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Slaughter
| | Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2007 - 11:51 pm: | 
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I'm in a pissy mood... or is it pithy? |
Tommy_black_shark
| | Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2007 - 11:52 pm: |
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Tell that to the last 300 employees of Quaker Fabrics.You know,the last of the hundreds of textile mills in and around Fall River Massachusetts.The one that had 5 manufacturing facilities in that city? True story,they had tried consolidating operations and downsizing.I've got a good friendly Badwebber affected by the sudden shuttering last week.Tell her this is the price of prosperity.Again..true story.
I feel bad for the people who lose their jobs. Hopefully they will be able to develop other MARKETABLE skills and get back to work. Perhaps it is a northern issue, but I don't understand the mindset that says you are ENTITLED to a high paying job whether your skills warrant it or not. The corporate junk yards are filled with people who thought that things wouldn't ever change. Today, if you are not the best the cheapest and the fastest you are on your way out. You may not like it, but those are the facts.
What about availability of affordable, quality education? What about availability of affordable, quality health care? What about being leaders and innovators? I want to raise the bar and challenge my country to be about something more than just consuming massive amounts of cheap foreign merchandise (and massive amounts of oil too, but that's another subject). I don't look to Wal-Mart for help. It's got to come from we the people of the United States.
Not sure how things are where you are, but here in Georgia any student who maintains a B average in high school gets FREE tuition at any state college or university. If you want it bad enough there is always a way. I started saving for my son's college education before he was born. I am amazed at the tuitions private schools are charging these days. Funny the cry of the left is always for the government to subsidize the high price rather than for the institution to lower the price. Wonder if the Ivy League could stand up to the same level of scrutiny the oil companies get?
As far as health care is concerned, I'm at a loss to identify where it is better? Cuba?
Prosperity to me means more than just accumulating a bunch of junk.
Other than old Buell parts I do the best I can to minimize my collection of junk. However, if you don't measure prosperity by availability and affordability of consumer goods, quality and affordability of housing and quality and affordability of education, recreation and medicine how do you? |
Tommy_black_shark
| | Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2007 - 11:58 pm: |
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I'm in a pissy mood... or is it pithy?
Based on your post I would say you might be in a pissy mood, but certainly not pithy.
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M2me
| | Posted on Friday, July 27, 2007 - 12:23 am: |
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the Government should not become involved...
WE are the problem. We're getting what we're DEMANDING.
Your two statements contradict each other. We are the government!!! Don't be misled by folks who claim that governement is some evil, uncontrollable entity. The whole notion that we the people are the governement is the foundation of this country! Poor old Abe is probably spinning in his grave right now. It wasn't the Nazis, it wasn't Vietnamese Communists, it wasn't Islamic terrorists who defeated government of the people, by the people and for the people. American citizens defeated it. I'm asking all Americans to fight to get it back! We must put partisan politics aside. If we allow the Executive branch to be outside the rule of law then, "the Republic for which it stands" no longer stands. The flag and Constitution become no more meaningful than a roll of toilet paper. |
Prior
| | Posted on Friday, July 27, 2007 - 02:07 am: |
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I very rarely get into these topics, but one point to think about...
Why would ANYONE want to employ American labor when we can get labor much cheaper in third world countries.The problem lies with Corporate America and it's insatiable greed for increasing profit margins.Capitalism gone crazy.Some here state we'll DEFEAT Communism.But i think as we SUPERCONSUMERS here in America are the ones who'll be on the short end on the stick in the end.
A Corporation's ultimate goal is to make money. Otherwise, they are not valuable to those who own them, the common stock holder. The 'owners' will not invest (buy stock) in the company that is not profitable, and the company loses its ability to continue to grow and invest in new things. In my opinion, it's not Corporate America's greed, it is our own. We all want to buy things at the lowest price possible, and have our 401(k) grow leaps and bounds as we get ready to retire, and companies finding the most financially reasonable way to run their business is how this all happens. So I agree with what you said, just shifting it a bit.
I work for John Deere, which is one of America's true grass roots companies, in my opinion. We did everything stateside for years, all of our manufacturing, engine building, transmissions, gears, hydraulic components, electronics etc, and we suffered big time with cost and quality. Now, we've found companies that we are partners with that are much better at those things, and we stick with engineering, machining and assembly, and have places all over the world that supply us parts- India, China, Mexico, Brazil, South America and the list goes on. And we're in a much better financial state because of it, and we have the opportunity to invest in new products, new plants and more jobs because of it.
I've never liked Walmart and the way they run their business, but it's part of the international business world, and is going to keep on growing. It's up to us to decide where and how we spend our dollars. |
Rocketsprink
| | Posted on Friday, July 27, 2007 - 06:23 am: |
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But with the cheaper labor prices , does the product price to the customer go down? No.
Levi's moved out of the country, but their jeans cost the same even though the pay the workers dollars a day.
Does a John Deere mower cost LESS now that most of it parts are made by people getting paid next to nothing?
All the crap I hear about cell phones and electronics costing less because the are made over seas. Remember, along with new technology and more companies making and improving products, the price HAS to go down to compete.
America needs jobs, period. |
Ducxl
| | Posted on Friday, July 27, 2007 - 09:12 am: |
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Does a John Deere mower cost LESS now that most of it parts are made by people getting paid next to nothing?
Absolutely NOT.And that's where the problem lies.Big business WILL NOT pay an American laborer's wage.Why should he? Patriotism? Forget it.It's every man for himself.Screw my neighbor who can't feed little Susie anymore because they just shuttered his job.
The problem is we just don't care as a society anymore for our fellow American .
Capitalism gone crazy..Always the bottom line..profit.sell.more profit.profit.profit.
I've said plenty..... |
Eisanmann
| | Posted on Friday, July 27, 2007 - 11:05 am: |
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They must be union...They even get a smoke break!
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Etennuly
| | Posted on Friday, July 27, 2007 - 11:13 am: |
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I feel like a patriotic wh@re. I own a Buell with parts made all over the world so as I could go into the dealership and buy one for under $13,000. And now we have the option of getting the 1125r for the same price? Wholly crap!
I also have a couple of John Deere tractors and equipment. The best fitting stuff like the mower deck and the front end loader has its cast iron components made in China. A lot of the after market fittings like my box blade were made in the USA and it is a functional piece of crap that too much effort was spent on cutting costs to be able to sell it to me for $140 less than the good one the factory had engineered and made in China.
And uh-oh, my wife works at a Walmart as a customer service manager. And my daughters have worked at Walmart as they got their starts out of high school. But then my mother retired after 37 years at JCPenney where they sold clothes made seemingly everywhere but the USA. And I've been to Sears.......Oh man.....it goes on and on. Does anyone still buy gas from Citgo? Why did NASCAR let Toyota in? Sh#$....what are we gonna do?
Oh yeah....that is a big part of why I love to ride!! I wonder if any of those Billionares get to enjoy life as much as I do? Has anyone spotted any of the Waltons out riding their Buells??? |
Xl1200r
| | Posted on Friday, July 27, 2007 - 11:46 am: |
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A Corporation's ultimate goal is to make money. Otherwise, they are not valuable to those who own them, the common stock holder. The 'owners' will not invest (buy stock) in the company that is not profitable, and the company loses its ability to continue to grow and invest in new things. In my opinion, it's not Corporate America's greed, it is our own. We all want to buy things at the lowest price possible, and have our 401(k) grow leaps and bounds as we get ready to retire, and companies finding the most financially reasonable way to run their business is how this all happens. So I agree with what you said, just shifting it a bit.
As a recently graduating business student from one of this super-high priced Ivy league institutions, I coudln't agree more. Big business is business none-the-less. And business exsists to make people RICH. Do you know what an entreprenuer's PRIMARY function is? Not to come up with the next big thing or to make headlines, but to CREATE WEALTH. When Wal*Mart sells crap at dirt low prices, a few people in this country are worse off. But MANY are much better off. Stock goes up, you get rich. Get on the bandwagon, it works.
But with the cheaper labor prices , does the product price to the customer go down? No.
Levi's moved out of the country, but their jeans cost the same even though the pay the workers dollars a day.
Does a John Deere mower cost LESS now that most of it parts are made by people getting paid next to nothing?
All the crap I hear about cell phones and electronics costing less because the are made over seas. Remember, along with new technology and more companies making and improving products, the price HAS to go down to compete.
America needs jobs, period.
Simple answer to this query - Why should a business sell a product for less than a consumer is willing to pay? I can make a spit ball for a penny, but if you want to buy it for $10, why shouldn't I charge $10?
I saw one of these docudramas in college. It was pretty good actually - totally pointless and generally factless, but it did raise a few goo questions worth looking into. Entertaining at the very least.
What did it lack? An alternative. |
Jscott
| | Posted on Friday, July 27, 2007 - 01:36 pm: |
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Slaughter
| | Posted on Saturday, July 28, 2007 - 12:13 am: |
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It CAN have an effect - not Walmart, but rip-offs in general:
http://roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=2 7852
http://roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=2 7860 |
Doerman
| | Posted on Sunday, July 29, 2007 - 10:50 am: |
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Remember, along with new technology and more companies making and improving products, the price HAS to go down to compete.
America needs jobs, period.
There is one American company that has achieved this. If I recall correctly, the S2 was introduced in 1994 at a price of $11,995.
Today, said company introduces the 1125R for the same price. A product considerably more capable and sophisticated compared to its progenitor 13 years ago. It is possible to be an American company and be progressive.
Asbjorn |
07xb12scg
| | Posted on Sunday, July 29, 2007 - 03:26 pm: |
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It's not just Walmart. They just get most of the flack because they're so huge.
Unions are helping to force companies to outsource and they are helping to destroy America just as much IMO.
I would have lost my job as a design engineer and manufacturing engineer next year because my company (which is an infamous billion dollar company) because two plants are moving to Mexico. Why? Because the Union shop was overpaid and the Mexicans will do the work for $5 a day. Sure, I could have moved with the company, but no thanks. I was smart and immediately starting looking for jobs as soon as word got to us. I bailed before they could officially bail on me.
(Message edited by 07xb12scg on July 29, 2007) |
Hdbobwithabuell
| | Posted on Sunday, July 29, 2007 - 09:51 pm: |
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After listening to all this BS every day, aren't you glad you get to ride tomorrow?  , |
Percyco
| | Posted on Sunday, July 29, 2007 - 10:01 pm: |
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This is very interesting as my small town in New York State is in a big debate right now whether to let Wally-world come or not. Some say it will destroy our small town, but hey the VA Medical Center already has. With all its drug rehab programs, our town is full of men that are shipped in from the city then never leave. Every street corner is where they spend there day planning the next crime and dealing drugs. |
Xl1200r
| | Posted on Monday, July 30, 2007 - 09:28 am: |
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Unions are helping to force companies to outsource and they are helping to destroy America just as much IMO.
+1. I could type for hours on this, but for the sake of argument I'll just agree. Union employees are expensive, period.} |
Tommy_black_shark
| | Posted on Monday, July 30, 2007 - 10:47 am: |
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Unions are helping to force companies to outsource and they are helping to destroy America just as much IMO.
+1. I could type for hours on this, but for the sake of argument I'll just agree. Union employees are expensive, period.
There was a time not so long ago when the union movement was vital in protecting the rights of American workers. That day has passed and today the unions have lost the moral high ground by their links to organized crime and their internal corruption. Make no mistake, the protests against Wal*Mart have nothing to do with the welfare of Wal*Mart employees and everything to do with more dues for the unions and more union political contributions to the defeatocrats. |
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