| Author | Message | ||
     Paw |
I just got back from a local breakfast buffet with my family. And there was a sign saying free meal to all veteran's and current enlisted men and woman. This is what bothered me, on the tables were little American flags and on the flag was printed MADE IN CHINA. I think it is wrong for a company to import our flag which stands for freedom from another country, not to mention a communist one at that. Our flag should never be made outside the U.S.A. period!!! I wonder what our arm service men and women and veterans will think or say about the little flags if they notice the MADE IN CHINA on them? | ||
| Bluzm2 |
Paul, I kind of agree with you. However, I'm not sure anyone in the US makes the small table top flags. There are a number of folks that make large outdoor and decorative flags but probably not small ones. Whatever the reason, I think it'd not right.. Addendum, I stand corrected. I did a bit of checking. There is a number of American flag manufacturers that make small flags. Here's one: www.united-states-flag.com/usastickflags.html Brad (Message edited by bluzm2 on October 28, 2006) | ||
| Diablobrian |
I agree PAW there is something fundamentally wrong with a communist country making US flags and importing them. However as a free market economy as long as people here will buy them, the Chinese will keep on making them. Vote with your wallet. Another thing you can do is call your congressmen and senators and try to get them to introduce legislation banning the import of American flags from foreign sources. It might even happen being an election year. | ||
| Tramp |
*groan .............. | ||
| Jackbequick |
A few years back some guy decided that "One Army" needed one hat and decreed that everyone in the Army would get to wear a beret. So they needed a lot of berets. They proceeded to buy the berets and they are made in China. Communist China. But they went ahead and bought them anyway. That was asinine decision to me. If the Navy had ever tried to get me to wear any Commie hats I'd have not done it. Jack | ||
| Diablobrian |
JBQ I know some of the command ball caps I had over the years I was in the Navy were made in the Phillipines and Korea, maybe even Hongkong. They never went as far as getting them from main-land (Communist) China to purchase them though. Were you west coast or east coast? If you were west coast: Remember the nice embroidered WesPac Jackets we used to get in Hongkong? The leather goods in South Korea? Everything else  In the Phillipines and Bangkok? I even went to Disneyland in Tokyo one year. Seemed really surreal to have bi-lingual disney characters Japanese/English for some reason the animatronic characters were really creepy speaking Japanese?!  | ||
| Djkaplan |
I went to a local Chinese buffet yesterday for my usual soup and hot tea lunch. The soup and the tea there are the best I've ever had at those cheap Chinese buffets. When I left, the hostess gave me some tea leaves in a to-go container the cook had given me. He found out I couldn't get the Oolong tea they used at the restaurant, so he gave me some of theirs. I'm gonna brew a big pot and drink it right now. | ||
| Jon |
Paw, Your stepping over a dollars worth of goodness for a dimes worth of correctness. Stay focused on the overwhelmingly good part...and be thankful for the restaurant's attitude and significant financial ascrifice. (Message edited by jon on October 28, 2006) | ||
| Justin_case |
The Coast Guard flies French helicopters! | ||
| Smoke |
french helicopters with american engines and avionics. tim | ||
| Justin_case |
Hey Tim, I worked at PHI in the late 70's.Do they still have the largest fleet of helis besides the U.S. Army? | ||
| Bake |
Your kidding.....right? Do you check every tag of every purchase you ever make? Do you make sure no parts on your American made items were jobbed out to foreign countries? Do you think a restaurant ever gave any thought to what country was making their 2 cent flags when they placed ordered for them? I think they did a nice enough job of honoring their countrymen (Message edited by bake on October 28, 2006) | ||
| Doz |
Paw, your not the only one feeling this way, I go out of my way to buy American...whatever! It's hard to find anything made here, America has become weak and dependant upon others but the fault lies with the people and this "throw away" society. Nobody cares about quality and longevity, just getting the latest gizmo and throwing away what preceeded it. | ||
| Teeps |
Doz Posted on Sunday, October 29, 2006 Paw, your not the only one feeling this way, I go out of my way to buy American...whatever! It's hard to find anything made here,<snip> Yes. And, it started when people found out they could vote themselves a pay raise. | ||
| Leftcoastal |
In the light of our shift to a global economy it's becoming increasingly difficult to "buy American", though I try whenever possible. I'm sure a lot of the American Badwebbers do the same. I'm willing to bet that the restaurant Paw went to didn't intentionally seek out Chinese-made flags, they likely sent an employee to the local WalMart to "get a bunch of those little American Flags" and that's what they ended up with. You really got to respect and admire the management of the establishment for their offer to our servicemen & women - that shows (at least to me) that they are taking the "support our servicemen" concept far beyond putting a yellow ribbon sticker on your car and calling it "good". On the other hand - American flags made in communist China to be sold cheaply here in the USA is so fundamentally WRONG on so many levels that it's difficult to even think about! How did this happen?!?! AL | ||
| Patrickh |
the 50's are over, the Beaver grew up and Mom doesn't make dinner wearing her pearls anymore. get used to a global economy. I for one have chosen not to make widgets in a factory 40hrs a week I don't post too much but these threads implying that buying things from other countries, or moving to America to make a better life for yourself is inherently un-American, are really getting under my skin. My great grandmother never really got the hang of English (she even went out of her way to associate with with people who were native speakers of her first language...Gasp!) but my mother and I don't have too much trouble with it. give it up | ||
| Blake |
I wonder if all the people in foreign lands running Windows or a Mac OS complain about their countrymen purchasing their computer operating systems from an American Corporation? I wonder if all the folks whose domestic airlines employ Boeing jetliners feel like complaining? I don't worry so much about the small stuff. Very cool of that restaurant to put on such a generous program in recognition and appreciation of our veterans and servicepeople. I voted tramp (groan) and Jon (a'men!) five stars. Times are good.  | ||
| Jackbequick |
Diablobrian, Slow reply, Adelphia died for a while. I've never had a problem with foreign goods, it was the Made in China U.S. Army covers that seemed singularly inappropriate to me. But what do I know... I don't remember any of my Navy issue clothing being made overseas. Some of it was made by convicts in prisons (FPI = Federal Prison Industries). I served in both the Atlantic and Pacific, primarily a shore duty guy but with lots of TAD to combatants for 30-90 days at a time. And I loved sea duty on that basis. The CT rating duty rotation was two tours out then one tour in CONUS back then. The overseas duty was in some nice places (and some bad too). I did "out" tours in Adak, AK, The Philippines, Spain, Hawaii, and Korea, CONUS tours were in California (two of them), Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina. Saw a lot of places for short periods or just passing through. I spend most of my tour in Korea mailing all kinds of stuff to all kinds of places for all kinds of people. And I came to think of Korea as "The Land of Good But Not Quite Right". Blake's right, nice gesture by the restaurant, and it is the way the world is now. Jack | ||
| Etennuly |
Have you seen the Buell map that explains where the parts of our Buell motorcycles are manufactured? Did you see the news clip about HD sales at a record high this year due in part to China purchasing about 20% of this years HD line? Interesting, ain't it? | ||
| Pwnzor |
I won't begin to try and count the number of sh1thole countries who's economies (black market or not) are propped up by the things that oppressed people everywhere seem to love most: "american style" blue jeans and sneakers. Oh yeah, let's not forget  | ||
| Doz |
As an example: Levi's are not made in america anymore, you don't see a problem with that? Laugh at me now, but years from now when nothing is made here, we will be at everyone else's mercy. Just look at the value of the dollar compared to most other countries. Look at where most investors are putting their money. It's not right. Nothing good is to come of this. | ||
| Cochise |
I work for the City of Bentonville, Arkansas (home of Wal-Mart)which affectionately calls itself Bentonville USA, and all of our Meter tile lids, manholes and anything out in the open HAVE TO READ, Made in the USA. If a Contractor is up for an inspection on a Sub-Division, they will fail if they have a non-Made in America label on it. | ||
| Corporatemonkey |
I don't see this as a problem what so ever. Most people look at globalization as a bad thing. Most people also look 3ft in front of themselves... Globalization will ultimately result in many jobs returning to the US. You think the low paid Chinese factory workers are happy that their programmer/white collar brethren are now middle class. They will demand higher wages, when they don't get them they will strike. Unionization will soon follow. Before long the lowly Chinese worker will be making our minimum wage. Then US companies (Walmart in particular) will buy from American companies because it is cheaper just to make it here, instead of paying the higher Chinese wages and paying for shipping/tarrifs. Now you might say that that Walmart will just look to cheaper countries... Where??? India? Same as China. Eastern Europe? Western Europe is already using them. Russia? That is a huge mess heading back 50 years. South America? They are already helping themselves out. Africa? Well Africa is a whole other conversation. They had starving children when my Grandparents were young, they will have starving children when I am a grandparent... I understand this will all take time, and during the transition peoples lives will be disrupted. As long as we can limit over population, and maintain some semblance of American ingenuity. I think we will be just fine. | ||
| Brucelee |
Some things are made in the USA, some aren't. Lets move on! | ||
| Djkaplan |
You know what the US makes that really is sub-par? The US doesn't make very good Asians. It seems like the Asians that emigrate here are hardworking and polite, but the Asian kids who are born here are just as fat and dumb as the rest of us. | ||
| Midknyte |
goes around... comes around.. http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20061023/234032.s html "...Syntax-Billian, makers of the low-cost Olevia brand of HDTVs is now opening a new manufacturing plant in the US. Prior to this, the sets were all made in Taiwan, but the company has realized that shipping and inventory costs were quite high, and the overall impact would be much better moving to North America. Of course, they first looked at Mexico, but eventually realized that it was actually a better deal to manufacture in the US, saying it's still cheaper on shipping both parts and final products and would allow the company to react faster to market changes. The company also believes they'll save money in training and retaining workers in the US..." | ||
| Jayvee |
"Do you check every tag of every purchase you ever make?" YES. | ||
| Blake |
"years from now when nothing is made here" False premise. It cannot happen. Impossible. | ||
| Budo |
"Stay focused on the overwhelmingly good part...and be thankful for the restaurant's attitude and significant financial ascrifice. " +1 On another note. Walmart is in large part responsible for Levi, and other compaines moving off shore. Lots of articles on Walmart and their business practices. Ok the theory is that labor over seas is going to increase to the point to where the jobs will return here. Well, it might not be that easy. I met a guy in manufacturing who had alot of experience in that area. He knew a guy who wanted to buy back from China injection molding equipment to setup a manufacturing process here in the US. The problem was that the people who used to do that work were gone. The cost of training an all new work force on the equip was very expensive. So, it did not happen. But I like the theory and I had read articles where the author observed that the local populations were working toward a 'middle class' life style. However, Unions in Communist China, seems very unlikely. Remember these are the folks who turned tanks loose on their own people. | ||
| Corporatemonkey |
Budo, Not to burst your bubble, but Chinese Walmart workers are already unionized. Walmart lost the battle earlier this year. I just had an associate of mine return from China/Tibet. She travels there every ~3 years. She said the last 3 years have changed China more than anytime she has ever visited. Western companies (fast food, clothing, automotive) are everywhere. She mentioned that in previous visits it was very clear that the locals were poor. Not so clear anymore. Hell they are building luxury condos right next to the great wall. She compared it to the 1920's in the US. Yes we know how that ended, but we recovered... Funny tidbit, one of the greatest symbols of wealth in China is owning a Buick. Yes an American Buick. Granted those in power have Mercedes, but if you are a successful higher income person, you buy a Buick. I suspect one day Buell will be there too... |
