Americans on buying American-made goods
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“A new Reuters-Ipsos poll found 63% of Americans want U.S. agencies to buy American-made products in general, even if they cost significantly more, and 62% think the government should strictly buy U.S.-made vaccines.
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The poll found that while 69% believe an item being U.S.-made is at least somewhat important, 37% said they would not pay a penny extra for it. Twenty-six percent would only pay 5% more, while 21% capped it at a 10% premium. These shares have barely budged since the poll asked the same questions about attitudes toward U.S.-made goods four years ago, ...” -
Tariffs.
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@jolly said in Americans on buying American-made goods:
Tariffs.
Tariffs to compete against unfair foreign government manipulation is one thing, tariffs to provide an advantage to uncompetitive US manufacturing industry is something else entirely.
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@doctor-phibes said in Americans on buying American-made goods:
uncompetitive US manufacturing industry
It seems like a no-win situation to me, though. When Nike and Kathy Lee Gifford tried to remain competitive, we kind of took a big dump on both of them. Necessary labor laws seem to ensure your business isn't going to remain very competitive with the countries who are less scrupulous about their working conditions.
I also don't know shit about manufacturing so I'd like to be wrong about this.
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The arguments regarding free trade are very old. Winston Churchill left the conservative party in 1904 over disagreements regarding tariffs and free trade.
The problem of course is that free trade isn't necessarily free, if for example China manipulates the market illegally.
People may say they'll pay more for home produced products, but I don't believe them.
And we're always going to be competing with lower foreign labour costs. The idea that you can subsidize domestic industry doesn't really work long-term.
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@doctor-phibes said in Americans on buying American-made goods:
The arguments regarding free trade are very old. Winston Churchill left the conservative party in 1904 over disagreements regarding tariffs and free trade.
The problem of course is that free trade isn't necessarily free, if for example China manipulates the market illegally.
People may say they'll pay more for home produced products, but I don't believe them.
And we're always going to be competing with lower foreign labour costs. The idea that you can subsidize domestic industry doesn't really work long-term.
We don't need to help prop up all industries. If Nike wants to make sneakers in Asia, have at it. If the piano industry (what's left of it) wants to do the same, fine.
But steel? Computer chips? Agriculture? Industries with strategic value should not be overseas.
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@jolly said in Americans on buying American-made goods:
But steel? Computer chips? Agriculture? Industries with strategic value should not be overseas.
If you don't have foreign competition keeping domestic industry honest, what's going to happen to prices and efficiency?
The free market works, because it competition forces people to behave and improve. An appeal to patriotism won't keep things affordable.
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@loki said in Americans on buying American-made goods:
We are finally waking up to our China policy.
Better late than never.
Four years of the Russia Russia Russia buffoons. China pissed themselves laughing- the most ideal situation they could have dreamt up.
Not really. Now, they have a president they paid for.
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@loki said in Americans on buying American-made goods:
Four years of the Russia Russia Russia buffoons.
More like 50 years.
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@doctor-phibes said in Americans on buying American-made goods:
@loki said in Americans on buying American-made goods:
Four years of the Russia Russia Russia buffoons.
More like 50 years.
I do think Biden gets it. He just needs to educate the American public who drank the media kool aide for the last 5 years that Russia is Darth Vader and China’s imperial aspirations were a hallucinogenic construct of bad orange man.
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@loki said in Americans on buying American-made goods:
@doctor-phibes said in Americans on buying American-made goods:
@loki said in Americans on buying American-made goods:
Four years of the Russia Russia Russia buffoons.
More like 50 years.
I do think Biden gets it. He just needs to educate the American public who drank the media kool aide for the last 5 years that Russia is Darth Vader and China’s imperial aspirations were a hallucinogenic construct of bad orange man.
Don't think you can turn the ship that fast...