About sending jobs overseas

[question everything]

Many years ago I read a story about WalMart. The story was about cheap electronics - VCRs. TVs, others. And cheap clothes made in China, or Vietnam. And we like it. Cheap quality, will not last long but they are cheap.

So we flocked to WalMart and saw the death of Main Street.

And now we buy at Amazon, and we see the death of many retailers.

There was a nice toy store in town in several places, called Creative Kidstuff. Really nice selection and well trained sales people. But the owner had to close earlier this year, could not compete with Amazon.

So when we bemoan the loss of manufacturing jobs and of retail jobs and searching for culprit - all we have to do is look in the mirror.

Back in 1979, still in the middle of the gas crisis, I decided it was time to replace by Chevy Vega (hey, it ran). I was looking for an American car. All the GM divisions came with the "X car" - to imitate the Japanese ones. We went to every dealer of each division: Chevy, Olds, Pontiac, Buick even Cadillac. No one had any. (In hindsight I was lucky. They ended up to be lousy).

So I got a Mustang. Hatchback. The spouse of a co worker was a Ford mechanic. What car do you drive, I asked her. She chuckled: a Toyota.

(I think that later the auto manufacturers frowned, perhaps even forbade, seeing foreign cars in their lots).

So, yes, we talk and complain but when we are ready to purchase, we follow our wallet.

[Wellstone ruled]

1. Had a Classmate who ended up

working for GM as a Engineer in the Production and Assembly. This was in the mid sixties,his statement that always reminds me of Corporate America was,I designed sub assemblies that the Bean Counters said were over Engineered and needed to be cheapen up .

Like he said many a time,they could give a damn less about quality control,just get the damn thing out the door by noon Tuesday. Let the Dealers worry about it later.