Made in USA problem
 

I went to Country Club today to look at golf clubs. It's been 40 years since I've purchased a new set and thought I might spoil myself. I was very disappointed to see that a new set of irons cost $700 to $1000 or more but are still made in China or Mexico, or Bangladesh, etc. Why can we not make 8 golf clubs in the USA, sell them for $1000, and make a fair profit while employing Americans? My opinion is there is too much unearned income in our economy therefore goods have to be manufactured China to sustain status quo. I would very much like to see a cost and profit line on a set of $1000 irons.

Only information I found was Ping is American made. Some others are assembled in America. Just doesn't seem right, does it?

I think they call that Fair Trade.....

I call it American Job Killers.

But as long as we keep shopping at Walmart, K-Mart and the Dollar store nothing will happen.

I saw on the news a couple of nights ago that consumers would rather buy a cheaper product from overseas than a more expensive one made in America.

Makes sense.

The profit is obscene. Jobs went overseas because Americans priced themselves out of the market and EEO laws forced them to carry too much dead weight. First the jobs went away and now we're being invaded by foreigners.

As of 2015, there are more minority children registering for school than white children? There's a new baby boom coming and it's looking 3rd world. The NWO levels the playing field, we will continue our slide. We were once at the top, now, we're in the middle...and falling lower. Our standards are being lowered to 3rd world standards. Soon we all WILL be "equal". We peaked in the 50s, besides technology, we've been falling ever since.

The above is the fact of the matter scenario that the majority is either completely ignorant or completely apathetic about.
I prefer to call it for more reasons than one, "the darkening of America".
No insult intended just the plain simple fact of the matter.

The American lifestyle we all grew up with and love is in it's last years.
The generations coming after us will never ever see or feel the greatness that once was the real America.

We the people have allowed and continue to allow politicians who are out of control to do this to America.
And it has most likely progressed to a point where it cannot be reversed.

So all we can hope for is the rule of the haves will continue to be able to rule the have nots....like the terminology or not.

Yup, O hastened our destruction. Equality, diversity, all they really mean is dilution.

The politicians (through gay blackmail) allowed gays to pretty much run free. They brought "us" down to prop up dysfunctional minorities.

No, it cannot be reversed, especially with the "dark" population boom. You think it's bad now with press one for english. Ha! Just wait until you see what's in store for us. You think there's a lot of spanish TV and radio now? Ha! Just wait.

We screwed the Mexicans out of the SW states, well they got the last laugh. They're going to take the whole country. The Hispanic population numbers are vastly under reported.

Stop with the racist talk and Obama being the fault of all evil.

The problem is that foreign countries like China, Bangladesh, Mexico, El Salvador pay their laborers (often children) just pennies per hour and in the USA we pay at least $7.50 per hour. Of course things cost more here.

If a set of irons costs $700 and made in Bangladesh - just think what the cost would be if the manufacturer had to pay the workers $20 per hour. Would you be willing to pay $5000 for irons?

If You Purchased Golf Equipment Recently Then Most Likely You Already Paid the Golf Tax

Actual Cost Of A Golf Club

Why should the federal gov interfere with profit? Seriously, why should a gov make a decision as to whether or not you "deserve" profit?

If you prefer American made goods, then sacrifice and pay more for American made products. That is your prerogative. I own a Harley Davidson for several reasons, two of which are it's American made, and it has a better resale value than most foreign made products. Is it a better product? Well, in the 70's when I had a Honda, HD was not a better quality product. HD is more expensive than most foreign made motorcycles, but they all get you from one place to another.

I own a Ford. Supposedly, an American made vehicle....supposedly. The parts are cheaper and the repair is cheaper than many foreign made vehicles. Is it a better car?

I shop at Walmart on many occasions. Why? Because I don't like to shop and they have a wide variety of products. Walmart allows the lower range earners to live at a better level lifestyle by providing products that cost less so that you can have that big TV, or those stylish clothes that middle class or higher have. Our lower income folks live a better lifestyle or equivalent lifestyle as middle class in other countries. Our poverty level is high compared to poverty level in other countries. Other countries' poverty level do not have multiple TV's, high speed internet, or even air conditioning.

My point is that, we have foreign made (cheaper) products in our country and because of these products, our folks that have a lower income level can live a nice lifestyle. If you want to pay more for American made products, then do it. If you can't afford those products, then purchase a cheaper equivalent product made in another country. Why in the world would anyone wish to make life harder for people by taking the mid level lifestyle away from a large group of our population? Places like Walmart and big box stores provide a valuable service. They enable lower earners to live a comfortable lifestyle that many would otherwise not be able to afford.

Sorry, if I am not concerned about someone paying and complaining about paying $1000 for a set of golf clubs. I hardly play golf so my garage sale $23 full set of clubs are fine. On the other hand, paying $95 for a Pickleball paddle is also nice. I could make do with a $35 paddle, but I can afford the higher priced paddle.

It is quite easy for those of us that CAN afford the higher priced goods, to complain about lower priced goods that make it possible for those that are on a budgeted income to live at a higher, more comfortable lifestyle.

Does anyone ever consider the fact that lower priced products attribute to a higher volume of consumption, which in turn increases the need for employment?

Another complaint is about Wall St, which I find ironic. We have Occupy Wall Street miscreants and socialists complaining about stock market profits, and yet they forget about how those profits affect retirement pensions, 401Ks, etc. But, that is another subject.

Ah...it's all profit. It costs them $50 tops to actually make the set of irons.

The biggest expense...is...drum roll...ENDORSEMENTS!!! Paying athletes millions to say they like it.

For those who are hurting for food and shelter because of the high costs....just try to eat your imports and see if that helps.

Start with the car in the garage.

You missed the point of my post, I made it poorly or it went over your head. I for one do not believe our economy can continue without a base in manufacturing. I understand profit but was questioning the amount of unearned income to earned income ( earned income defined as adding valve to a product or raw material ). Should we be rewarding investors with low capital gains taxes when products are foreign made. Somewhere in the value added and profit chain there is a serious uncoupling. Again I ask why can I cannot buy 8 quality golf clubs for $1000 that are made in the USA. Is this the capitalism we say made this country great? It may have worked when we were the only game in town but I for one believe adjustment are needed and very quickly. The lowering taxes and increasing our deficiet will not work in world economy. I believe even Ping clubs are foreign made now but "assembled in USA". Please let me know if that is incorrect.

1. Titanium Driver = $27-$65 (Depends on type of titanium and processes {ex: Welds, Forging, Paint, etc}
2. Iron Sets = $40-$95 (Depends on type of materials and processes ex: Cast or Forged)
3. Hybrids = $6-$9
4. Wedges = $4.50-$8 (The popular CNC milled face wedges are only around $10 to produce!)
5. Putters = $7-$65 (Varies widely because Cast vs. Milled cost differences.
6. Graphite Shafts = $6-$13 (The Popular Nano Technology only adds about $7)

from Actual Cost Of A Golf Club

Did you ever put together an iron? You glue on the head and slide on the grip.

Thank you for that article, it goes a long way towards answering my question. I hope all those endorsements add a lot to tax revenue and not loopholes.

Good article in The Daily Sun about the topic today. It stated that if between a choice of comparable quality prodicts but one being cheaper because of being made overseas and the more expensive being made in America - most Americans would buy the cheaper item.

Someone on the forum stated he owned a Ford. He should look at the invoice and it tells what percentage is actually made in America. Answer - not too much.

Since I don't play golf, I don't give a rat's @ss as to how much you have to pay for clubs. It sounds to me like you are whining about the cost of being an elite. You must be a democrat. If America wants to pay less for products then they should not have instituted all kinds of labor laws and endorsed unions. Wages go up so products go up. Just play the stupid game and get over yourself. Americans made their products unattainable for the average consumer. You want minimum wages of $15 an hour, then expect to pay $15 for a hamburger. Live with it or quit expecting everything given to you.

:boom:
:BigApplause:
:boom:

Judging by your attack on me I'm guessing you would not be very good at golf anyways. You might want to try cornhole. I am far from an elitist, I'm not a democrat, and I was not whining about paying for a set of golf clubs. What I was whining about was not being able to purchase a set of golf clubs made by US workers. If that makes me a communist I guess I'm guilty. I have not idea what the hell you are talking about with $15 hamburger, actually I don't give a rats a## either.

Sorry, by the way you imagined my "attack" on you, I would have thought you to be a sensitive liberal. Notice that I did not use a reply function, just making a comment since the thread seemed to flow towards golf. You are probably right that I would not be very good at golf anyway. I do have a garage sale set of clubs and also some wood shaft clubs, but have not had the time or inclination to learn the game yet. I figured that I would take a lesson or two before my initial attempt at the game. Never tried cornhole. Sounds like a gay thing to me, but I'm sure it's fun for some types. I have played bocci for a few years before finally admitting that it is too boring for me. Pickleball is more to my liking so I play several days a week. But I digress.

If you did not understand the implication of a $15 hamburger, then you have not been keeping current with events about all the protests regarding the minimum wage dispute. You were crying about your set of clubs costing too much in America, which means nothing to me because I find the game to be less interesting than other sports. No insult meant, but I would rather that someone return the ball to me, rather than hit the ball out there and then walk miles retrieving it. Seems kind of a pointless exercise to me, the uninitiated. :)

The point that I tried to make in the earlier post was that WE are the reason that American made products cost more than anywhere else. We are the ones that drove up labor costs by greed, not other countries. And many in our country live a more satisfying lifestyle, at a lower income level because we get compatible goods cheaper from overseas than the more expensive goods made in America. Blue jeans are made overseas, but we are able to have a nice stylish new pair for a fraction of what they cost American made. How much do you think computers would cost if made in the U.S.? How about that fancy Apple phone that's made overseas? We caused this problem with gov regulation and union wages. It's not OTHER countries that are at fault, it's our greed.

I find it interesting and disingenuous that many that complain about CEO's making big money, and bonuses are probably reaping the benefit of living in million dollar homes here in the Villages. There are not too many other countries in the world that have as many millionaires as we do in America. Even our low earners live better than supposed middle earners in other countries, especially those with more socialized services.

Having a discussion that does not agree with you, does not mean one is "attacking" you. If we have to be Politically Correct in our speak, then we really can't have a legitimate discussion.

Unfortunately, that's how it is when "discussing" certain topics. They don't want to hear the truth, they can't handle the truth.

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.

Aristotle

Bigotry is intolerance toward those who hold different opinions from oneself. It's a lot faster.

But what "liberals" call bigotry isn't. Bigotry is a non-defensible hatred or dislike. That's NOT what's really happening. People who are against "diversity" have legitimate reasons to be against it. It's not bigotry, it's survival of your culture, society, nation. There's a good reason we want to keep America "white". Look at what happens EVERYWHERE the percentage of "immigrants" or minorities gets too large. The nation changes or falls apart. It's never "good" for the native population.

Ask the native americans what happens when too many immigrants arrive! We're doing the same thing, diluting our culture, allowing ourselves to be invaded. Minority children are now more than white children enrolling for school. That is a FRIGHTENING development. We're being bred out of our own country...like the native americans were. It just may get just as violent.

Key word is "intolerance." You may not condone some practice or trait, but still TOLERATE it. If you have tolerance then you are not a bigot. Liberals seem to have the habit accusing anyone that doesn't agree with them or their policies as a bigot, racist or sexist. It never occurs to them that people may not agree. To them, they cannot comprehend why everyone won't see things the way they do, therefore there has to be something inherently wrong with them, such as being a bigot.

Please feel free to take a bow on the above.
:BigApplause:

Huh?? Are you suggesting that a set of irons take an enormous amount of labor to build? I would have guessed at less than an hour to push 7 shafts into 7 heads. Also in the $700 there is mark up for the store, and the distributor. Obviously they have to make some money too!

Racist talk will always exist as long as the words such as "they" "we" "them" and "others" exist. Those words (and more) are used to identify difference, and I do not believe those words will be abolished. (Maybe you think just the N word is bad???)

Obamma has definitely contributed to the fault of all EVIL!

STOCK UP ON AMMO!

These days, Even if the golf clubs where made in America, more than likely they would be made by illegal alien workers!

Ever seen a Tesla built:4
Ya' think they can figure out how to grip a shaft and glue it in a club head with a robot?

Those WERE middle class jobs.

Not making an opinion, just saying...

And where were the robots built and by whom?
Also the narrator had what seemed to be a foreign accent.

con·done
kənˈdōn/Submit
verb
accept and allow (behavior that is considered morally wrong or offensive) to continue.

It means the same as tolerate.

tol·er·ate
ˈtäləˌrāt/Submit
verb
allow the existence, occurrence, or practice of (something that one does not necessarily like or agree with) without interference.

[Marian Webster]

Or, you can say...you know, we tried, we really tried...but you're just too weird for us. We're going back to the old ways.

This started in the mid 60s when auto makers outsourced parts. Only problem was the assembly hardware was metric. First use dumbasses didn't refuse to buy this junk that you need whole set of wrenches to to now work on your car. NO problem 98% could find the dipstick anyway let alone know what it was used for.

The few politicians got grease, the EPA, and ceo's figured out they could reduce workers and increase profits with foreign slave labor. This was the end to the American blue collar work that nobody gives **** about, cause they were the reason dirtbag politicians and CEOs were not getting 7 figure pay checks. So the Lobbists greased some good old boys and this what we got.

Now some companies are regretting doing business with China due to they do NOT recognize international trade make or patent laws. So you can give 1500 for ping golf clubs thinking your getting best Shyt, but the Chinese use the same forges, metals, and forms make knock-off and change one letter in the name or make up name and sell the on the world market for 70% off the trade mark price. They the Chinese created the gray market. Anything they make they counterfeit it.

But, the CEOs still make there millions in bonuses they good old boys still getting greased and the backbone of once great nation has most of its spine removed.

All for dollar, now it's too late, nothing is truly made in the American. Look around your house, appliances, vehicles, clothes, furniture, dishes, food, tools, ECT...

You know at the turn of the 20th century China couldn't even cast/forge hoes and rakes. We taught them how to mast produce, Chinese are the smartest people on the planet. They don't give there money away, the control their destiny . They are the super power with out them the rest of the world is third world county.

Who's to blame? Look in the mirror!

Condone means that you approve of whatever the action is
Tolerate means that you put up with it, even though you don't approve of it.

You may twist the wording all you wish to make it suit your purpose, but you can't change the meaning. Basically, red paint and blue paint are both paint but they aren't the same. Males and females are both people but they are not both the same. So, when you attempt to make tolerate and condone to be the same by using similar descriptors, you are only making a fool of yourself. That is hardly convincing.

So, by telling one that he/she is a bigot because they tolerate, you will only alienate.

Condone is to approve and Tolerate is to allow when you don't approve. If you cannot be satisfied with tolerance of your lifestyle when the majority of America disapproves of it, then you are stupid. You cannot force acceptance, but have forced/mandated tolerance.

I don't know how you got off the subject of this thread. There is other threads that address the gay issue. This is about products made in America. This is just another example of someone stretching tolerance to the limits.

Ah, but they can...they teach our vulnerable children that it's a wonderful lifestyle...and they wait for all who know the truth to die off.

Same with the minorities, they teach the dumbed down children that everyone is equal, they believe it, and wait for the rest of us who know the truth to die off.

Unfortunately....:agree:

And now with more of them than whites now registering in current day schools, within a generation the new majority will be comprised of these children as they become adults.

Eventually the number who pay into the government will not be able to keep up with the growing welfare and other free social program costs. Then the rapid decent into 3rd world status will ensue.

The UNited States of America will never ever recover to it's former glory as the home of the free and the brave, the leader of the world in every respect will be a memory. I was going to say a fond memory but that is for those of us who lived the better, glory days of America.

The best example I have read recently is .....if you want to see what happens with rampant, unchecked immigration, just go back and study what happened to the American Indians!!! What did they lose? What do they have to show as their part in America?

America as we know it and knew it may well be on it's way to a memory only.....until those of us who know better die off!

You had your chances to stop it, we had our chances to stop it, but you/we listened to the media that says whatever those who pay them enough want them to say, you believed all the groups like black lives matter, were "good", and that groups fighting to keep America great, were racist, homophobic, and bad.

You lost it, don't come crying to me as the new "immigrant baby boom" sweeps over the nation changing the nation to a 3rd world nation. There's a reason the "west" with its wealth and technology is what it is...white people. There's a reason the Americas and Africa and Asia didn't develop great wealth and technology...no white people. Take away the white people, add more dark people, and you get squalor. That's what ALWAYS happens...always.

We are different, very different. But we can't talk openly and honestly about it!