Warning advisory: OT musing that breaks rcw rules of conduct.

You didn't notice or care that his argument was from "corporate greed" not supply and demand? Or do you think that any corporation could even think of opening a mine, power plant, reactor or foundry in this country given the current environmental religion? If so, they had best have capital and time for endless litigation. How they would get their money back, given foreign competition, is beyond me.

The only question more popular in this ng than "is this any good" is "is there anything cheaper?". We are the enemy.

Hi George, Thanks for your response. No big argument here, altho I do believe that part of the enemy is "corporate greed". Most of our larger corporations seem to have excessive capital for rewarding themselves. Enemy or not, the foreign competition is us, but for how long?

I hope I'm a better woodturner than economist. Thanks for the Pogo and Albert reminder. I got out some of Walt's and Lewis Grizzard's commentaries on the human condition and the grins calmed me down. :)

Turn to Safety, Arch Fortiter

Maybe it depends on your definition of "greed"?

Sort of like defining LOVE.. ask 10 people and you'll get 10 different definitions..

If greedy is materialistic and money hungry, then IMO that's a good thing and makes business work..

Now, if someone said immoral greed, that's a bad thing..

mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

Here is my 2 cents worth.....

Nissan or Chevrolet, Ford or Honda........ Price, quality, and giving me what I want for the money I spend is what drives me to purchase something. I am told upfront, in most situations, where the product come from (or I could find the answer if I really wanted to know). I personally rarely consider where the product is from. I tend to look at the quality the product displays, all the trinkets and gadgets that will work with the product, and how much it is going to cost me in the end. Am I wrong for being this way? Could be. Am I insensitive to the American worker who lost his job to corporate outsourcing? Perhaps I am. Can anyone declare with utmost certainty that American made products are superior to foreign made products? There are valid arguments for both sides.

I CHOOSE to participate and read rcw because of the freedom I feel to share information and ideas. Prior to purchasing a large item, or even a small item, I want others opinions and thoughts on the matter. Whether I or anyone else agrees with the other person's feedback is irrelevant. What is relevant is the sharing of ideas. Through open discussions such as those that take place here on rcw, ideas and theories grow and emerge from all the ideas we share with one another. I don't always agree with what others on here say. Sometimes I voice that opinion, other times I don't. Most of the time I don't because I don't have the knowledge to speak with honesty on the matter being discussed.

Is it wrong to disagree? Is it wrong to point out that you disagree? No to both questions. I can't improve personally unless I am able to see both sides ( or all sides) of the situation. I don't enjoy speaking with individuals who constantly agree with what I am saying ( I get enough of that from college students who are afraid to think for themselves). I enjoy a good argument. I enjoy it when someone disagrees with what I say. Why? because I know that when the discussion is over, I'm going to be better because of the disagreement.

OK, off my soap box.

JD

with respect to "dependence on imports" - nothing new, but we have exported a lot of manufacturing because we look down on those who use their hands to make things - I can hope this changes. In the interim, the rising price of energy offers a glimmer of hope - we will again find that it's too expensive to ship some stuff and hence will create it locally (or more locally).

Some of them clearly are superior, when you look beyond the functionality. Contaminated pet food, contaminated seafood, and toys painted using lead based paints are just a few examples. Many other nations have virtually no regulatory agencies or have them but they are not up to the task.

Personally I read the country of origin labels these days and I pass on Anything made in China as they seem to be the worst of the lot.

The current 'Atlantic' magazine has a good summary of this issue with respect to the US and China. China owns $1.4 TRILLION of our national debt. And our standard of living is subsidized by the Chines people. At present the US consumes at least as much as it produces and China consumes 50% or less of what it produces. The result is a nation of poor supporting a nation of the comparatively rich.