same pay as people in Sri Lanka or wherever. Let's suppose that we wanted to start competing with China, are you willing to pay 4-10 times as much for stuff as you do now? In many cases, more expensive American versions of products are available, why don't you buy them? No offense but the OP typed this thread on a computer, most likely made overseas. Sitting at a desk, most likely made overseas. A desk cluttered with items most of which were made overseas...

Exactly. There is a book out called Cheap. It goes into detail the reason our economy is in the shiiter. It also talks about the Walmart Effect. There is a movie called Walmart: The High Cost of Low Price. You should check out both of those.

[Amber Lamps]

Originally Posted by Rider

Exactly. There is a book out called Cheap. It goes into detail the reason our economy is in the shiiter. It also talks about the Walmart Effect. There is a movie called Walmart: The High Cost of Low Price. You should check out both of those.

Yep, it a dual edged problem, we want to make all the money in the world and we want to buy shit for as cheap as possible... it's an impossible situation really.

[EpyonXero]

The economic boom of the '80s and '90s was based on the cheap, plentiful labor from those countries listed in the original post.

Also, the Wal-Mart effect is a great book that anyone interested in this subject should read. Wal-Mart definitely puts pressure on companies to move overseas but they only do it so they can give the people what they want. The lowest prices possible.

[shmike]

Originally Posted by EpyonXero

Wal-Mart definitely puts pressure on companies to move overseas but they only do it so they can give the people what they want. The lowest prices possible.

Wal-Mart always looks out for the customer.

It has nothing to do with profit margins or share prices.

[EpyonXero]

Originally Posted by shmike

Wal-Mart always looks out for the customer.

It has nothing to do with profit margins or share prices.

I used to think Wal-Mart was evil but now I think theyre like the robot in one of those sci-fi movies. Hes programmed to keep humans safe and decides the best way to do that is to never let them leave the house.

[goof2]

Originally Posted by shmike

Wal-Mart always looks out for the customer.

It has nothing to do with profit margins or share prices.

Two companies I can think of off the top of my head that didn't seem to care about profit margins, share prices, or what the customers wanted are GM and Chrysler. How are they doing?

What makes you or breaks you in retail is same store sales over time. Wal-mart is able to keep those numbers increasing fairly consistently despite the fact that the ones I have been in are dirty and take about forever to get checked out of. People don't seem to care.

Target pretty much has the same crap as Wal-mart but it costs a few percent more. For that few percent more the stores seem to be cleaner and wait times are significantly reduced. Despite these improvements in shopping experience Target has around 15% of the revenues of Wal-mart.

In general people are willing to trade a good shopping experience, helpful and knowledgeable employees, and a desire to buy American products if it means keeping a bit more money in their pockets. Wal-mart has figured this out and capitalizes on it. They slavishly focus on the one thing that makes their customers happy, lower prices. That is what makes them profitable and what drives their share prices up.