We Americans prop up the Chinese economy, thus they own us to a certain extent... Unfortunately, we can't completely avoid their products because they're part of most everything we purchase. I guess you could minimize the Chinese influence, but you can't ignore it completely.

 

I don't want to steal this thread, but I think what I have to say applies to this subject. People will make excuses all day long for buying foreign made products. The bottom line is, if we as Americans don't start buying American made products we are in big trouble as a country. Yes some of the parts on a Harley might be made in China or another foreign country. But, Harley Davidson is an American owned company. By suppurting them, we are supporting America. Yes Honda might have one assembly plant in the U.S., but where do the profits go?

What we should do is write letters to Harley Davidson, telling them if they would like us to keep buying their motorcycles then they should use all American made parts on their bikes, and also use American clothing suppliers for their apparel. If they get enough letters on the subject they will take notice.

The same goes for the big three automakers. How can you expect them to not have assembly plants in Mexico. It's the only way they can compete with the prices of Japanese and other foriegn made cars. Personally I wouldn;t mind paying a couple thousand dollars more for a car that I knew was manufactured in the U.S. Most people though will run to buy a toyota because they got a Camry for a thousand dollars less than what an Impala costs.

Just more food for thought.

Also, before someones says it. Yes, I'm sure a lot of the appliances in my home are foreign made. But, I plan on doing more to try to by American. I think everyone should. Just my 2 cents.

 

I refuse to pay more for an inferior product just because of where it is made. Anyone who doesn't accept and embrace a global economy is a neanderthal.

 

Today, many of the raw materials and parts that comprise products are sourced globally. I'm cool with this because it drives best of breed. What matters is where the profit is taken. In other words, whose GNP it benefits.

 

So if it raised the price of the bikes, how many people could still afford to purchase one? I spent $17,000 + on my RK and if it were much more, I would not have purchased it.

 

globalization is here to stay, there is no way around it. And part of that is we will buy resources, whether raw materials or fabricated parts where they are cheaper to make. Same as with agriculture there is just no point in growing pineapples in alaska.

I think Geoffs comment makes sense...its where the money goes. As long as jobs are created and sustained locally, does it matter where the stuff comes from at some prior point?

 

I wonder if they actually put "Assembled in the USA" they would have to sell them cheaper LOL

 

At least HD could quit supporting Chavez and use something besides Citgo lubes.

 

I think if you went over there and breathed their air and drank their water you might become a tree hugger yourself. I with the libs on this. I like my air breathable, water drinkable and the fish I catch not to have two heads.

 

Let's take a look at the big picture. America used to be a manufacturing powerhouse! Back in WW II we were literally rolling thousands of aircraft, vehicles monthly out of plants all over the USA. We used to have a huge Textile industry, as we generally made our own clothing. Most Industry insiders know the term Cap-Ex, which means Capital Expenditure or spending associated with a particular process. Manufacturing is a Capital intensive process.

Manufacturing used to be the upper-tier of middle-income ladder, as one could graduate out of high school and go to work for a GM, or Caterpillar and make a decent wage. I hear all the backlash against the unions in the recent Automotive Manuf. bailout issue, but all those whiners forget, that those well-paid Union people spent money and paid their fair share of taxes.

Take a look at what we have now. Corporate America has off-shored all the labor-intensive jobs, taking a good chunk out of what was the upper part of the middle class. Illegal Immigration has decimated the lower half of the middle class, with their huge supply of cheap labor. The result is our new "Service Economy". Worse yet, most of the lower middle-class doesn't pay enough taxes to support what they take out of the system for education and other services.

The Service Economy is a dollar bill that goes around in a circle. We can only give each other so many haircuts, mow each others lawns or groom our poodles. There is very little Cap-Ex involved, so it's a shallow economy. Now we're seeing the result of all this off-shoring and illegal immigration job crashing in the form of a permanent recession. The simple facts are that the U.S. Consumer is responsible for 70% of GDP! Us buying stuff. Take a look at the U.S. Bureau of Commerce's figures if you don't believe me. By killing the middle class for short term profit, Corporate America has commited suicide.

I do my best to buy American. I own a Ford Focus, my girlfriend has an Mercury Mountainer, a F-350 and a Corvette and now she has a Harley Davidson motorcycle. I am not going to buy anymore HD boots, I'll be going American made (Chippewa) next time, thank you. I am not buying any more Levi Strauss jeans (thanks for making them in Mexico). I will be buying from All American Clothing, as they make their Jeans and clothing here. I check all the labels now and do my best to make sure it's American made.