"katy" wrote in message
...
Peter Wiley wrote:
In article , katy
wrote:


Maxprop wrote:

Your point is correct. The vast majority of goods sold in the USA are
of foreign manufacture now. I'm always a bit amazed when I discover the
product I've bought is of local manufacture. Last figures I saw said
the trade deficit between the US and China was something like 78-22.
One only has to watch container ships entering and leaving San Francisco
Bay to see this--the incoming are loaded and way down on their
waterlines, while the departing vessels have empty containers and are
riding high.

Max


The major problem is that American manufactureres ignored the fact that
this was going to happen. When Mr Sails worked for Steelcase, his team
dragged in a desk made by HON to a presentation and indicated that that
was the future of office furniture and that tghey should eatablish a
competitive line. But the PTB's said "absolutely not". We would be
lowering our standards. Problem was, though, that unless they bought
used, the average small business owner, which is still the heart of
America but is fading fast, could not afford Steelcase furniture. The
average doctor could not decorate his waiting room with Steelcase
designs. So they ignored the American public, holding out for governemnt
contracts. And then 9/11 hit and it was all over. America has sold
herself out by not having the foresight to change with the changing
world.


Bingo. We've been running this argument over on rec.crafts.metalworking
for years now. There are basically no US manufacturers of small
precision tools like lathes, mills etc left. South Bend didn't update
its lathe design in 50 years and that wasn't because it was perfect.

I have a mix of US and British machinery and I like it. But it's all
old. When I go to buy a new lathe or milling machine for my people at
work, I buy one made in Taiwan or China. They aren't as elegant or as
well finished, but they cut metal just fine and the accuracy is
satisfactory.

It didn't have to be that way, but it is.

Ditto for vehicles. Almost nobody in Australia would buy an imported US
made vehicle in preference to a Japanese or even Korean made one. PDW

We had a KIA and our son drives KIA's...junk cars....give me a GM
anyday...or even a Ford....

Junk? Is that why Kia and Hyundai offer 100K mile/10year warranties, and
the US cars give you 3?

Max