Politics These tariffs are the biggest pain in my ass

[julius]

They will resolve it soon imo.

He'll eventually compromise with China, we'll come off much worse than China and he'll claim victory.

 

[Lanny]

They will resolve it soon imo.

One can always hope but I'm not confident that it will happen any time soon.

 

[stampedehero]

While true, Japan did not invade China untill 1945. The trade war started in 1930. At one point, world wide trade declined by 66%.

Not defending Japan's horrible actions. But we pushed them into a corner with only two options. Submit to our demands. Or invade countries that had the natural resources their island nation lacked, and needed to survive.

You can only push other countries around for so long, and they start to fight back.

Like your prospective.
The Japanese murder campaign in Manchuria was the deciding action in the mid 30's that put the entire European, Australian and US governments in alert. The Japanese felt that with their superior attitude and advanced war machine capabilities they could turn to Pacific domination. At this time the "Axis" believed the Americans did not have the stomach for war.
Imagine if the Nazi's did invade, conquer England and succeeded in establishing their territory further into the Atlantic. What if Hitler never created a multiple front war and did not declare war on the US three days after Pearl Harbor. If the Axis delayed creation of war for two years each power would share technology and the V1,V2, submarine and jet production along with uranium development would be turning points in history. After we dropped Little Boy and Boxcar on the Japanese mainland, the Russians took full advantage of their weakness and claimed territory Japan acquired in 1904. I am always tuned into the BBC series Battlefield on Utube. My father was on the Missouri and my uncle was a tail gunner in a B-17.

 

[Hoopguru]

I don't know whether coffee is such a great example, since it is manufactured (grown) almost entirely in other countries.

But I think your point is that people will pay a lot of money for stuff if they feel like it.

It's hard to imagine every single product being innovative. Imagine a Wal-Mart competitor called USA-Mart that sells the same range of goods, but everything is made in the US. Imagine that the prices at USA-Mart are on average twice what Wal-Mart charges for Chinese made goods. Which store do you think more people will shop at?

Don't bother answering, we already did the experiment over the past several decades. Cheap stuff won, overwhelmingly.

barfo

In some consumable market's sure, there will always be low end mass markets, but its tough for companies to make any money unless they get the volume needed which isn't always easy. This segment, brand is not as important as its price driven. American's like brand products that are differentiated, Trader Joes, New Seasons, Organics, Mac, Toyotas, Car dealers service centers versus low end repair facilities, Jiffy Lube, Amazon, etc.
Companies can make a higher profit margin in a mid to high end market, generally. Supply and demand can still dictate market pricing, look at real east in the Pacific Northwest and the cost of housing here as a % of income. Even the NBA and Major league sports is a form of high end niche marketing. Price out a Winter Hawk ticket versus an NHL ticket, its brand and innovation/marketing with a much higher cost of product that sells at a nice profit margin.
If people were strictly interested in the lowest cost hey would move to Mississippi or Arkansas where the dollar goes a lot further compared to the NW.
Look at liquor and beer anymore, its got to be brand/quality...a smaller segment drinks Hamms & Potters. But it sure is cheap and Ill even drink some of it.
Now days people pay pooku bucks for elite brand waters too.
I remember growing up in North Portland and later Sellwood and the cost of housing was decent and affordable because of older neighborhoods, now they sell for more than new track homes in the burbs. Brand and Marketing at its best.

 

[mook]

We make a line of recipe boxes in the US. They literally cost us 600% more to manufacture than our Chinese recipe boxes.

So of course we charge a lot more for them, and for every one we sell we move about 40 of the Chinese ones.

We do engraving in the US and we wrote and manufactured our own cookbook software in the US. I'm totally fine with doing stuff domestically.

But I have to go with what the market wants. My job is to keep my employees employed and a roof over my head. I don't have the luxury of dictating to my customers what they should buy.

 

[julius]

We make a line of recipe boxes in the US. They literally cost us 600% more to manufacture than our Chinese recipe boxes.

So of course we charge a lot more for them, and for every one we sell we move about 40 of the Chinese ones.

We do engraving in the US and we wrote and manufactured our own cookbook software in the US. I'm totally fine with doing stuff domestically.

But I have to go with what the market wants. My job is to keep my employees employed and a roof over my head. I don't have the luxury of dictating to my customers what they should buy.

Why do you hate:

A: America
B: Children
C: Clean Air
D: The President of the United States
E: La Pine, Oregon
F: America


You Ex-Pat, Anti-American hooligan, who does Ex-Pat, Anti-American hooliganary things!

[/green font]

 

[Hoopguru]

Then amazon came along and said we’ll give you cheap prices, convenience and quality and won.

Americans like creature comforts and a huge segment will pay for the fluff. As I pay $10 freaking dollars for a Killer Burger. Never again.

 

[MARIS61]

The reasons it’s more expensive to manufacture in America than China are we don’t use slave labor, we have massive taxes on business, we have a massive array of environmental, legal and safety rules. All these costs were created by the people and policies that Americans voted for. Joining China in profiting from slavery, pollution and intellectual theft is absolutely anti-American on every level. Also hypocritical if you vote for taxes, rules and restrictions on American businesses while using China to avoid them. Also if you move to Europe to get around paying taxes to America.

American Buyers can only buy from what is available for purchase, prefer quality over disposability, and if given a choice would like to end slavery rather than be forced to support it.

 

[riverman]

The reasons it’s more expensive to manufacture in America than China are we don’t use slave labor,

The cost of living in Asia is a major factor in their economy.....inflating the cost of housing for insane profits is keeping most American factory workers unable to purchase a home...grandparents provide free child care for both working parents in asia…often sharing the same homes...here, you pay for child care to go to work ...you're in real estate...you should understand these things...people there also work 6 day work weeks ….and these are not slaves....I have lived and worked over there...lot of good people with sensible work ethics. There are sweat shops all over the world....including here that abuse the working class ...duh. Sensationalize all you want but I'd suggest you stop using the adjective "slave" for people you don't know and have no contact with....I would hope when you visited Costa Rica you didn't treat the service industry workers as "slaves" and that you'd tip them well.

 

[MarAzul]

https://www.statista.com/statistics/744071/manufacturing-labor-costs-per-hour-china-vietnam-mexico/

 

[riverman]

I'd also point out that most factories in China, Japan, Taiwan and Korea outsource for labor from the Phillipines, Indonesia and Malaysia....non Chinese factory workers....and they are taken advantage of and paid less than nationals....international corporations have been taking advantage of over populated areas where it's tough to make a living and get ahead to begin with. My brother in law has a textile business in Taiwan....he hires every family member or in law he can …..pays them well...in Chinese culture family is the business, bank, and insurance company.They have a motto....family, food, money. Politics don't float their boat in most cases. Take away the food, family and money and you'll have a problem

 

[MARIS61]

The cost of living in Asia is a major factor in their economy.....inflating the cost of housing for insane profits is keeping most American factory workers unable to purchase a home...grandparents provide free child care for both working parents in asia…often sharing the same homes...here, you pay for child care to go to work ...you're in real estate...you should understand these things...people there also work 6 day work weeks ….and these are not slaves....I have lived and worked over there...lot of good people with sensible work ethics. There are sweat shops all over the world....including here that abuse the working class ...duh. Sensationalize all you want but I'd suggest you stop using the adjective "slave" for people you don't know and have no contact with....I would hope when you visited Costa Rica you didn't treat the service industry workers as "slaves" and that you'd tip them well.

Total wad of BS you rattled off there.

Cost of housing reflects the quality of the housing, the infrastructure, and the quality of the location, no matter what part of the world you're in. Quality of the country reflects the quality of the culture. Home prices in America have recovered to about where they were in 2004, before the boom and bust. With an historic 6+% average increase in value in Oregon over the last 100 years, that means homes are still drastically underpriced as an investment today.

Shithole countries literally have shithole housing. China, like Costa Rica, has no sanitation systems. Their entire populations dump their shit in the rivers, lakes, and back yards. All day every day.

Costa Rica has no actual law enforcement, very little freedom (they are very much slaves due to their own sheeplike apathy and lack of motivation), and rampant violent crime. Their citizens live in corrugated metal shacks devoid of plumbing and/or heating/cooling. If they are wealthy enough to own some property with a well, the government forbids them from running water except between 7-9am and 5-8pm. The government is capitalizing on illegal aliens from Nicaragua, actually passing a law that they can be paid far below the minimum wage there. They do not deport them because CR has no military and only a few local police for enforcement of any laws. Costa Ricans are at the mercy of the failed socialist/drug cartel countries surrounding them, and will need either China or the US to provide military to save them soon.

China has no actual freedom and forces over 3 million slaves to work 100+ hours a week for a cell and some gruel. Most Asian countries are similar in lack of freedom and lack of quality in every conceivable way. Nobody wants to live there.

Grandparents provide free child care for both working parents in America, also for both non-working parents, often actually raising the children as the parents die from drug abuse or become career criminals. Often providing food and shelter for the entire extended family during the dire Obama years.

There is not one single American worker, factory worker or otherwise, that is unable to purchase a home in today's active market with historically low interest rates. It is less expensive than renting, and loans are available with as little as zero down. It is no more difficult than buying a car. It remains the #1 pathway to self-sufficiency in America, being the most stable and ultimately profitable investment an American can make. If you have a fulltime job, you can own your own home on your own land.

I know very few people who pay other people to care for their children so they can go to work rather than raise them themselves. It's an anomaly in rural America. We raise the children we have or we don't have children. It's called personal responsibility. The children who are raised by businesses rather than by their parents most often end up in prison or on the street, or just never know love.

Many American workers work 6-7 days a week, work 2 jobs, work overtime, work untold hours on salary...we do what it takes to have a better life than less-motivated people in shithole countries.

 

[riverman]

Total wad of BS you rattled off there.

TRIGGERED!!!! Back at ya.....you can keep spewing your false sense of superiority over other cultures and lifestyles at your own loss....and greed is the game you're propping up, not sensible culture

 

[riverman]

There is not one single American worker, factory worker or otherwise, that is unable to purchase a home in today's active market

There are many....but you aren't looking for those folks.

 

[riverman]

Nobody wants to live there.

talk about a wad of bs.....

 

[barfo]

Most Americans eat corn flakes 3 times a day, and have known their podiatrist since childhood! Many Americans have an extra toe that they are completely unaware of! Most Americans do not believe black rabbits exist!

Tune in again tomorrow for more random made up nonsense about Real Americans!

-Maris61

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

Total wad of BS you rattled off there.

Cost of housing reflects the quality of the housing, the infrastructure, and the quality of the location, no matter what part of the world you're in. Quality of the country reflects the quality of the culture. Home prices in America have recovered to about where they were in 2004, before the boom and bust. With an historic 6+% average increase in value in Oregon over the last 100 years, that means homes are still drastically underpriced as an investment today.

Shithole countries literally have shithole housing. China, like Costa Rica, has no sanitation systems. Their entire populations dump their shit in the rivers, lakes, and back yards. All day every day.

Costa Rica has no actual law enforcement, very little freedom (they are very much slaves do to their own sheeplike apathy and lack of motivation), and rampant violent crime. Their citizens live in corrugated metal shacks devoid of plumbing and/or heating/cooling. If they are wealthy enough to own some property with a well, the government forbids them from running water except between 7-9am and 5-8pm. The government is capitalizing on illegal aliens from Nicaragua, actually passing a law that they can be paid far below the minimum wage there. They do not deport them because CR has no military and only a few local police for enforcement of any laws. Costa Ricans are at the mercy of the failed socialist/drug cartel countries surrounding them, and will need either China or the US to provide military to save them soon.

China has no actual freedom and forces over 3 million slaves to work 100+ hours a week for a cell and some gruel. Most Asian countries are similar in lack of freedom and lack of quality in every conceivable way. Nobody wants to live there.

Grandparents provide free child care for both working parents in America, also for both non-working parents, often actually raising the children as the parents die from drug abuse or become career criminals. Often providing food and shelter for the entire extended family during the dire Obama years.

There is not one single American worker, factory worker or otherwise, that is unable to purchase a home in today's active market with historically low interest rates. It is less expensive than renting, and loans are available with as little as zero down. It is no more difficult than buying a car. It remains the #1 pathway to self-sufficiency in America, being the most stable and ultimately profitable investment an American can make. If you have a fulltime job, you can own your own home on your own land.

I know very few people who pay other people to care for their children so they can go to work rather than raise them themselves. It's an anomaly in rural America. We raise the children we have or we don't have children. It's called personal responsibility. The children who are raised by businesses rather than by their parents most often end up in prison or on the street, or just never know love.

Many American workers work 6-7 days a week, work 2 jobs, work overtime, work untold hours on salary...we do what it takes to have a better life than less-motivated people in shithole countries.

I find it completely morally irresponsible, racist, derogatory, and repugnant to speak about other countries, and other cultures the way you do. I'm sorry but that is WORSE to me than insulting someone personally. It's ego, its greed, its undeserved self-appreciation when US Citizens talk about other countries that way. Yes, many people have it good in the US, but the US isn't without problems. Just like every other country in the world, has it's bad and good.

You're literally spewing hate towards entire countries, it's people, their cultures, what their values are, and that is in my book the absolute core of what is wrong with humanity.

 

[riverman]

I find it completely morally irresponsible, racist, derogatory, and repugnant to speak about other countries, and other cultures the way you do. I'm sorry but that is WORSE to me than insulting someone personally. It's ego, its greed, its undeserved self-appreciation when US Citizens talk about other countries that way. Yes, many people have it good in the US, but the US isn't without problems. Just like every other country in the world, has it's bad and good.

You're literally spewing hate towards entire countries, it's people, their cultures, what their values are, and that is in my book the absolute core of what is wrong with humanity.

thank you....

 

[H.C.]

There is not one single American worker, factory worker or otherwise, that is unable to purchase a home in today's active market with historically low interest rates. It is less expensive than renting, and loans are available with as little as zero down. It is no more difficult than buying a car. It remains the #1 pathway to self-sufficiency in America, being the most stable and ultimately profitable investment an American can make. If you have a fulltime job, you can own your own home on your own land.

Total wad of BS you rattled off there.
But you're a meme account and don't actually believe anything you put on this website.
So it's w/e.

 

[oldfisherman]

Total wad of BS you rattled off there.

Cost of housing reflects the quality of the housing, the infrastructure, and the quality of the location, no matter what part of the world you're in. Quality of the country reflects the quality of the culture. Home prices in America have recovered to about where they were in 2004, before the boom and bust. With an historic 6+% average increase in value in Oregon over the last 100 years, that means homes are still drastically underpriced as an investment today.

Shithole countries literally have shithole housing. China, like Costa Rica, has no sanitation systems. Their entire populations dump their shit in the rivers, lakes, and back yards. All day every day.

Costa Rica has no actual law enforcement, very little freedom (they are very much slaves do to their own sheeplike apathy and lack of motivation), and rampant violent crime. Their citizens live in corrugated metal shacks devoid of plumbing and/or heating/cooling. If they are wealthy enough to own some property with a well, the government forbids them from running water except between 7-9am and 5-8pm. The government is capitalizing on illegal aliens from Nicaragua, actually passing a law that they can be paid far below the minimum wage there. They do not deport them because CR has no military and only a few local police for enforcement of any laws. Costa Ricans are at the mercy of the failed socialist/drug cartel countries surrounding them, and will need either China or the US to provide military to save them soon.

China has no actual freedom and forces over 3 million slaves to work 100+ hours a week for a cell and some gruel. Most Asian countries are similar in lack of freedom and lack of quality in every conceivable way. Nobody wants to live there.

Grandparents provide free child care for both working parents in America, also for both non-working parents, often actually raising the children as the parents die from drug abuse or become career criminals. Often providing food and shelter for the entire extended family during the dire Obama years.

There is not one single American worker, factory worker or otherwise, that is unable to purchase a home in today's active market with historically low interest rates. It is less expensive than renting, and loans are available with as little as zero down. It is no more difficult than buying a car. It remains the #1 pathway to self-sufficiency in America, being the most stable and ultimately profitable investment an American can make. If you have a fulltime job, you can own your own home on your own land.

I know very few people who pay other people to care for their children so they can go to work rather than raise them themselves. It's an anomaly in rural America. We raise the children we have or we don't have children. It's called personal responsibility. The children who are raised by businesses rather than by their parents most often end up in prison or on the street, or just never know love.

Many American workers work 6-7 days a week, work 2 jobs, work overtime, work untold hours on salary...we do what it takes to have a better life than less-motivated people in shithole countries.

While it is refreshing to read an actual opinion from you, rather than a c+p one sided propaganda article. There is so much wrong with your view, on so many levels. I don't know where to begin. But you opinions begs the question.

Have you ever been to any of these Asia countries, and if so, how much time did you spend in the factories.

I have made multiple trips to Asian countries, visiting many factories. And have never seen any of the extreme opinions you have. They are far from shithole countries you fantasise them to be.

Are there isolated abuses taking place. Probably, just like there is in the USA.

 

[Hoopguru]

When I hear of people paying $1800-$2400 month rent, I wonder if they would consider purchasing a home. There must be a creative way to get in one even if they had to pay a higher interest rate.
Investment in real estate is a decent long term investment.

 

[riverman]

When I hear of people paying $1800-$2400 month rent, I wonder if they would consider purchasing a home. There must be a creative way to get in one even if they had to pay a higher interest rate.
Investment in real estate is a decent long term investment.

People often have major setbacks in life....lose jobs, houses burn down, divorce, automobile repairs, medical expenses out of pocket, crops fail, debt...and dependents often before they are financially independent..the have nots can never catch up to the current cost of living without pretty major life changes...there are millions of folks starting over and struggling..it's not as if everyone can just finance a home these days...I helped my son get that started and he has a good job. Without our help he'd probably still be paying rent.

 

[stampedehero]

I don't know whether coffee is such a great example, since it is manufactured (grown) almost entirely in other countries.

But I think your point is that people will pay a lot of money for stuff if they feel like it.

It's hard to imagine every single product being innovative. Imagine a Wal-Mart competitor called USA-Mart that sells the same range of goods, but everything is made in the US. Imagine that the prices at USA-Mart are on average twice what Wal-Mart charges for Chinese made goods. Which store do you think more people will shop at?

Don't bother answering, we already did the experiment over the past several decades. Cheap stuff won, overwhelmingly.

barfo

Besides lowest prices, Walmart features human oddities and entertainment value.

 

[stampedehero]

People often have major setbacks in life....lose jobs, houses burn down, divorce, automobile repairs, medical expenses out of pocket, crops fail, debt...and dependents often before they are financially independent..the have nots can never catch up to the current cost of living without pretty major life changes...there are millions of folks starting over and struggling..it's not as if everyone can just finance a home these days...I helped my son get that started and he has a good job. Without our help he'd probably still be paying rent.

We did the same thing for our son. It's our job as parents. Besides that, why risk losing his inheritance to the State? We want our son to exceed. He has gone through a lot and as his parents we are the safety net.

 

[stampedehero]

In some consumable market's sure, there will always be low end mass markets, but its tough for companies to make any money unless they get the volume needed which isn't always easy. This segment, brand is not as important as its price driven. American's like brand products that are differentiated, Trader Joes, New Seasons, Organics, Mac, Toyotas, Car dealers service centers versus low end repair facilities, Jiffy Lube, Amazon, etc.
Companies can make a higher profit margin in a mid to high end market, generally. Supply and demand can still dictate market pricing, look at real east in the Pacific Northwest and the cost of housing here as a % of income. Even the NBA and Major league sports is a form of high end niche marketing. Price out a Winter Hawk ticket versus an NHL ticket, its brand and innovation/marketing with a much higher cost of product that sells at a nice profit margin.
If people were strictly interested in the lowest cost hey would move to Mississippi or Arkansas where the dollar goes a lot further compared to the NW.
Look at liquor and beer anymore, its got to be brand/quality...a smaller segment drinks Hamms & Potters. But it sure is cheap and Ill even drink some of it.
Now days people pay pooku bucks for elite brand waters too.
I remember growing up in North Portland and later Sellwood and the cost of housing was decent and affordable because of older neighborhoods, now they sell for more than new track homes in the burbs. Brand and Marketing at its best.

It's no picnic in Jersey. Our taxes are in the stratosphere. We have a lot of in State food products which are affordable and supported by locals too.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

I know very few people who pay other people to care for their children so they can go to work rather than raise them themselves. It's an anomaly in rural America. We raise the children we have or we don't have children. It's called personal responsibility. The children who are raised by businesses rather than by their parents most often end up in prison or on the street, or just never know love.

Just wanted to call out another offensive, insulting, ridiculously defamatory and completely untrue segment of that lovely diatribe. Sad to see such hatred spewed toward the child care industry.

 

[Hoopguru]

People often have major setbacks in life....lose jobs, houses burn down, divorce, automobile repairs, medical expenses out of pocket, crops fail, debt...and dependents often before they are financially independent..the have nots can never catch up to the current cost of living without pretty major life changes...there are millions of folks starting over and struggling..it's not as if everyone can just finance a home these days...I helped my son get that started and he has a good job. Without our help he'd probably still be paying rent.

Good points...I myself had to rebuild many years back from a divorce. Instead of going out buying new stuff on credit cards and time I saved enough for an FHA loan that required less down 3% at the time.
Within a couple years I refi to get away from the mortgage insurance. If someone fas faithfully paid $1700 math rent on a lease you'd think some mortgage company would be able to creative enough. I know income/debt ratio is important so I think many of these people paying that kind of rent have also finance a car, boat, credit cards etc. so its the debt that traps them.

 

[julius]

Just wanted to call out another offensive, insulting, ridiculously defamatory and completely untrue segment of that lovely diatribe. Sad to see such hatred spewed toward the child care industry.

He's just upping the shtick, that's all. It is becoming obvious to more people here that he's just a character saying things to try to agitate people, so instead of just being a real person, he's doubling down on his act. Ignore it, it'll eventually go away.

 

[Lanny]

The reasons it’s more expensive to manufacture in America than China are we don’t use slave labor, we have massive taxes on business, we have a massive array of environmental, legal and safety rules. All these costs were created by the people and policies that Americans voted for. Joining China in profiting from slavery, pollution and intellectual theft is absolutely anti-American on every level. Also hypocritical if you vote for taxes, rules and restrictions on American businesses while using China to avoid them. Also if you move to Europe to get around paying taxes to America.

American Buyers can only buy from what is available for purchase, prefer quality over disposability, and if given a choice would like to end slavery rather than be forced to support it.

My nephew-in-law had a business in China manufacturing high end stuff with a high level of quality. They never used slave labor.

 

[Lanny]

Good points...I myself had to rebuild many years back from a divorce. Instead of going out buying new stuff on credit cards and time I saved enough for an FHA loan that required less down 3% at the time.
Within a couple years I refi to get away from the mortgage insurance. If someone fas faithfully paid $1700 math rent on a lease you'd think some mortgage company would be able to creative enough. I know income/debt ratio is important so I think many of these people paying that kind of rent have also finance a car, boat, credit cards etc. so its the debt that traps them.

When I was in college I bought a Bullova watch with a tuning fork for $100. Paid for it with my VISA. Paid a lot of interest on that VISA for the next year or so. That's the first and last time I ever took out a loan on anything except for my first house and three automobiles. I thought this is stupid paying out money that should be in my pocket.