Made in China, Broken in America

[Neo Pikachu]

This is something that's frustrated me for quite some time...

First point being, I've worked with both Chinese tools (or at least what I call something that's been made in China and shipped over here), and American tools. Even something that you wouldn't think would make a difference, like screws and nails, draws a line between working well, and breaking apart and being frustrating. American nails and screws were made to endure, made to be able to screw in and screw out again and again, and stay solid enough to be able to be taken out, and put back in. As for nails and screws made in China, the heads rip right off only after a single use, and the only way to get it out is through pliers, or giving up, and just hammering the scrap metal in, and hoping it doesn't haunt you later on.

And this is the way things are beyond everything else. Pick up anything, and there's a 99% chance there's a "Made in China" label, imprint, or message on the back or bottom of it. If there's anything that pisses me off, its this. The fact we're submerged into a world where we're supposed to accept cheapness that's made to be broken so it has to be brought again and again, rather than being built to last and being built to perform well. Its wasteful, its expensive, and its nothing less than degenerative.

Case in point, cheaper does NOT equal better. I'd rather pay 30% more for a product that was made well here in the states, made by a company that employed American workers, and proved that America can make a decent product of strong integrity and reliability that was built to last and built to perform well. However, products like these are very rare. You would literally need to go on a hunt in any retail outlet to find a product of this nature.

I'm interested to know what your thoughts are on this.

[Red Globe]

You know how you always see Nike shoes made in Taiwan?

If they cost eighty bucks, then the kids who made them (yes, kids) got payed eighty cents.

What do you want for eighty cents?

Same situation in China. Also, Chinese factories = American corporations which like to save on the little things. So the product, of course, endures less, but they spend somewhat little less money on each product and as such gain massive amounts of money.

[FreezeWarp]

Well, America historically, and still today, has major issues with how China works. They refuse human rights, and censor a wide variety of content. However, because of how much cheaper things can be made in China than in the U.S., corporations would take a major hit if we blocked trade with them.

Essentially, as Red Globe said, is that labor is cheaper in China, even though it invades human rights, and the material is weaker. This leads to a lower cost, but also something that lasts nearly as long.

So, if you want something made in America, then your best bet are family-owned companies in specific states. I've heard of a few in northern Minnesota, but in the metro there isn't really anything like that. In Wisconsin there are also a lot of places up in the northern, many of which I go to when on vacation there, which do build products nearby, sometimes in factories 10 miles away, sometimes 100 miles away, which are in fact made a lot better.

Hm... I should note that my computer appears to be made in Japan, and it is working amazingly well even after several 3-foot falls. However, that may be more because of the hard drive (Hitachi is the company that makes it, I'm not sure where the produce it, though).

[The Most Awesome Jared]

Japan is not China.


China is communist, which means everyone has a fair opportunity in work, making someone completely unskilled have a position needing skills (Sounds like the US government :P).


Japan is Democratic (I think), which means employers can hire whoever they want, most of the time a skilled person.


This causes China having worse products than Japan.


But nothing beats a European good, though. They're, like, the best of the best.

[FreezeWarp]

Japan is not China.

Actually I meant China, but Japan was on my mind because of the Hitachi hard-drive. The actual frame, which was made in China, is okay, but, well, plastic.


Japan is Democratic (I think), which means employers can hire whoever they want, most of the time a skilled person.

Japan is Democratic, yes. Its actually a very impressive country.


But nothing beats a European good, though. They're, like, the best of the best.

I'm not sure how they compare to the U.S. and Japan, honestly.