Bear in mind that history repeats itself. The Unites States started as a rural, agricultural nation. As time went on industry developed and working conditions were horrible. I have seen photos of children tending the looms in the Lowell and Lawrence MA textile factories, where they worked 10 hours a day 6 days per week, for literally pennies each day. As time went on and working conditions and wages both improved, the price of the product also went up. Eventually it was cheaper for the textile (and shoe) industries to move South. There is virtually no manufacturing industry in Massachusetts today. In New England the only significant "heavy" industry is military ship building. Most of the Nuclear subs are made in Groton CT, and lots of Destroyers are built at the Bath Iron Works in (where else?) Bath, Maine. There is still a little firearms manufacturing in Central Massachusetts, and Pratt & Whitney builds some turbine engines in East Hartford CT, but because of the skill levels necessary to manufacture such high-precision products, there would be no significant cost reduction if they moved elsewhere.
Again, I can't say "like", but IMHO US Gunowners are not people who would typically prefer foreign products. As to turbine engines, as far as I know, Pratt & Whitney's competition is GE and Rolls-Royce. Most Boeing aircraft that go to European purchasers have Rolls Royce engines, domestics usually specify P & W or GE. Pratt & Whitney has a Canadian division - Pratt & Whitney of Canada (duh) that makes smaller turbines for light turboprops and corporate jets.
Remington is moving to Georgia… “The decision to locate in Georgia is very simple, the state of Georgia is not only a business-friendly state, it’s a firearms-friendly state,” they said. https://www.oleantimesherald.com/ne...cle_1592c0f2-921d-11ee-a55b-1f63db0269fe.html Patrick
John, I have to give you a praise, you certainly know your aircraft. What i'am getting at, except overseas, is how many U.S. companies are having their products manufactured overseas, including Buick. I miss the days when American manufacturing ruled. Vet
A LOT of people say they prefer a US made product, until two things happen: first, the foreign made product is cheaper by a big margin and next, the US made product goes UP due to less economy of scale. If Levi jeans were still made here, they’d likely cost $75 a pair (for the basic prewash-not the fancy washes) just due to inflation (roughly three times what they were in the 80s). The few companies that still sell US made jeans are charging even more because they’re selling a lot fewer pairs. Patrick
Patrick, you know all rednecks love their guns. LoL My brother-in-law lives their and also loves his dirt bike racing.
Probably true, but EPA and OSHA rules and regulations combined with higher wages and taxes cause prices to rise. I bought a brand-new 1970 Dodge pickup with a 318 V8, heater and chrome grille (yup, the chrome grille was an option) and nothing else except a heater for $1,795. I added a step and tow rear bumper and an AM radio that I bought over the same dealer's parts counter. Doing it that way I saved about 50% on each. Price a new Dodge pickup with as close to that equipment now. Yes I am aware of airbags, emissions, crashworthiness engineering, AC, etc, but a pretty much base new Dodge single cab pickup with an 8-foot bed is North of $30 grand. Since foreign cars and trucks have to meet the same US safety and Emission standards, you won't save much by going foreign. Items like Levis are likely made in factories paying less then US wages, and likely under less emission and waste disposal standards. I commented a while back that I was in a city that had cast-Iron sewer covers that said "made in India" on them. Can you imagine what it would cost to ship a bunch of cast Iron sewer covers from India to the Eastern USA? The actual purchase price of those covers must have been next to nothing.
But you need to ask "Why did they move their manufacturing to China? It doesn't take a rocket scientist to come up with the answer. There are very few exceptions to the phrase "If you pay less, you will get less."
There are an infinite number of variables... but ultimately it comes down to greed. Greed is good, excessive greed not so much. Greed helps people invent things, make them better, move the world forward. Excessive greed just lines pockets at the expense of others. Our corporate procurement department liked to say, "Just as you would in your private life, you would compare prices at different stores for a new TV." The problem is the process, despite what they'll tell you, takes out all variables beyond the price. Since procurement department employees aren't an expert in the parts/services required in each department, their performance and therefor bonus is heavily based on money saved, not added value to the company. Value is really what should be evaluated, but that changed in the 1980's. I just looked it up - the financial sector claimed about 10% of corporate profits in 1983, and almost 30% in 2013. Cutting costs to improve stockholder value sealed the deal – sealing USA manufacturing’s fate. Bottom line is, we did this to ourselves. By allowing the financial institutions and corporate decision makers (and their lobbyists), and the government to put corporate profits above all else, where something is made is just another financial decision. As long as Americans line up at Walmart, and don’t care where something comes from when shopping on Amazon, nothing will change – and you really can’t blame the consumer. Workers make less vs corporate profits than ever before. They have to buy less expensive things. And people wonder why unions are making a comeback. An oversimplification: Do we want our oil filters and manhole covers made in the US? Easy, have your local government pass a law saying taxpayer money should only be spent on USA made products and services whenever feasible. Or do we want our local government to spend our tax money as sparingly as possible? I think most of us here value USA made things and will pay a premium for them – as long as the value – real or perceived – appeals to us. I’d rather wait for a good sale at NAPA or buy from Rock Auto (when shipping isn’t a killer), vs Amazon or Walmart, but when the same gallon of oil is $25 on Amazon, and $45 - or ever $35 on-sale at NAPA, well… Personally, the only answer to this complicated question is to evaluate the options and then do what's best for my conscience and my family in each situation. It can be exhausting.
Interesting, UPS handed off to USPS in Bowling Green, KY. Usually, they send it to Nashville, were our sorting facility is located. Maybe they figured it out. It should be here today.
Which reminds me, if anyone needs a BG address for the upcoming GS Nats for anything shipped late, I'm available to take delivery and either hold larger items or bring to the track.
Got my filter today at around 11:30 AM. Looks like a quality filter, and it is small. That will help with clearance, my other filters almost touch the lower radiator hose.
Mine showed up about then as well. Well packaged. Included a filter wrench and an extra seal. The only downside is no where to stick a magnet unless I just toss one in the bottom.
