I really am trying to understand how this is a good thing. Honestly, I want to understand what you are talking about.

But explaining that Fortune 500 companies are kicking butt in China translates to me that the financial Top 1% of the population is benefiting from this, not the Middle Class. I can see shareholders and board members of large companies enjoying the China boom. But for me & my family I am out of ideas. And I don't just mean immediate family, I mean in-laws and their families, etc.

It sucks let me tell you. I have known nothing else my whole life except Automotive. It is just what you did around here. And I am not talking about button pushing, I am talking about a Technical field where I need to be sharp and educated. I worked with stuff for 2010 and beyond. But I was making to much $$$ from what I am seeing, and being replaced by contract workers for $5 less an hour with no benefits or paid vacations.

But now I am SOL, and I don't think the big companies that are loving the Far East are going to create jobs that pay enough in this country to maintain a reasonable standard of living. I honestly for see a future here with low class and high class. But that just may be Michigan, I am not up on the whole country's economic position because I have been worrying about my own personal one. I want to open my own business, but don't know what to do or how to do it [&o]

My 6 year old says "Daddy why don't we move to China for you to find a job, it seems like everything is made there", as she looks at the bottom of her Disney bowl & cup.

Thanks for trying to explain though. Sounds like I need to find something that will tap into China

Sorry to the topic starter for this getting off topic, I am trying to understand somethings that may help my future.

 

If you have technical skills, you might want to consider the Oil & Gas industry in the South (Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana etc.) There's a need for people with good technical skills and they will provide training.

 

Thanks for the education. Yeah, I learned alot of that in college already, where we learned how good all this "global economy" isgood for the rest of the globe. Probably good for the Fortune whatever companies too, in the short run. It's good for the Bank of China, so we can borrow money from it to finance our National Debt that keeps rising to pay for the penalties the global economy forces on us. It's also good that the Bank of China can now influence our -..never mind. I'm already way off topic, and obviously you went to China on a business trip so you're not about to bite the hand that feeds you.

AndI haveMY head in the sand......

 

1200 said it for me pretty well. I saw your post about Lexus and Beamers and just think with this mindset you would be happier with an offshore made product. The american worker obviously cant satisfy your needs.

Every body I know that owns BMW autos thinks it is no problem to pay for $100 oil changes and $700 brake jobs so I guess that is just the cost of the ownership experiance.

I work with sales reps that routinely drive US made autos 250,000 miles trouble free and just get tired of everyone disrepecting american made products.

Owning an HD is an experiance that is about more than ridiing a MC. It is stopping by the dealer an BS ing with other owners, It is about the HOG chapter and all the charity events that they do for the comunity. It is about good old fashioned easy to understand V Twin engines. It is even about the vibration at the stop light that you will just hate.

Like I said in my first post every rider I ever met on a BMW acts like they are too good to speak to other riders. They must like riding alone cause you dont see many of them around.

Bob I am not trying to be disrepectful, it is just if you have to give this as much thought as you have HD is not for you.

 

Bob, you know, if you have to ask there is a good chance you don't belong on a Harley.

 

Was a decision made yet?

 

No problem. Can note this...visit overseas. Pick most any country. Even Russia nowadays. Walk around and see what is on billboards, in the stores, on TV commericials.Makes one proud to be an American. Big U.S. corporations are racking up double digit if not triple digit growth figures in developing and modernizing countries. It keeps U.S. based employees employed here, helps keep the lights on here, helps with the overhead, employs many domestically designing, developing, and manufacturingthe products, training foreign employees, traveling, etc. and etc. This all flows to the economic conditions of the U.S.

Tell the U.S. based employees of Exxon, General Electric, Wal*Mart, Chevron, IBM, Dell, CitiBank, FedEx, Raytheon, International Paper, Procter & Gamble, McDonalds, Coca-Cola, Cisco, Boeing, DuPont, Dow Chemical, Intel, Disney, UPS, Costco, Kelloggs, Nucor, Fluor, Merck, Starbucks, and 500,000 other U.S. companies other countries don't matter and that it isn't a global economy, and the words would simply fall on deaf ears.

Clearly, H-D's growth future is overseas. There is saturation here.Population growth is slowing. H-D exports will fuel many domestic jobs. It was a good move for H-D to open their firstdealership in Beijing this past spring. Once China lifts the restrictions of heavyweight motorcycles outside certain city zones, and the immense population continues to gain more spending power... hold on tight if an employee or investor in HDI. The future is bright. And this is just China. Milwaukee is very on top of this.

The businesses thriving in the U.S., and there are many, many, many... are creative, adaptive, intelligent, hard working (duh), and many (but not all) are going along on the global economy ride. Also, one finds people of other countries to be just like us. Oh sure, there's a bad egg here and there, but the vast majority are simply delighting in the gift of life, they love their children, are incredibly friendly, they smile and laugh easily, and they admire America hoping to visit someday all the places they've heard about.

 

Well, maybe I should take my talents to HD then? They have openings for my expertise. Not to keen on Milwaukee though.

Thanks for taking the time to post your info, even if it got off topic. I am praying that something will open up for us employment wise in our household that will allow is to return to our humble, but comfortable way of life from a couple years ago.

 

Off Topic again......

Beagle1, good luck. Things will work out. My job went to Malaysia awhile back after 20 years, but I didn't go with it. It's amazing how well we adapted to the changes in our family.

sfarson- obviously we could discuss this forever.Thanks for the considerate and polite reply. It would be easy for both of us to say that selling HDs overseas would slightly help the trade deficit, especially if a few Chinese workers could afford them and if the Chinese government would allow them to buy them. I can't see that happening in any great numbers, but in order to prevent any further digression, I'll get back on topic.

I love my Harley Davidson. I'm sure I would enjoy a BMW if I owned one. One thing I've noticed over the years is when I'm on an HD, I always know what I'm riding. That hasn't been as obvious to me on any other brand of motorcycle. I consider that a good thing, but an HD basher probably wouldn't. To each his own.

 

Not to start anything. All said with good will intended just to contribute to the conversation.
On the "patriotism" of buying one vehicle over another..

My bike's a Harley (despite it's less than optimum manufacturing or competitive workmanship).

My cars.. Built and assembled in Japan.. And I make sure of it if I can.. Though the wife loves her Sienna, assembled in Tennessee I think so I risked it, relying on the Toyota name. I don't want a single American, turning a wrench on any new car I buy before it's prepped, and I'll typically watch the droppouts prep before I take it.

My patriotism.. Extremely high.. But my expectations for quality, design and reliability equally high.. A true American is also conscious of value and quality as they would be with supporting our own. I made exception with the Harley because I simply always wanted one.. I excepted a certain level of incompetence at all stages of assembly. I eccepted and expected it, when it started leaking because of a poorly installed shifter seal.. "Warranty" is a great word. Depends on what level of assembly quality issues you're willing to risk.. Keep in mind, HD's are made by union guys under turmoil because of talks of another plant somewhere and wage/benefit wars.. The usual union business as usual.

By the way.. I'm no liberal.. I make Limbaugh and Hannity look like Gore or or Pilosi on one of her exceptionally San Franciscan rants.

So the "buy American" correlation to liberalism is baloney.. sorry.

Now clothing and other items.. I do try to buy American.. But I just have too much insight into the state of the failed manufacturing and work ethic in this troubled uneducated nation to extend patriotism into big ticket items.. But I pray that will change someday, but I know it won't happen by means of government-supplied education.

I also don't much subscribe to stereotypes.. Some of the most "real" guys I know ride rice and I've seen some of the cheesiest posers on hogs or customs... and vice versa.. Point being it doesn't matter the bike you're on.. You're who you are regardless. I usually have some of the best heated debates with a rider friend of mine that's as liberal as they come.. He's got a nice E-Glide Classic though. Go figure.

Happy New Year