Clunker Math....

[Ian M Greer]

Our Economy's

I'd like to jump on the band wagen, speaken as a Canadian with our shrinking industries . A former company my wife was employed by , which by the way changed hands at least three times the last being Exide then to Midtronics finally (at that time owned by a Chicago individual) . He closed the procuction factory and relocated it to China, from what my wife was informed a rural location cheap labour in a complete complex housing famlies with family members taken their shifts in a full production facility in the lower levels round the clock . How can our countries compete with this , they didn"t even try to stop the Conpany from leaving the country . In case you haven't quessed what the we producing it was battery chargers .The point being we in North America lose again . I once walked in a huge electrical lighting store and asked the sales lady to show me products made in North America, she had to stop and think and pointed to One Light !!!!! fixture everthing else was made in China with that I left . Believe me this an on going battle here in Canada to . I honestly try to by North American Made Goods , I avoid Wallmart because they to sale a lot of Chinese products . Ian

[SandyBoy]

OH, yes! The "CougarBIRD !

Just kidding! I actually loved that car, when it came out.

My #1 fav T-Bird was the 1975-1978. I tink those were the ones that looked like Lincoln Mark 4 - Yes ?

MY FATHER had a 1958 T-Bird !!! Hardtop. That baby blue with a white
top. It was a lemon, and was always breaking down.
It was our last FoMoCo product, until Sandy bought a 1986 Lincoln Mark.

Today, I have 2 Classic Mustangs, and a Town Car. and a Mercury Capri
ascMcLaren.
All Fords! Wife has a Jeep Cherokee LTD. 4x4

[Guest]

Unfortunately the trend to manufacture offshore is a world wide thing, It all come down to the bottom line for most companies. My partners family company that had manufactured furniture for the last 80+ years closed last week for good, the reason? They can't compete with the imports, yes their quality is better and will last longer but to look at the 2 side by side they may look the same to the retail buyer. I ask you which would you buy? one for $600 of one for $800 that look the same? Whilst there are countries that have citizens that work for less than minimal wages and turn out in most cases crap that doesn't last at a fraction of the price there will be a market for it. You can't blame people for saving a buck buy buying it the responsibility lies with the governments and they alone can slow the influx.

That's my 7 cents worth, think I went a little over the two

Richard

[scumdog]

The bottom line is: We Westerners want top wages AND cheap (but good) products.

The two ain't ever going to marry - so to get cheap things we use cheap labour.

And the 'cheap labour' contries don't have our life-styles (yet) so they happily exist on cheap labour wages.

In the end it could come to us having a poorer lifestyle - and 'them' having a better lifestyle.

But even with a better life they won't be able to buy Thunderbirds that were made new in their country!

[SandyBoy]

It's all very simple & easy to understand.

An American car/truck is one that is a product
of GM, Chrysler or Ford. This product is made in America,
or in a Canadian asembly plant, owned/operated by an American Corporation.

When the fees / dues and bills are paid, the profits (hate to use a dirty, there) STAY in America !

This would be MOST (not all) Chevrolet brands) Buick, Cadillac, Ford, Lincoln, Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep. All else is foreign. Black & white, easy to understand.

They build plants, here in the USA, because it is to their advantage, not due to the kindness of their hearts. Shipping is cheaper, 'ya know..
They are NOT doing it to give American workers....WORK.

[Anders]

I´m not so sure the "Americans" is much better.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Ford_factories

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_GM_factories

[dgs]

It's all very simple & easy to understand.

An American car/truck is one that is a product
of GM, Chrysler or Ford. This product is made in America,
or in a Canadian assembly plant, owned/operated by an American Corporation.

But Chrysler is now owned by Fiat, an Italian company (and for most of the 90's was owned by Daimler, a German company). So is it still American? If so, how is that different from a Honda which is designed and manufactured in Ohio but the profits go back to Japan?

[Anders]

I guess one have to ask themself what´s the most important thing here.
A factory, like Toyota, Honda or even BMW having a factory in the United States, giving American Citizens plenty of jobs, and therefor incombe to keep there family going. Even if the profit, or part of the profit goes back to the mother-company.
Or:
A factory, like Ford or Chevrolet having a factory in a South American country, where the jobs stay outside the USA but the profit goes back to some super bonus for a few.

First: What car is "American" here? The one with a American name build outside USA by workers who are not Americans? Or the one with the strange name but is built in USA by Americans?
2:nd: What way is best for the United States in the long run?
I´m confused.