Food for thought VW and Germany

[momisery]

I am so confused today. China, is entering the global car market but she already is leading in global increases. China is a communistic country. She uses cheap slave labor, who are offered no healthcare and no voice in their jobs. She competes by lying about her currency, and ripping the lower income people in China off. In China, only a few have it all, the rest are trying to survive. Yet, Germany the power house of labor unions, and a country that does have government healthcare, longer vacation times, and programs to train workers and help the citizens become prosperous she in in the news with her VW product today going to the Top against Toyota who is slipping. Our country is sliding towards being like China, and we are losing our jobs and auto industry as a whole. We do not offer what German does, yet we can not compete against them? Why? Which country do we resemble the most? I would say China, but not as extreme, yet.

[kenshirley]

First of all we cannot control what other countries do or don't do with their workforce and politics unless our government puts sanctions on them of some sort.
When it comes to buying things everybody is looking for a bargain. Wal Mart and the like are proof of that.
I just heard this morning on CCN that car brand loyalty is out the window over the last 10-50 years. They say that people that used to buy a certain brand without research is gone now.
People are looking for pricing deals and better interest rates.
We have sent our labor $ overseas in favor of off shore corporations in many cases that don't pay taxes on the money they get.
And how do you think Toyota got here and came to be? GM hand carried them here in the early 60s.
I know, my Dad was one of the first dealers and I was there at age 14 or so when GM brought the Land Cruiser, the Corona and a Crown to the lot to show my Dad and his partner. That was about 1964 or '65 as I remember.
GM reps said that GM did not want them at their dealerships but were backing the product.
You have to wonder how much GM controlled at the time and how much GM made in the deal.
Ford controlled Mazda at one point too, don't kid yourself.
There are many ways for companies to hide profits.
Many appliances you see in stores and cars you drive with American names are being made in Mexico right now by our own companies that pay very little to the Mexican workers that make the products. In fact many live in multi family dwellings without electricity just to my south.
Corporate greed for the $ has put us here, don't' kid yourself. All they care about is the bottom line and the profit margin.

[andy158]

You can't maintain a super power with a service economy. Our industrial base is what made this country the super power it once was. China is dripping acid on the US one drop at a time slowly eatting our economy and standard of living away. Just go to any department store and try to find 10 items made in the USA! This country is so indebted to China now that we can never repay the debt. They literally own us financially. When the market opens up for the cars they are producing, and it will, that will be the final nail in our auto industry's coffin. Look at Hyundai and Kia. As far as health care, labor unions are what gave most people in this country affordable and at one time free health care as part of one's working contract. This is a big topic in what is left of labor unions in this country. It is slowly being negotiated away now because of the outrageous cost of it. I know because at my present job fifteen years ago we didn't pay anything for health insurance. Now I pay $200/mo plus deductables, plus co-pays, plus a fee for each dependant. It is now a MAJOR expense for anyone who is working. My pay has not increased enough to offset the costs now required to have decent insurance! That is money that would otherwise be put back into the economy creating jobs for others.

[banca rotta]

You can't maintain a super power with a service economy. Our industrial base is what made this country the super power it once was. China is dripping acid on the US one drop at a time slowly eatting our economy and standard of living away. Just go to any department store and try to find 10 items made in the USA! This country is so indebted to China now that we can never repay the debt. They literally own us financially. When the market opens up for the cars they are producing, and it will, that will be the final nail in our auto industry's coffin. Look at Hyundai and Kia. As far as health care, labor unions are what gave most people in this country affordable and at one time free health care as part of one's working contract. This is a big topic in what is left of labor unions in this country. It is slowly being negotiated away now because of the outrageous cost of it. I know because at my present job fifteen years ago we didn't pay anything for health insurance. Now I pay $200/mo plus deductables, plus co-pays, plus a fee for each dependant. It is now a MAJOR expense for anyone who is working. My pay has not increased enough to offset the costs now required to have decent insurance! That is money that would otherwise be put back into the economy creating jobs for others.

They may own us for now but as we devalue the dollar, the debt we owe the Chinese will be worth less then half in a few years.

Trouble is all of our businesses that are selling Chinese goods which is just about everyone will have nothing to sell when China stops accepting green backs.

All I can say is we better convert back to an industrial economy real fast to survive.

[AngelinaCatHub]

They may own us for now but as we devalue the dollar, the debt we owe the Chinese will be worth less then half in a few years.

Trouble is all of our businesses that are selling Chinese goods which is just about everyone will have nothing to sell when China stops accepting green backs.

All I can say is we better convert back to an industrial economy real fast to survive.

I strongly agree. At this time, our Army helmets, boots and much ammunition is Chinese. I have a (not mentioned) amount of 223 that fits certain kind of "hunting rifles" made both in China and Russia.

We almost carried our industries and tools over there. Now we worry about "Carbon Credits" while China with out of date blast furnaces melt OUR old car steel down into their cheap micro wave ovens and hardware parts and tools. Go to any Ace hardware and attempt to purchase an American made product. Even our flags are China made. 'Hub

[FLBK7]

Go to any Ace hardware and attempt to purchase an American made product. Even our flags are China made. 'Hub

This is the main reason why I have faithfully boycotted Walmart for the past 4years. I will NOT buy anything at Walmart, ever, regardless of how "cheap" the prices may be. In fact, I just do not go to Walmart at all, period.

[momisery]

I wonder if anyone ever thought about the war and what if we run out of bullets and have to ask China to make them?? lol

[frogger]

The devalued dollar is how we're going to pay China off. When it's all said and done, China is going to be left holding a lot of paper that is best served for wiping your a$$ with, because it's not going to be worth anything as currency.

As to buying USA, this might help:

http://www.madeintheusa.com/