Got caught with our knickers down!

Closed Thread
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 03-22-2020, 11:22 AM
jebartle's Avatar
jebartle jebartle is offline
Sage
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: LaZamora Village
Posts: 4,801
Thanks: 210
Thanked 1,163 Times in 436 Posts
Default Got caught with our knickers down!

How did the greatest country in the world become dependent on China, 90% of our medication, medical masks, and ventilators. Granted, a pandemic doesn't occur frequently, thank God. Sure hope this problem will be quickly solved.
  #2  
Old 03-22-2020, 11:40 AM
dillywho dillywho is offline
Platinum member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Summerhill
Posts: 1,765
Thanks: 133
Thanked 78 Times in 27 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by jebartle View Post
How did the greatest country in the world become dependent on China, 90% of our medication, medical masks, and ventilators. Granted, a pandemic doesn't occur frequently, thank God. Sure hope this problem will be quickly solved.
Unfortunately, this happened (IMHO) because people want cheap. Remember all the outcry when more American-made was proposed about how EXPENSIVE everything would become?
__________________
Lubbock, TX
Bamberg, Germany
Lawton, OK
Amarillo, TX
The Villages, FL

To quote my dad:
"I never did see a board that didn't have two sides."
  #3  
Old 03-22-2020, 11:49 AM
DAIII
Guest
Posts: n/a
Thumbs up Need more

We need more of this 'thinking'.

First 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee commercial - YouTube
  #4  
Old 03-22-2020, 12:17 PM
jebartle's Avatar
jebartle jebartle is offline
Sage
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: LaZamora Village
Posts: 4,801
Thanks: 210
Thanked 1,163 Times in 436 Posts
Default

I've always been a "buy American" girl, but hard to do when that industry doesn't exist. Guess I need to change it to "build American"
  #5  
Old 03-22-2020, 12:33 PM
justjim justjim is offline
Sage
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Illinois, Tennesee, Florida, Village of Caroline, Sanibel, LaBelle
Posts: 5,617
Thanks: 61
Thanked 1,297 Times in 535 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by jebartle View Post
How did the greatest country in the world become dependent on China, 90% of our medication, medical masks, and ventilators. Granted, a pandemic doesn't occur frequently, thank God. Sure hope this problem will be quickly solved.
China also owns Billions of American Treasury bonds. If they called them in, it would cause a huge economic disaster. Our dependency upon these products (made in cheap labor sweat shops) has been known for years. It may be too late to do something about it due to the global economy we now live in. This problem is above most of our pay grades.
__________________
Most people are as happy as they make up their mind to be. Abraham Lincoln
  #6  
Old 03-22-2020, 12:35 PM
rjm1cc's Avatar
rjm1cc rjm1cc is offline
Soaring Eagle member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,366
Thanks: 237
Thanked 521 Times in 241 Posts
Default

Since we got out of high school the trend has been to improve our lifestyle by passing work and environmental laws that encourage (maybe force) businesses to outsource in order to remain competitive. Unfortunately we do not always think of unintended consequences for our actions.
  #7  
Old 03-22-2020, 01:35 PM
Velvet's Avatar
Velvet Velvet is offline
Sage
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 4,994
Thanks: 1,043
Thanked 3,952 Times in 1,706 Posts
Default

To me the lesson about China or any other country is that we need each other. Good reason why not to alienate anyone unnecessarily. Each country could produce what it is most efficient at and then trade for what they need.

Self sufficiency is a great ideal but in practice we could probably do better if there was cooperation internationally. We could pull together as people just like we can do it as Villagers.
  #8  
Old 03-22-2020, 03:16 PM
jebartle's Avatar
jebartle jebartle is offline
Sage
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: LaZamora Village
Posts: 4,801
Thanks: 210
Thanked 1,163 Times in 436 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Velvet View Post
To me the lesson about China or any other country is that we need each other. Good reason why not to alienate anyone unnecessarily. Each country could produce what it is most efficient at and then trade for what they need.

Self sufficiency is a great ideal but in practice we could probably do better if there was cooperation internationally. We could pull together as people just like we can do it as Villagers.
You would make a good NATO ambassador.
  #9  
Old 03-22-2020, 04:08 PM
CoachKandSportsguy CoachKandSportsguy is online now
Soaring Eagle member
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Marsh Bend
Posts: 2,448
Thanks: 598
Thanked 1,855 Times in 893 Posts
Default

Does capitalism have a national strategy? No. Successful capitalism means customer satisfaction, max quality at a competitive cost. Once a competitor has found a cost advantage, the other competitors must adapt or adopt, or they die.

If you look at 60 years of inflation history, you will find that inflation means too many dollars chasing too few goods. In the 70's we were the world's manufacturing center, which brought in tons of the worlds' currencies for our products, and inflation went out of control. Then the crook went to china to open it for US goods, and it backfired, China saw the opportunity to become the world's dominate manufacturer with its centralized planning and authoritarian government. So the next 40 years that was there goal, no matter how they could get there.

No centralized strategy means everyone can choose their own, so review the rules of capitalism above. Also, from friends who lived in the Soviet Union, under communism/authoritarian governments, one fears the government. Under democracy and freedom, you fear each other.

The capitalistic strategy of the US is the customer/consumer comes first, and they are the prize to capture, and when everything becomes a commodity, meaning very little pricing power, cost cutting is the only way to increase profitability. or you go out of business.

So that's my explanation, having watched it and looked at the data over those last 50 years. Others may disagree, but I use the data and economic theory from experience to understand.

sportsguy
  #10  
Old 03-22-2020, 08:17 PM
tophcfa's Avatar
tophcfa tophcfa is offline
Sage
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Wherever I happen to be.
Posts: 5,983
Thanks: 2,822
Thanked 8,931 Times in 2,701 Posts
Default

Simple answer is cheap labor and lack of regulations. Longer answer is environmental restrictions, labor unions, an always increasing minimum wage, and people very much liking buying stuff for as little as possible.
  #11  
Old 03-22-2020, 08:31 PM
anothersteve's Avatar
anothersteve anothersteve is offline
Gold member
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 1,197
Thanks: 382
Thanked 1,668 Times in 529 Posts
Default

We didn't get caught.....we welcomed it!
Steve
  #12  
Old 03-23-2020, 05:54 AM
noslices1 noslices1 is offline
Veteran member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 568
Thanks: 55
Thanked 520 Times in 240 Posts
Default

Since this all started with China not giving information about the spread of this virus for months after they knew it was out there, we should charge China whatever cost it will be to the US to fight it. Just deduct the amount it cost us from the debt we owe them.
  #13  
Old 03-23-2020, 06:39 AM
toeser toeser is offline
Veteran member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 612
Thanks: 1,407
Thanked 558 Times in 258 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by jebartle View Post
How did the greatest country in the world become dependent on China, 90% of our medication, medical masks, and ventilators. Granted, a pandemic doesn't occur frequently, thank God. Sure hope this problem will be quickly solved.
Because our government is stupid and bought off by lobbyists. The NIH gives huge sums of money to big pharma, but requires little of them. All we would have to do is stipulate that if you want NIH government money you have to manufacture at least enough in the U.S. to supply the U.S. market. How hard is that?
  #14  
Old 03-23-2020, 06:46 AM
Vonjor@gmail.com Vonjor@gmail.com is offline
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 25
Thanks: 1
Thanked 72 Times in 19 Posts
Default

Once upon a time, I needed a prototype part made out of aluminum. It took me months to find someone who could and would make the part for me. They wanted $450 for a single piece. I went online to China and had several parts made to my specifications delivered to my home within 2 weeks for a total cost of $4.50. Believe me, I understand our desire to rely on China.
  #15  
Old 03-23-2020, 07:03 AM
Bay Kid's Avatar
Bay Kid Bay Kid is offline
Sage
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: The Villages and the Northern Neck on the Chesapeake Bay, VA.
Posts: 5,401
Thanks: 1,627
Thanked 3,093 Times in 1,328 Posts
Default

We need to bring jobs back to our country. Sounds good, but.
Closed Thread

Tags
granted, pandemic, occur, frequently, god

Thread Tools

You are viewing a new design of the TOTV site. Click here to revert to the old version.

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 12:47 PM.