Buying American again.

[SAJ-99]

I asked my BIL what he will do when the best fruit & farm land in the bay area is paved? Your kids gonna eat silicone chips? He said they would figure it out. He was senior language systems designer for HP for 35 yrs.

They never figured it out and they live large in Palm Springs,eating crap from? now.

We do excell at crooks here now tho...

Not going to each silicon chips, but they will eat the fruits and vegetables picked by the robots that ran on those chips and the food farmed using a tractor guided by a satellite signal to optimize planting space and fertilizer application.

 

[SAJ-99]

I'm with you. I see no need to make everything ourselves, but we absolutely should be the leaders in tech, biz, and banking, maybe aero and auto as well.

I did see that TSC is building a large plant in AZ and our semi-conductor support system is growing rapidly, same with AI tech.

I don't see anyone pumping the Tesla's... certainly more American made than most "American Made" vehicles.

Semis are a top export for US. There is a $50b waiting to be passed to build out even more capacity. Dems have to take the blame for slow playing that. It is getting frustrating.

 

[Bambistew]

You can buy "American," but odds are the company is or will be owned by the Chinese or some foreign company at some point. They are now shopping our cheap labor over theirs. Danner is owned by a Japanese company.

What's scary is the amount of mines that are owned by the Chinese, not only in the US and Canada, but world-wide. We take for granted those raw materials, but they could just as easy stop selling to us. They own the product, the ore, and can broker the sales. Think a toilet paper shortage was bad, wait until its a metal (e.g. copper or nickel) that takes 20 years to get the permits, if you can get them. It will crush us.

Keen's "Made in the USA" is a dubious claim. The uppers are cut and sewn in Asia (Vietnam) and injected outsoles are applied in Portland.

Also- Danner never stopped building boots in the US. Yes, many are made in Asia (mostly Vietnam now), but the US Factory has never ceased or even slowed. In fact, they built a new and bigger factory about 10 years ago. Also- it's a union shop.

 

[Big Fin]

Given the challenge of buying US made, I focus more on buying from local businesses, often called "Main Street Merchants." I avoid buying at Wal-Mart, Costco, etc. I despise Amazon and got rid of the affiliate link on this website, even though it paid us $200 per month. I don't care if the prices at these places are 10% lower. I'm blessed to be at the point in my life where I shop at the local hardware store rather than HD or Lowes and it doesn't impact my hunting budget. I eat at mom and pop restaurants and avoid the national chain operations, getting better service and food. I get a morning cup at a locally owned coffee shop and avoid Starbucks, enjoying a place where they know what I want when I walk in the door.

My point above is not the same discussion as USA Made, which seems almost impossible to determine with the "Lies in Origin" labeling laws. But, those local merchants are the ones with a vested interest in my neighborhood, my town, my state. They are the ones generously donating to school events, fund raisers, community efforts. Maybe I'm concerned for them because these were the same type of people I saw at my CPA firm and I got to see how hard the small guys work to compete with the big companies.

Anyhow, if you are in Bozeman, the Daily Coffee Bar has the best scones on the planet and Gabe makes one hell of a good coffee. If you want real food, go to Storm Castle or Western Cafe. Same for Kim and her bakery and bistro in West Yellowstone, affectionately called Mountain Mamas. No charge for the advice about those establishments (and it's worth a lot more than what you paid for it). They'll all appreciate your business.

 

[Nick87]

, I focus more on buying from local businesses, often called "Main Street Merchants."

This, whenever possible.

 

[MarvB]

Ditto here in the bowels of Oregon

 

[MTLabrador]

I like buying American made when I can, but I don’t sweat it either. I like that my pack is made in Bozeman, but I don’t have any problems that my boots came from Italy and my binos came from Austria.

I do think it’s funny that my Browning shotgun was made in Japan but my Beretta was made in the US. My Toyota pickup was made in the US and the last Chevy I drove was made in Mexico. Up is down and down is up. I do agree that Storm Castle is a great place to eat.

 

[peterk1234]

Admittedly it is a hard thing to do but I am trying my best to buy only American. Just last week I started getting serious about a pair of cowboy boots. There was no way I was buying one from China, Thailand or anywhere else that was not US soil. I found a custom shoemaker where I live. Going to cost a damn fortune but I know I am getting something to last me the rest of my life. Hunting boots recently taught me to treat my feet right. Same goes for a lot of my clothing. Trying to buy American. As long as the quality is top notch, I am all in. Ya it costs more. You just need to buy less stuff. I mean how many pairs of pants do you really need? Answer: two. Because at some point one of them will be in the wash.

This country would change quite a bit if everyone would embrace "buy American".

 

[hank4elk]

Not going to each silicon chips, but they will eat the fruits and vegetables picked by the robots that ran on those chips and the food farmed using a tractor guided by a satellite signal to optimize planting space and fertilizer application.

True.I was using the same science years ago. Not new news. And you screwed the pooch on our best growing lands bubba...conservation.
So say you get what, 100k modern engrs now? 200K? There was a half a million eng. & draftmen in this country working when I graduated from HS. Hell a valadictorian today could not pass a GED in my HS that year. There are a few exceptions ,but not many. Folks that did not need a machine to do their thinking either.
What do millions of Americans do to make a decent living these days? The working masses? Serve the few?


Glad you have it all figured out in an algae rythymn bubba.

 

[Elkmagnet]

They were made here,chips,just a few years ago they shut the Rio Rancho plant down.Profits still soar...for what? Who?

You can have your world economy,capitalism sh!t . Efficiency? LOL!!!! Maybe your panties are made better? Quality? LOL



I will gladly support US merino wool & jeans,cotton manufacturers.
Am a proud owner of a Marsupial bino harness now,made in AZ.

Us wool is anti bighorn...

 

[Elkmagnet]

I would really like to try these

Grande Ronde Series: White's Boots, Inc.

 

[SAJ-99]

Take a long look at this chart. This is the visual of the death of the middle class. Big Fin pointed out some of us are at a point where we don't mind paying more to be local. Ask at what point on this chart an American buy a $100 pair of jeans?

 

[hank4elk]

I know I'm screwed in this conversation. Self taught...LOL.
My generation fought a few wars against the commies and now the modern world does business them and gets their slave labor & the world is cool with it.
I guess I was too busy trying to keep America Beautiful to notice the change at 1st.

I'm amazon free now too. Only buy local or from the company direct anymore.US company. It is very limiting these days.

 

[SAJ-99]

True.I was using the same science years ago. Not new news. And you screwed the pooch on our best growing lands bubba...conservation.
So say you get what, 100k modern engrs now? 200K? There was a half a million eng. & draftmen in this country working when I graduated from HS. Hell a valadictorian today could not pass a GED in my HS that year. There are a few exceptions ,but not many. Folks that did not need a machine to do their thinking either.
What do millions of Americans do to make a decent living these days? The working masses? Serve the few?


Glad you have it all figured out in an algae rythymn bubba.

No answers here, for sure. I understand the problems you see and see the same thing. Your "buy American" is over simplified but well intended. Every country should figure out what it does best (cheapest). I would like America to lead the World forward.

 

[hank4elk]

Us wool is anti bighorn...

Some. I grew wool sheep,never near any BH. That's just cheap feed being used by a business poorly. I'm sure NZ & Arg are no different.

 

[Caseknife]

I would really like to try these

Grande Ronde Series: White's Boots, Inc.

Not quite American made, Europe, but a good company none the less.

 

[Elkmagnet]

Some. I grew wool sheep,never near any BH. That's just cheap feed being used by a business poorly. I'm sure NZ & Arg are no different.

A.s.i.a. and numerous other associations throwing their collective weight around has been a disaster for scientific based recovery of bighorn.

 

[Elkmagnet]

Not quite American made, Europe, but a good company none the less.

Good catch! This just show how hard it can be to buy American. I would have bought them thinking I would have gotten a hand made American product similar to the whites loggers I wore for 10 years.

 

[hank4elk]

A.s.i.a. and numerous other associations throwing their collective weight around has been a disaster for scientific based recovery of bighorn.

I have fought most of my life to ban livestock from our wildlife habitats that are sensitive. Meadows,High mountains ,trout streams. Testified a few times too.Cost me friends. Screw em.They are eating my deer & elk feed,muddying streams and meadows and they're not conservatives.

 

[Caseknife]

Good catch! This just show how hard it can be to buy American. I would have bought them thinking I would have gotten a hand made American product similar to the whites loggers I wore for 10 years.


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Had to go to White's site to check them out. They don't look like White's normal made in Spokane boot, more like the European boots, and they are.