by RubaDub 22 Replies latest jw friends
You want a toaster, you pay 15 or 20 dollars or even less. Not 40 or 50 for the same item if made here in the US or Europe, if they even existed
Cheaper, they can be had for half that in Australian dollars. It is staggering how cheap this shit is produced.
The west needs to change its consumption lifestyle dramatically also, it’s very easy to get excessive in the world we live in.
It's false savings though. After a decade or two of "enjoying" cheap toasters your own economy and wages are hitting rock bottom, so yes, you get things that appear cheap ... but meanwhile your wealth is eroded.
Everything is connected, you may not think there is an immediate effect from what you buy but there is an effect and it slowly overtakes you if you're not careful. We need to reverse the trend, roll-back globalization and overseas manufacturing and we'll benefit in the long term.
I hate to through cold water on the Mexico idea But.....
We bought a brand new house that had toilets that NEVER worked properly. Made in Mexico. We inherited a washer and dryer that were almost new when we got them yet, they are the absolute WORST. They have been serviced but we were told, "That's how they were made."
The washer sounds like a cement mixer and tortures the clothes when it spins. The dryer FRIES our clothes on the coolest setting (delicate.) Sure enough, these were also Made in Mexico. Quality control would have to change drastically before I would make a major purchase or medicine made in Mexico.
A better made in USA product. old washers and fridges lasted 30 to 40 years. not now . Some of it is reengineering and bean counters instead if the workman. Craftsmanship is being lost.
Even the paint I just bought has such thin metal can you cant replace the lids tightly.
3rdGen:
I also wouldn’t be that thrilled about things made in Mexico unless there was oversight over quality control.
Of course, it’s best if things could be made here in the US. Their feet are held to the fire now because of this virus - and that’s the only reason there is a mad scramble to manufacture things here..But, what happens when and if this lets up?
ROAD TO NOWHERE:
I know what you mean about old washers and fridges that lasted over 30 years. Now, they are pure garbage. Same thing with stoves. In recent years I had to return a name brand electric coffee pot after three weeks of use. The heating element went. Its predecessor lasted over fifteen years. When I compared the feel of the basket, etc. the inferiority of the object was apparent.
I also urge people NOT to throw away old flatware and other stainless utensils made thirty years ago just because you’re tired of looking at them. Hold onto those!! These were made in the US - and are healthier to eat with - whereas ALL the new ones (respected brand names) are made overseas in Asia where the quality control is suspect and the metals can be adulterated!! If anyone doesn’t believe me, just go shopping for a bride-to-be and see what the stores are selling! It is an eye opener. I could find none that were made in the USA!!
LongHairGal: I enjoy your posts. I came from a very different background from you so I really appreciate your POV. I was inculcated, mentally regulated, and conditionally loved into this cult for 60 years. I wish I would have had even one friend or relative I could have turned to when I was younger and had "issues". The FEAR of the wrath of Jehovah outweighed my common sense.
Hope you are doing well.
3rdGen:
Thanks! 😊
I wasn’t raised a JW and that’s probably why when I joined the religion in my 20s I never forgot the things I learned from parents, school and the workforce. I was raised to be independent..My father wasn’t the very nicest man and I got brutal honesty, sad to say..They were not happy when I got involved with the Witnesses...Also, being in the workforce is the school of hard knocks. Although, I’m grateful I got through it all and am Retired.
I understand many JWs lead a sheltered life in the religion and reality in the world around us is cruel. You can’t be blamed if that’s all you knew..I have some fond memories of certain JWs;..others who viewed me as an outcast because I worked..I wish them well and hope they can pay their bills. 😉..I don’t know what’s going to happen when this virus is over and how things will be..Stay well.
There's no benefit to sending manufacturing jobs abroad other than to concentrate wealth in the hands of a few.
Make locally and buy locally, it's better for us all.
Sounds dangerously like Socialism to me. Funny how Western countries are all in favour of free markets and unfettered trade, until it bites them in the arse. When times are good they couldn't give a damn for the sweatshops that make their clothes and shoes.
We bought a brand new house that had toilets that NEVER worked properly. Made in Mexico ... The washer sounds like a cement mixer ... The dryer FRIES our clothes on the coolest setting
3rdgen ...
Don't confuse Mexican technology with Mexican labor. Companies don't move to places like Mexico for technology, they take their own technology and use the cheaper labor.
Apple, among other companies, aren't setting up manufacturing facilities in countries such as Vietnam because of the technology that exists there. No, it is for the labor. Depending on how you want to value the Chinese Yuan (¥), the Chinese labor force makes somewhere in the $3.50 per hour average wage. Labor in Vietnam with be less than half of that.
Often parts are produced in their "home" countries and then sent to places like Mexico to be assembled (which opens up a legal can of worms on when you can label something "made in the USA".) You may be sourcing parts and sub-assemblies from all over the world. But where is it really made? Ms. Rub a Dub deals with this stuff every day. It's a combination of law and mathematics on what percentages of what is done where and how does it contribute to the intended use of the final product. Too much legal reading for me!
Back to the original comment, I'm curious, what brand name(s) were the toilet, washer and dryer?
Rub a Dub
Being that modern reliable toilets and automatic washers/ dryers have been around for at least 60 years, technology does not seem to me to be the issue. Using cheap and shoddy parts and labor does.
To answer your questions: The toilets were an off-brand carried by Home Depot about 10 yrs ago. Sorry, we can't remember the brand name. Something like Ecco comes to mind though.
Hubby and I were Real Estate investors before the '08 crash. We rehabbed and resold at least 15 properties including an 8 unit commercial building. We never had a problem with American Standard or Better yet, Kholer fixtures.
The Mismatched washer and dryer were made in about 2013 and came from hubby's mom who almost never used them. The washer is Kenmore and Dryer Maytag. Both have "Made in Mexico" labels. (in obscure places)
