ABikerSailor
Diamond Member
I would happily pay more for US-made products. But they're just not available...offhand, I haven't seen aftermarket wheels not made in China in years. I'm not sure there are any non-Chinese brake rotors left. (And I'm down to my last pair of US-made rotors for my Caddy.)Because frequently, EVERYTHING is from China. I need wheels for my Challenger, and they're ALL Chinese.
And who's fault is that.
1) The US Corporate executive who wanted to pad his salary by cutting labor costs.
2) The American Public who insisted on tougher environmental regulations to cut down on pollution
3) The American Shopper who happily bought the Chinese product because it was cheaper, so the American company could no longer compete.
4) The Poor Chinese guy who works in a factory.
Wait for it... wait for it... you are going to say 4), aren't you?
I'll answer this one. It's easily number 3. Vendors only supply their customers with products they desire, and since the early 80's, the American consumer sacrificed quality and unity with their fellow Americans to save a buck. We no longer care where a product is made, just as long as it's cheap enough. That's why Walmart was and still is America's number one brick and mortar.
If the American consumer ever changed their priorities, and demanded products made in the US regardless of price, that's when you would see more and better paying jobs in this country.
That's the problem. Those of us who want quality products can't buy them because most other people won't, so stores don't carry them. They only carry items they can sell a lot of.
It even goes right down to our food. I'm an older guy so I remember what a real Big Mac or Whopper tasted like. They were nothing like they are today. There's not even a real good pizza place in our area. They are all franchises who sell cheap pizza; buy one get one free types of places.
Must suck to live where you're at. Here in Amarillo, there are several mom and pop pizza parlors where you can get excellent pizza. There's even a couple of places that make brick oven pizza, which in my opinion, is one of the better kinds you can get.