Made In USA?

[Turnip]

I‘m lucky enough not to live in a city or region where already the costs for very basic living such as ground, housing, energy or even water… are as ridiculously high as for example Munich, Frankfurt/Main, Berlin…and my house is paid so i don’t have to turn around the Cent to copper wire.
So in a matter of food I try to buy my food local and seasonal whenever possible, from local farmers around, from a local butcher who sources the animals he still slaughters himself from farms nearby where they are raised with a little more respect …
In respect of greens this has not even necessarily to be more expensive than in any supermarket and I don’t need strawberries in winter…for example.
My tools and machineries are Made in Germany as I usually buy these once in a lifetime and doing so I’d like to support German workforce. Not too few tools I got are already passed down from grandparents generation.
Cars, clothing, shoes, white ware… at least Made in Europe.

All this just for kind of „local patriotism“ because I like to support local, national, European jobs as long as they exist, rather than the rest of the world, avoiding the British model best possible.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I buy very few consumer goods, regardless of where they're manufactured. But I did live, once, in a time and place where a lot of manufacturing went on, and it seemed like those were much healthier communities than those communities are today -- thriving communities with a strong working class. In the post-manufacturing era, those same communities have lost much of their population, and those of the working class who are left are largely relegated either to service jobs dependent on the mulcting of tourists, to what little remains of the fishing industry, or to -- ah -- certain entrepreneurial activities beyond the scope of the law. We've been promised, at various times, that schooner fleets, art galleries, and marijuana shops, in turn, would be the economic engine to replace lost manufacturing, but none of those things have lived up to the windy promises. When even the boutique pot dealers aren't making it, you have to wonder if the only real industry left is the manufacture of BS.

 

[tonyb]

Did you read the rules, Harp?

 

[tonyb]

I buy very few consumer goods, regardless of where they're manufactured. But I did live, once, in a time and place where a lot of manufacturing went on, and it seemed like those were much healthier communities than those communities are today -- thriving communities with a strong working class. In the post-manufacturing era, those same communities have lost much of their population, and those of the working class who are left are largely relegated either to service jobs dependent on the mulcting of tourists, to what little remains of the fishing industry, or to -- ah -- certain entrepreneurial activities beyond the scope of the law. We've been promised, at various times, that schooner fleets, art galleries, and marijuana shops, in turn, would be the economic engine to replace lost manufacturing, but none of those things have lived up to the windy promises. When even the boutique pot dealers aren't making it, you have to wonder if the only real industry left is the manufacture of BS.

There may be common threads among these “dying” towns, but there are certainly unique characteristics, too.

The old mining towns out here in the Mountain West would be nothing but dilapidated ruins (“ghost towns,” in other words, of which there are quite a few) if not for tourism, often in the form of skiing, which took off as a popular pastime after WWII.

In the resort town out in North Central Washington State, where my nouveau riche sister resides for part of the year and where my Dear Old Ma lives year ’round, tourism drives the economy of the town itself, but in the surrounding countryside (beautiful country indeed) agriculture still dominates. It’s orchards mostly, and, more recently, vineyards. I never tire of visiting there.

There’s an oversupply of pot shops around here, so of course some are failing.

An aside: I’ve read recently that marijuana (I still call it that, even if “cannabis” is supplanting it in the popular lexicon) has taken a lead over alcohol among the most used intoxicants here in God’s Country. I take that report with a healthy dose of skepticism, but I fully believed that legalization, of which I was a proponent, would result in increased usage. (I found contrary prognostications naive and/or wishful.) I offered that opinion prior to legalization, and events since then have only confirmed that prediction. Its illegality was enough to keep many (most?) people away from it, or at least temper their consumption, what with the legal risks and all.

Truth is, people did drink less (or not at all) during Prohibition, much as some (wishful and/or naive) people would say otherwise.

 

[Turnip]

Truth is also that organized crime in USA never gained more boost than during prohibition before.

 

[tonyb]

Truth is also that organized crime in USA never gained more boost than during prohibition before.

No doubt, which was among the reasons for its repeal.

I gave up the drink at the same time I quit smoking, in 2006, when the doctor delivered sobering (excuse me) news. But even I would be negatively affected should alcohol again be prohibited by law. Too many people want that drug (yes, it’s a drug, Mr. or Ms. “Social Drinker”) too much for its illegality not to be widely violated, and with it all the ills such violations would entail.

We’ve taken fairly effective measures toward harm reduction, such as an intolerance of drunken driving.

 

[tonyb]

He just can’t help himself.

 

[FOXTROT LAMONT]

I‘m lucky enough not to live in a city or region where already the costs for very basic living such as ground, housing, energy or even water… are as ridiculously high as for example Munich, Frankfurt/Main, Berlin…and my house is paid so i don’t have to turn around the Cent to copper wire.

I had an apartment in Munich and briefly lived in Frankfurt. Trysa is enchanting.

 

[Fifty150]

I get a pair of boots issued every year. The employer has a "uniform specification", and the uniform supplier is expected to meet the specification. Apparently, "Made In USA" is not part of the specification. The uniform supplier is allowed a bit of leeway when it comes to what they supply.

Over the years, I have gotten a lot of different brands. I can honestly say that my feet did not notice the difference. Once I put the boots on, they felt the same. I'm able to wear them all day, run, climb ladders, climb fences, ride a motorcycle, and do all of my daily activities. My feet never got wet. As long as the boot met the same specifications, there was no difference in which company manufactured it, or where the factory was. They all lasted over a year.


I looked at the current pair of boots that I'm using, and the label says, "Made In Philippines/Bataan". These are just as good as any other boot I've been issued. In this instance, product quality was not downgraded.

 

[Turnip]

I‘ve got two Baracutas, a G9 made in England and a G4 made in Bulgaria. Both are flawless so far but the G4 is manufactured a notch better than the G9 in some respects.

 

[Edward]

I‘ve got two Baracutas, a G9 made in England and a G4 made in Bulgaria. Both are flawless so far but the G4 is manufactured a notch better than the G9 in some respects.

I can well believe that. You certainly can't assume quality from location. I bought a harrington online last year that was made in England; sent it back immediately. Well made, but in order presumably to keep the costs down the quality of materials was very poor indeed. Fine if I'd wanted it for a production costume where it only needed to hold up for a short run, but no use for an actual garment that would get worn regularly.

 

[Benny Holiday]

According to Australia's parliamentary wesbite, 90% of our goods are imported from China. Our clothing, toys, games, sporting equipment, communications gear, computers, prams, furniture and televisions all come from China.

Now, defence analysts are claiming we will likely be at war with China within 5 years, 10 at the most, especially if China attacks Taiwan. The question then is, where will the nation get all the above-mentioned goods from then?

 

[Kennyz]

According to Australia's parliamentary wesbite, 90% of our goods are imported from China. Our clothing, toys, games, sporting equipment, communications gear, computers, prams, furniture and televisions all come from China.

Now, defence analysts are claiming we will likely be at war with China within 5 years, 10 at the most, especially if China attacks Taiwan. The question then is, where will the nation get all the above-mentioned goods from then?

@Benny Holiday - I wonder about the same thing here in the USA, where we get a huge amount of goods from China.

Most alarming to me is the dependence on china for many pharmaceuticals. Holding back meds from a country who is dependent on them sure could be used as a weapon.

Ken

 

[Benny Holiday]

Most alarming to me is the dependence on china for many pharmaceuticals. Holding back meds from a country who is dependent on them sure could be used as a weapon.

@Kennyz A most valid and worrisome point my friend. I hadn't even thought of that one.

 

[Turnip]

That‘s just what happens when economy runs/rules plc.

 

[Fifty150]

This is Made In USA quality. They forgot to sew the label on the other shoe.

 

[Edward]

This is Made In USA quality. They forgot to sew the label on the other shoe.







View attachment 623647

OOps! You'd like to hope that was deliberate..... (Personally, I think the boot without looks better by far, but then I don't tend to be much a logo person).

 

[Turnip]

This is Made In USA quality. They forgot to sew the label on the other shoe.







….

That’s not a bug, it’s a feature…