Identify American products (A challenge)

[fenderblaster]

   I'm assuming Craftsman and Stanley tools are still Made in USA.  Gibson guitars. With the help of the gang I promise I will send a list to everyone I know and demand they send a list to everyone they know if I can get some facts straight.  I've been on this site long enough to know there;s some pretty sharp cookies out there.  Help me identify who benefits from our spending habits.  Also, I sat down with a friend and we were discussing drugs.  In one night alone the revenue that crack and meth takes out of the system at 6% sals tax is astonishing.   WE THE PEOPLE had better step up.  The 2 minute warning has sounded and we'd better not foul up the endgame
    Brother of Dragonfighters
          Mike
  PS.....I don't want to hear America can't make a decent product.  Maybe they got a little lazy a while back but you can bet they're on their toes now. 

[fenderblaster]

   BTW, My Fender guitar is one of the Made in USA models

[Pancho and Lefty]

This could be tough. I'm wearing Chaco sandals made in US. . . they were made in Paonia (Pay-own'-yuh) Colorado prior to July '08 when Chaco moved their manufacturing plant to China. My pants are made of US fabric assembled in Mexico. Tee shirt made in US. . . socks made in US (Wigwam). I'm wearing a Timex (used to be a good economical American watch) made in China.

My Jeep and Ford were made in US (I do keep a '78 Rabbit diesel). The majority of OEM parts on the Jeep and Ford are US made. I do most of the wrenching on my vehicles. . . the guys at the parts store know I expect made in US replacement parts (NOTHING made in China including what goes on the VW). I'll go to the dealer if I can't get them.

The president's message last night included 'we will no longer give tax breaks to companies who ship their manufacturing jobs overseas.' 

It's beyond my comprehension that any American could disagree with that.  Supporting foreign economies is not patriotic.

FWIW, Walmart sources an incredible 90% of it products from China.

good thread Mike. . . .

Max

 

[fenderblaster]

    I've been avoiding Wallyworld-mart for quite a whle.  At least around here they not only won't sell American but they won't hire American either. 
   I tried a google search and about the best thing I came up with was to check the boxes and labels.  I hope this thread stays fresh.  Wouldn't it be ironic to live in a country saved by riba goggles. 
   I haven't researched this yet but K-mart or Big K bought out Sears and they may be selling good ol' Made In USA goods.  90% of my tools are Craftsman and as far as I'm concerned they're as good as it gets for ratchets, sockets, wrenches etc.  If they haven't sold us out it's almost lawnmower, grill and general yardwork tool season.   
   I'll try to check onyhis.
    Mike

[fenderblaster]

Here's something http://www.stillmadeinusa.com/tools.html.   It seems like the mosy informative of everything I've seen yet.  If a friend or neighbor goes to buy a fairly big ticket item I hope you'll inform them so at least they can make an informed choice of products.  It seems like some sort of blinders have been put on the conbumers these days. 
  Thanks gang, if I saved one job with this my karma will be cleaner 
      Mike

[beingbecky]

Thanks for posting this I do look at lables all the time. Good ol China makes juss about everything, and they are tanking out pollution like crazy.I do look for american made, it usually costs a bit more, but I would rather buy items American made too. I think we all could do without a little more to balance out what we are purchasing from China and what we purchase at home. My kid hates shopping with me sometimes because I do get on a roll once in awhile muttering as I look at labels " made in China, made in china." She says "MOM"  . I think we should get back to making some items in America. 

Thanks for the link.

Becky

[DougV]

Here's a question for ya......

Would you be willing to sacrifice water and air quality, a few lives, and lower standards of living for factory workers?

I ask as that is the sacrifice China, Mexico, Korea, and others are willing to make in exchange for manufacturing goods.  Or of course the alternate, would you be willing to pay there of four times higher prices to saving air, water, lives, and standards AND bring manufacturing back to the US?

Sad thing is there is no way to have both.  Somethings personally I would prefer they always make somewhere else, plastic toys and trinkets, fireworks, and other unimportant and immaterial things, let's add battery and electronic component manufacture to that list as well, all due to pollution, we need to invent it, let somebody else build it.  I don't want to pollute our country out of existence just to make a few things.

Instead what I'd like to see isn't necessarily Made in America, what I want to see is "Engineered, Researched, and Developed" in the US, toxic manufacturing process elsewhere.  So how about instead of simply moving manufacture here and creating jobs that way, let's put the money in schools, research facilities, think tanks, and other education related things.  Let's start building for the future.  American wasn't the greatest because we made the most stuff, we were the greatest because we were the best educated and our research was the worlds cutting edge research.  Our schools are no longer the best.  Our research if for the most part second rate.  We want this country to be great again, we want to be top dog again, then we need to create jobs in education and by education create not only jobs but a demand for US minds.

Thank you and have a very nice day.  'scuse me, where do I sit this dang soapbox down?

Doug

[Pancho and Lefty]

Doug,

I agree health of the planet comes before everything. I assumed new manufacturing in the US would incorporate 'green' technologies. That's a major part of the stimulus package.

If you think you're isolated from the toxic air created in China and India you need to look a little deeper into things. Dirty air travels around the globe. There is no place safe from toxicity no matter where it is created. Trashing nature for any reason has its effects. Sand from the Sahara is blown thousands of miles and can end up killing coral reefs in the south Pacific (seems some harmless micro-organisms in the desert are death to coral). The incredible dust storms are being created partly because of the population boom in Africa and greater destruction of the Sahel (area south of the Sahara with some desert flora). Unbridled population growth will absolutely destroy the planet. . . if nothing else does it first.

Nothing short of rethinking manufacturing methods in this country will assure any type of long term financial well being. We must become more energy efficient. Detroit needs to rethink it's ideas about creating gas guzzling cars. We drivers may need to rethink our desires for road hogs. . . very soon there will not be enough fuel to feed them. . . no matter how far drilling for oil is pursued.

Nothing is simple about current dilemmas except that we will need to be able to get by with a little less. I paid $18 USD for a 3/8 drive universal to get #1 plug out of my jeep. I could have bought two wobbly extensions made in China for the same amount. When possible, I try to make what seems to be the positive choice.

The financial crunch resembles the hep C virus in one respect. . . there is not now nor will there ever be a silver bullet that painlessly delivers us from our troubles.

[OZ]

I saw a lady on good morning america or one of those type show that had llived "china free" for a year.  Did not purchase one thing made  in china.  She is a journalist and wrote a book about how difficult it was just avoiding purchasing items made in china.
http://www.amazon.com/Year-Without-Made-China-Adventure/dp/0470379200/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235739851&sr=8-8
It was an interesting story.  They had to go without many things, toys, childrens' books etc.
OZ

[fenderblaster]

     Maybe my kneejerk reaction was a little off point.  Fossil fuel is a finite source.  As China strives to put two cars in every driveway and manufacture their way into the 21st century the petroleum will dry out exponentially.  I don't know how true it is but I was watching the LINK channel on TV and some ex-CEOs and scientists said we (or they) had to have "crawlers" that would creep along the bottom of wells to find "puddles of crude" left from otherwise dry wells.  Everyone of them agrees that because of the cold temps Alaska was just not possible anymore than raising the Titanic.  America was extremely short-sighted when suburbs became the dream.  Only if people listened and LEARNED from the crunch in the 70s and started planning more efficient cars and carpools and blah,blah, blah.  We're in the bottom of the 9th inning here and before this 4 yr administration ends we will have to step up to the plate and if someone chokes it could knock us out of the playoffs.  Yes, education is the key.  Alternative energy, and better education is vital.  But we will need a shot in the arm to stay in the game until these things are developed and marketable.  I don't claim to have the answers but we're in quicksand and better find a branch to hold on to until help arrives.  Deterioration is all around us.  Fouling up fast and picking up speed.   
    I saw results of the "Buy American" movement and it helped turn things around.  I'm out of ideas but can't wrap my mind around doing what we've been doing.  Any number I could put up today of lost jobs would be obsolete before the weekend is over. 
   First, pray, then buy American
      Mike

[Jazzkat]

We have a program here called "Buy M!ch!gan First" and I'm doing just that when it's at all possible.  M!ch!gan has a vast variety of wares and I'm very happy to do my part.  There is a website which lists M!ch!gan businesses and this helps.  In addition, we have several M!ch!gan grocery chains...two of which are Meijer and Spartan and I think Hillers also.  All are very close to me.  As for the rest of my purchases I examine each and every one and if the label says, "Made in China" I don't buy it.  In fact, I try not to buy items made in ANY foreign country.  If there is no designation as to where the item was made...it stays on the shelf.  I feel confident that I'm at least doing what I can.
As for "foreign" cars, you may be surprised to learn that NO vehicles are totally American-made.  What people call "American-made" vehicles are those assembled by UAW workers and they are manufactured using as many foreign parts as parts made here in the U.S.  Many American vehicles are assembled in other countries including my Chrysler 300 which was put together in Mexico.  On the other hand many "foreign" cars are assembled here in the U.S.  Since I live in the Detroit area and have spent many years working for auto dealers I can tell you this with authority.
And before you bawl me out for driving a big Chrysler when I'm out of work and having a hard time paying my bills, I need to explain that I was working for a Chrysler dealer when I leased the car...a 36-month lease...and I couldn't afford the penalty for closing the lease early.  My lease ends Oct. 1, thank God, and a less expensive car is in my future.  I do have to say my 300 does not have a Hemi and it actually gets good gas mileage.
And for those who haven't heard, I am collecting unemployment benefits now and with a promised extension I should collect through 2009 which will allow me to greatly improve my financial situation.  I thank God every day!!

Love and hugs from Jean

[DougV]

I was saddened to read the famous Radio Flyer wagon is made in China.

And in 1962 we made 90 percent of all footwear wore in America, now 98 percent made elsewhere.

I do think that the majority of the worlds pharmaceutical cocaine is made here in the US.  Not street drugs mind you, but the really good stuff.

I'm not certain, but pretty sure most of the toilet paper we use is made in the US.  As a trivia question, anybody know when and why toilet paper, as we know it, became popular?

Doug

[willy]

This site is an American product. 

                         (mild applause)                           
I think IFN, RBV and TVR are also.  Makes ya proud eh?

By the way......I found out that my hometown is where many trial compounds are created.....produced so that they can be distributed for trials.  That's kinda cool, eh?  (although I feel like doing some midnight shopping at that supermarket)

Willy