How bad is it gonna get?

[Yellowhand]

Last year I was bitchin' about VISE GRIP closing their Dewitt, Nebraska factory...they employed 900 people at one time, now it's zero...

Now, Husqvarna has announced they'll be closing their Beatrice, Nebraska factory at the end of this year...400 more jobs lost...

How long will it be before nothing is made in the USA?

 

[korndog]

Unfortunately, nobody seems to care much. We buy our Chinese, engines, tools, and other shit and throw them in the trash after few months or years.
The temptation is just too great for most people to ignore. Instead of saving up for a few months to buy a quality tool, you can load up your car with stuff you only dreamed about before.

 

[metal man]

korndog not completely true , i want a tool that is made in the usa and its cheep as hell . the problem no one has any clue where to order the dam thing . its made by vise grip , a 1/4 32 tip tap and die . its way cheaper then the import but i cant find any place to order the us made one . so one of the problems is the usa stuff is so hard to find a place to buy it .

 

[TeamCheap]

You mean its going to be more of this.................
Big Box Mart | Funny/SAD Video Animation by JibJab

I was asking how bad will it get four years ago and its gotten much worse since then.
Although the tide may be turning I have read an article where the chinese are asking for safer work conditions and higher wages
(HMMM...sounds familiar :lol
The companies are starting to come back to the states but we are a long way fom being anywhere close to where we were 10 years ago.

I think back to my grand parents and remember them buying stuff from sears and keeping it for a very long time(decades) and repairing it along the way.....those days are gone.

Now in our instant oatmeal world people just buy cheap and throw away and buy again when something breaks because things are made with a limited/planned life-cycle to assure future sales and because manufacturers know they have to sell cheap to make a sale because people demand cheap not quality.

 

[TT]

I am guessing you want to know what's happening Nationwide as well as in Nebraska? I am also guessing your looking for an answer and a name of a person to blame for the economic breakdown of the USA?

"HOW BAD IS IT GONNA GET YOU ASK?"

Well it's just now in, eight months starting to show you the numbers and figures on the news. Economics has played itself out in bubble bursts, home prices in California sky rocketing and stocks like City Bank sent tumbling down to $3.95 from record numbers.

Yes, I own a few shares.

You and your state NE are in much better shape the CA. Boeing is moving to OK. They are in big trouble too.

Recovery may never happen. Those who sit on large amounts of cash see it all slipping away and those with nothing, had little or nothing to begin with,, or got swooped into believing that all is good.

Korndog, being in investments and myself retired from Venture Capital in California know one good Client can make or break your family. It only take two good Clients to make your world. I know this, as I have lived it.

YES, I DO UNDERSTAND WHY, WHEN HOW AND WHERE IT'S GOING AND HOW BAD IT IS...:laugh:

TT Out! :censure:

 

[gbones]

yellowhand is back :clap: do you have any new projects coming up? i sure do miss your build threads, amazing work. i know i know, off topic but welcome back:thumbsup:

 

[Tom S.]

yellowhand is back :clap: do you have any new projects coming up? i sure do miss your build threads, amazing work...welcome back:thumbsup:

Ditto that sentiment. Oh, I found a 6" needle nose Vice Grip on the road the other day. It had been run over a few times, but still works great. Would the Chinese version hold up as well?

 

[jeep2003]

metal man i know what you mean. Iv been trying to get my s-k breaker bar warrantied but i cant find anyone around that does it or even sells them. But i did learn that they filed for bancruptcy recently and have been sold. i guess they will still be made here though so thats a plus

 

[RARECRX]

Ironically I just read China is #2 in economy now right behind the US.. Could it be because we give them all our work? I suppose..

US made Vice grips ! YES.. Rice grips.. No thanks...

 

[Oldsalt]

You mean its going to be more of this.................
Big Box Mart | Funny/SAD Video Animation by JibJab


Although the tide may be turning I have read an article where the chinese are asking for safer work conditions and higher wages
(HMMM...sounds familiar :lol

If history is any guide China will be the latest "super" economy to start cooling off. May take a while. Does any one remember when Japan suddenly became an electronics super power [all TVs and etc. were suddenly made in Japan and all US manufactures ceased production]. The popular belief was that "The U.S. is Doomed". The press and TV chanted that for two decades. Now take a look at Japan's economy; it's been in pretty bad shape for a number of years now. Why? Well, the 'cheap' stuff suddenly started being produced in Taiwan. Same stuff, but cheaper than Japan could produce it because Japans "social spending", to keep the new non-ricepaddy population happy, required huge increases in TAX on the companies that were exporting. They now only compete with some items like cars. So we weren't doomed afterall. And the big screen TV in your living room is made in Taiwan.

We lasted through Japan and then Taiwan. Because the same thing happened to Taiwan; the workforce demanded a much higher wage/benifit reword for working. Then along came the giant of cheap labor forces...China. But, as TeamCheap points out the super cheap labor pool is slowing. The rice paddy work force has woke up and is demanding more from the government. China manufactures MUST soon pay a LOT more tax for social services or drift toward a really unhappy and aware population. The government is not just a socialist type, such as Japan and Taiwan. They are one step worse.... Communist.

Now, what is the next nation with a low buck [and massive] workforce? India. It is already happening. As English is the International Language and a huge % of the population of India speak that language they really have a leg-up on Indoneisia and any other country that is harboring a huge low-buck workforce. Call for Tech Support and you get a guy in India. Even legal research is now being done in India because they, like the U.S., were once British colonies and we both have legal systems that are compatable. The beat goes on.

I suppose the only lesson that can be derived from all this is that no country can spend too much on social services and compete against those that don't. But we ARE spending far, far too much. The national debt was several trillion a couple of years ago. Now our new socialist government has doled out UNEARNED money that puts us ,currently, in debt to the tune of 14 trillion dollars! History says the we will see better times ahead when a couple of other country's labor becomes far more expensive. But there is a new element involved that history has not yet seen....we are now being ruled by a wildly spending socialist administration that thinks 14 trillion is not a big enought handout. THAT is what makes the future really uncertain and unpredictable.

 

[MikeBear]

I don't think the future for the US is unpredictable at all. I think it's very clear-cut, that THIS time, the "Titanic" is going down for good.

The ultimate "Ponsi scheme", in history, has been the U.S. FIAT currency economy, for going on 40 years now. As we all know from Ponsi schemes, eventually, you run out of people willing to "come in" from the bottom. How can a bank take a deposit, and "magically" now loan out almost 40 TIMES as much money as they actually received? They did such a good job of it, that they sucked in the whole world. We are just about there now, but not quite yet to the end. I'm just sorry it appears that it has to happen in my lifetime, but it's inevitable, and much closer than we think.

Not to go religious on you, and I'm not going to preach, but read the book of Revelation, chapter 18. My (broken) heart says that whole chapter is talking about the US of A, as John saw it in the actual future, and translated it into terms a person of his time could understand....

Ok, enough doom and gloom for now, sorry.

 

[Oldschool]

I don't know anymore.

I work for a company that actualy apears to be trying to loose money and fold up the division. I think they figuere if we can't have all the wealth in these mines we will make sure there is nothing but scoarched earth left when we walk away.

Revelation or Das Capital:
Doesn't matter what you believe or read or think. Its all pretty much clear that its wrong to screw the little guy or the weak. For 30 years we have systematicly slit our own throats by spending money stupid on all levels , giving Uber rich man a free ride with his money and letting the working class fall behind in a country with crumbling infrastructure and drowning in debt.

Tax breaks for the rich and deregulate the world. May as well give free heroin to kids and tell them its ok to set homes on fire.......

Doom and gloom however I don't agree sooner or later we take it all back on election day or revolution day. I love you Americans because You already had a revolution and putting up with getting screwed without end is not in your nature.

 

[korndog]

I don't think the future for the US is unpredictable at all. I think it's very clear-cut, that THIS time, the "Titanic" is going down for good.
.

One thing is for sure. Great Empires do fall. They think they never will, but they do. Greece, Rome, Egypt, Persia; impossible to think they would ever be toppled. We better get real or we will experience the impossible in this great Empire too. What that means, I don't exactly know.

 

[supernova]

One thing is for sure. Great Empires do fall. They think they never will, but they do. Greece, Rome, Egypt, Persia; impossible to think they would ever be toppled. We better get real or we will experience the impossible in this great Empire too. What that means, I don't exactly know.

Our country has been given away for many years and we are falling! A piece at a time we sell it to them, everything we buy has a chinese counterpart or we can only buy a chinese made product! I'm sickened by the fact Clinton and Bush returned most favored nation trade status to china, it started with clinton in 1989 and ushered in the end of manufacturing jobs all around the U.S.A. and it sucks that we buy the very things that will destroy us! At this point we would have to take drastic measures to start to reverse the damage done, and new jobs aint gonna help as much as having never lost the jobs to begin with! Most folks I know liked thier jobs just fine before they were eliminated altogether!:hammer:

 

[Oldschool]

That little peanut farmer from Georgia that everyone mocked in 1980 when left office warned us about consumption and living beyond our means. Go figuere he seems to have been right. Reagan for all his good camera angles didn't do anything to adress this, in fact I think its fair to blame the majority of todays mess on his lap for amount of deregualtion and the attacks on labour and stagnant wages that followed.

You can argue that point or not but w only vote in the guys that show us the low easy road and punish the ones that say things we do not like to hear....

Here in Canada former PM Turner quit as finance minister in 1979 because the goverment was spending more than taking in. No one would lisen and he quit in disgust. It took 20 years and another liberal to actualy do something about it. Boy did that hurt when you factor in the tax grabs and cuts in spending but it was harsh meds we needed and it saved us a lot of mysery when the great rescession finaly came we had over a decade of ballanced budgets and paid back a significant amount of debt.

Fast forward a few years and the very right wing Conservatives were in power. Spending like a drunken salor but worse cutting taxes for all those corperations and uber rich just at so many conservatives goverment around the world in the false promiss that trickle down ecconomics work. Now look at the debts again......

If a salesman promisses you something for nothing generaly you can spot snake oil.
A politicians offers to cut taxes but still run an effective goverment with ballanced books and people seem to think this is reasonable?
We get what we deserve....

Oh yes I should like to add number one tax cut the torries offered was the GST ( sales/consumption tax ). People hate that tax but its the most fair tax in world when you think about it. If you save your money or pay down debts rather than spend its not taxed. And if your rich or poor everyone has to pay it no loop holes....

 

[steven Durham]

What a depressing subject to wake up to. I was surprised to see a clip about Nissan now being made in India in a super clean factory and they were talking about how the Japanese and Indian population work so well together. I want to go back to sleep, but make sure I am up come November 6th for revolution day. But it is so sad to see places like Beatrice, Nebraska a nice little town full of hard working people have to start over or leave their home chasing work.
I am glad to see Yellohand here and still thinking of us as friendly sounding board in his frustration about our sad sack economy. I wish he was showing us another great project and innovative interpretation of a mini bike.
Steve

 

[Oldsalt]

That little peanut farmer from Georgia that everyone mocked in 1980 when left office warned us about consumption and living beyond our means. Go figuere he seems to have been right. Reagan for all his good camera angles didn't do anything to adress this, in fact I think its fair to blame the majority of todays mess on his lap for amount of deregualtion and the attacks on labour and stagnant wages that followed.

As you are from Canada, where they have always had a State Controled Media, it's no suprise that you hold the above views. I'm not guessing about this...I've spent a lot of time in Canada. In Charlottetown and Florenceville to name a couple. So I tend to excuse Canadians ignorance when they expond about American politics. Hell, they are told only ONE party line from cradle to grave by the outragiously far-left Canadian media. Just to straighen you out about Carter and Regan: Carter GAVE AWAY the Panama Canal!!!! He spent like a "drunken Sailor", as you put it below, and caused a really bad spate of inflation. Not nearly as bad as Socialist Obama whose spending is off the chart, but still pretty bad. Honest. Take my word for it. It was Regan that cut taxes and a lot of liberal social spending. He also stood up to the Commies and was pricipally responsible for the fall of the Iron Curtian. We got East Berlin back. He didn't give any part of America away like Carter. By the time he left office we had a really strong economy. Sorry, but those are the facts even if it does not match the rubbish spewed out by the Canadian Federally Controlled Media.

Here in Canada former PM Turner quit as finance minister in 1979 because the goverment was spending more than taking in.

This really has been a problem for a lot of years. Where do Canadians get the idea that American politics is something they should even have an opinion about? Let alone vocalize the usually poorly formed opinions. I simply can't imagine although I know some of the people. Here is a news flash for ya. The vast majority of Americans resent foreigners squacking about our choices for presidents or anything else. We perceve that, in as much as we couldn't care less about what Canada does, it is rude...or worse....to be confrounted by unbiddened jaw music comming from a nation that, if it was not for the U.S. of A. on their border, would have been invaded and taken over by Iceland or Kenya a long time ago. In my entire life [68 years] I have NEVER heard even one of my fellow countryman voice ANY opinion about Canadian politics! Not only do I not understand the strainge canadian desire to meddle, but it leaves me cold because the views are almost always a reflection of the garbage I hear on Canadian TV, radio and press.

Fast forward a few years and the very right wing Conservatives were in power. Spending like a drunken salor but worse cutting taxes for all those corperations and uber rich just at so many conservatives goverment around the world in the false promiss that trickle down ecconomics work. Now look at the debts again......

This really enlightens me. No, it really doesn't be cause I'm used to it. The line, "...so many conservative governments around the world in the false premise that trickle down ecconomics work" tells it all. I'm thinking you are inordinately worried about a long list of foreign governments, but appearently only concerned with the 'conservative' ones. The socialistic ones that believe in the fairy tale about trickle up theory are obviously exempt.

Oh, well. We'll see what Americans think about Obamas trickle up theory next November.

 

[Oldschool]

Oldsalt you have to pay taxes or cut spending as deaply. If you don't you go into debt.

I can comment on any politicians I like. The French Fascist leader, the dumpy German in the bad dresses. The wet behind the ears limy liberal who went from 3rd party to PM in one loony election night and my personal favourite the working class Socialist with no opinion on anything in Brazil.....
Of all the Canadian politicians the ones I like the most happen to be the seperatist because he says what he means ( we want out ) and the bald solcialst with cancer because at least he had the guts to come to my picket line and talk to me while in town...

I may not be American but there are lot of people in my family who are and I wish no pain and ecconomic/politial suffering to them or you. Much rather see everyone back to work and doing their thing.

 

[Oldschool]

. I was surprised to see a clip about Nissan now being made in India in a super clean factory and they were talking about how the Japanese and Indian population work so well together.
Steve

Load of Rubbish.
The Japs are the bosses and the Indians the workers same modle in every country. The Japanese think they are better managers period ( that explains a lot of the strikes you hear about at Honda in China )

Second Nissna is so well run they nearly went the way of GM had Fiat not stepped in and now the boss of Nissan is Italian.

Toyota has a plant in India too and as per Indian law they have a local partner Korilskar. BAD idea KOEL ( the engine div ) has screwed every partner they ever had from Petters in the 40s that east german truck maker in the 60s, Duetz in the 80s, Briggs and Stratton in the 90s. Everything the do they together KOEL will clone and undercut them in the end. The Indians have a funny way of doing buisness. Most big outfits like Korilskar, Essar, Tata are family owned and will loose millions in one div for years if they must to drive their competions or foregn partners out of the home market in the end.

I worked for one of those companies and had buisness dealings with another....

 

[Oldsalt]

Oldsalt you have to pay taxes or cut spending as deaply. If you don't you go into debt.

I can comment on any politicians I like. The French Fascist leader, the dumpy German in the bad dresses. The wet behind the ears limy liberal who went from 3rd party to PM in one loony election night and my personal favourite the working class Socialist with no opinion on anything in Brazil.....
Of all the Canadian politicians the ones I like the most happen to be the seperatist because he says what he means ( we want out ) and the bald solcialst with cancer because at least he had the guts to come to my picket line and talk to me while in town...

I may not be American but there are lot of people in my family who are and I wish no pain and ecconomic/politial suffering to them or you. Much rather see everyone back to work and doing their thing.

Yes, you can comment on any foreign politician you like. But you can't do that and not, occationally, step on other's toes. You see, we here in the U.S. understand English...to a large extent.

You're dead right....cut spending or the result is unmanageable debt. So why, if that is a closely held belief of yours [along with also cutting taxes], do you feel that only socialest/liberal, left wing U.S. presidents [i.e. Carter/Obama] are to be praised and the consevative right wing presidents [i.e. Regan/Bush] are to be made fun of??? It always has been as always will be the limp wrested left, 'rob from the rich give to the poor' do-gooders, that have brought us to this type of crisis by spending huge amounts on social programs and printing worthless money to pay for it. Then when the resulting inflation hits raise taxes dramatically to pay for the socialist give-a-ways. Taxes are the main job and growth killer. The trickle-up ecconomic theory has NEVER worked.