One of the threads that runs through the novel is countries outsourcing their factory work to China, where goods can be made more inexpensively. On the one hand, it leads to unemployment in the US, but on the other, it allows US citizens to pay less for materials. Sometimes it’s also the only way for a company to compete with others in the same business. What’s your take on this trend? Do you think it can or should be reversed? Why or why not? Do companies have a choice, in your opinion?
This is very good question. Being careful with your money and extending it through smart purchasing is good but to you personally. I think the age of manufacturing is over for this country. We are now a service- country. Life is change and we have to figure out how to do that. Quick and idiotic slogans that seem to crop up in the crazy world we now are forced to live him will not cut that we have to move forward and do the best we can to build a better future.
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Outsourcing to China or another country (Vietnam, Cambodia, India - just looks at your clothes labels) is about consumerism. Are we Americans willing and able to pay for Made in USA labels? Even then look closely at those labels. Materials might be from another country but assembled in USA. I can’t foresee a time when many Americans can afford to purchase products, food, etc. made/grown here. And with a bigger restrictions on immigrants who work in factories, meat/chicken production, vegetable/fruit farms, dairy farms, and a big ETC. costs will rise and supplies become more scarce.
I don’t think the trend will be reversed because consumers want products at the cheapest price possible and often that is not possible with goods made in the US.
I agree with everyone about not being able to go back - “the dragon awakes”. Twenty-five yers ago we were in a different place. Cheaper was better for consumers. If we knew then what we know now would we all be so quick to give other countries all of our business? I don’t know, Was it inevitable? My take not this trend is that I am sorry we couldn’t figure out a way to not sell out. We are all conditioned now to buy cheap, throw away. Will the upcoming generation be more discerning when buying products?
US companies have a hard time being profitable. Wages and materials are more expensive in the US. I don’t like it but I see why they seek outsourcing to be more competitive. The quality of the products isn’t always better but the market gravitates to cheaper.
I don’t think the trend can be quickly or easily (or cheaply, for that matter) reversed. We’ve all become accustomed to cheap goods that save us money (or so it seems). If Americans were to manufacture those same goods, the price would skyrocket exponentially. And that’s assuming the infrastructure were in place to do said manufacturing.
I agree it seems impossible to to bring manufacturing jobs back to the US but I wholeheartedly am willing to pay more for products in America. I like to buy quality but I agree that the younger generations 20’s to 40’s seem to like to get a deal and are quick to throw away. There is little interest in antiques or vintage items in that age group.
Outsourcing work to China and other countries is a response to both company’s and consumer’s desires for lower costs. Unfortunately, in most cases it is more expenses to manufacture items in the United States. That said, both companies and consumers have the choice to pay more to support domestic manufacturing. I think the trend has progressed too far and will not be reversed overall. However, it may be possible to increase manufacturing of a limited number of items in the USA.
My take on this trend is that it has become so intertwined into daily life that I expect most of the goods I buy to be outsourced. I’ve noticed products say things like assembled in the USA, but the individual components are not.
I don’t necessarily think it should be reversed because it would cause devastating consequences for the workers who do depend on the income and for those purchasing the items who depend on low prices. I do wish, however, there was a middle ground with more non-outsourced items. I think the market of buyers exists of people would be willing to pay more that can afford to. The key would be finding the niche of individuals interested in these higher priced, locally sourced items, with the disposable income. Many machinery and tools needed to source locally cease to even exist in the USA. It would be an uphill venture to start.
I am very happy when I purchase something made in the USA. But it does not happen often. Most of the clothes that I buy are made elsewhere. Actually almost everything is made elsewhere. I do not see this changing.
If the future generations keep buying cheaper and throw -away items our antiques will probably be more expensive because they’ll be less of them!
In our country we have been always trying to increase markets since the end of WWII with Japan, with them selling cheap products here. So Japan was benefiting and our companies could not compete. Now we corporations maximize profits through reducing labor and cost by other countries, such as China, Vietnam, India, Mexico, and South America. Thus consumers purchase cheaper products because our products are higher. Corporations are not concerned with whether people are making a living wage. They have an alternative to take cheap labor or welfare. In many other countries the people do not have an alternative. They accept any wage (employment) they can receive. Be fore globalization, we could afford high material and labor. With globalization, we can increase purchasing power easily.
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