WTF is wrong with this country?

[Rajoo]

Originally Posted by Ike Bana

The offshoring has nothing to do with politicians, and everything to do with American slash and burn capitalism. And if there's anybody to blame, it's the American consumer who doesn't want to pay for what anything is worth. The corporate execs know it, and that if they want the business, their shit, or a bunch of the parts that are in their shit, is going to have to come from China, or Bangladesh, or Vietnam, or Mexico. Or the other guy who went offshore is going to get the business.

Agreed Ike. A handful of years back recall reading an article lamenting that US made small home appliances like a toaster or a microwave is no longer available or too expensive for the average consumer.

Looked up just now, an American made toaster will cost you over $300.00

Off-shoring began with Nixon and his romance with China and has continued unabated. Blaming the government is nonsense, blame the consumers. Walmart, Amazon and eBay are the three of the biggest purveyors of Chinese made crap. Couple of weeks ago, ordered two rolls of 1" polyester tape from Zon and they came actually directly from China, I am sure subsidized by USPS. They are not even bothering to hide it anymore.

[Ike Bana]

Originally Posted by Dondilion

...Obama giving the government to Goldman Sachs.

We've already discussed your shitwit obsession with Bill Clinton in detail...let's talk about this bullshit. Easy on/easy off alt-right propaganda. This putz is talking about the 2008 investment banking meltdown and since he's a MAGA pillock, we get a whittling down of the causes and the fallout from the 2008 meltdown to Obama did it.

Want to have a discussion on the causes, the interventions, and the outcomes of the 2008 meltdown D? Get your ass on here and post something that isn't alt-right 10 words or less propaganda racist witchdoctor Obama lying bullshit.

[donquixote99]

Originally Posted by Rajoo

Looked up just now, an American made toaster will cost you over $300.00

Does it have a bagel function (toast one side only) that actually works? Might be worth it.

[RickeyM]

Originally Posted by Dondilion

... and Obama giving the government to Goldman Sachs.

Obama gave Congress to Goldman Sachs?!?

[Rajoo]

^^And Trump tried to give the US Capitol to the MAGAts.

[Rajoo]

Originally Posted by donquixote99

Does it have a bagel function (toast one side only) that actually works? Might be worth it.

This one does by Wolf, made in Wisconsin. Tosats one side, warms the other side. ~$380.00

https://wolfgourmet.com/store/counte...g___&utm_term=

[Ike Bana]

Originally Posted by Rajoo

Looked up just now, an American made toaster will cost you over $300.00

We started buying Japanese and European cars back in the 1970's. Exclusively until back in 1997 or so we bought a low mileage '95 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited. Consumer reports gave that model year a good rating. The fucking thing was in the dealer's shop 18 times in 18 months. They replaced the frong ball joints, it on had like 30,000 miles on it. And 2000 miles later they needed replacement again. Never again, we got a '99 Lexus RX300 SUV and never looked back. What a great car. And I remember Lee Iaccoca being on NPR one time a few years before he died and he said "Well, back in the 70's, 80's and 90's the American auto industry just wasn't making very good cars." Thanks for letting us know now, Lee.

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by Ike Bana

We started buying Japanese and European cars back in the 1970's. Exclusively until back in 1997 or so we bought a low mileage '95 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited. Consumer reports gave that model year a good rating. The fucking thing was in the dealer's shop 18 times in 18 months. They replaced the frong ball joints, it on had like 30,000 miles on it. And 2000 miles later they needed replacement again. Never again, we got a '99 Lexus RX300 SUV and never looked back. What a great car. And I remember Lee Iaccoca being on NPR one time a few years before he died and he said "Well, back in the 70's, 80's and 90's the American auto industry just wasn't making very good cars." Thanks for letting us know now, Lee.

Lots of truth there. Back in the days of young kids, we bought a 1995 Ford Windstar, a highly-rated minivan at the time. What an absolute piece of shit. The engine blew at 60k due a faulty head design. They replaced it with a "factory rebuild" under a goodwill warranty due to widespread problems. That engine lasted from suburban Maryland down to the North Carolina line on Spring break (~200 miles). We had that engine replaced again with a "factory rebuild" under the same warranty program in Roanoke Rapids, NC and continued on our vacation in a rental minivan. We picked it up on the way back north and the engine blew again by the time we hit the DC beltway. No shit. That car had 3 engines (original and 2 factory replacements in it within 400 miles of driving).

We traded it in for a song and bought a Toyota Sienna which ended up being absolutely bulletproof - only consumables (fluids, filters, tires and brakes) over 225k miles at which time we traded it for a Mazda CX-5 (I already had a Mazda 6). Since then it has been all Toyota and Mazda for us and our kids and none of us have had any car repair bills whatsoever (other than consumables).

[RickeyM]

American manufacturers could have built better cars, they choose not to for bottom line reasons. That's why the imports were cleaning their clocks. The imports didn't have any edge on any secret technology they just gave the public a better product.

[donquixote99]

Originally Posted by Rajoo

This one does by Wolf, made in Wisconsin. Tosats one side, warms the other side. ~$380.00

https://wolfgourmet.com/store/counte...g___&utm_term=

Looks great but I guess toasted bagels aren't really that big a part of my life....