Most Americans have not been taught about the social-welfare program that
gave FDR his vision for the New Deal. That program was called the "Square Deal". Why have they not been taught about the Square Deal? Simple: the Square Deal was created by a capitalist, and it was wildly successful. Having a successful social-welfare program for working-class people, funded by the profits of the company that employs those workers, flies in the face of the Leftist agenda that is shared by Democrat politicians and their "mainstream" media hacks. The "Square Deal" was created in Broome County, NY, by industrialist George F. Johnson. (Some speculate that Johnson was inspired by the "Square Deal" remarks of Teddy Roosevelt. This writer found no quotes to support that point; but, it is plausible.) Johnson's Square Deal was so successful that the town where it was created, Lestershire, was renamed Johnson City. To this day, the villages of Endicott and Johnson City are marked by the "Square Deal arches", which commemorate the legacy of Johnson and his company: Endicott-Johnson Shoes (EJ). Thousands of immigrants - mostly from Slavic countries - came to America knowing only one English phrase: "Which way EJ?" (My grandmother was among those immigrants; and, three generations of my family worked in EJ factories at one time or another.) What made the Square Deal so popular? Among other things, the eight-hour work day. That, along with the five-day work week, was among the foundational pillars of the Square Deal. "Mainstream" media outlets, which favor Democrats and labor unions, sometimes credit Henry Ford with the creation of the eight-hour workday. But, not even the official Ford corporate history Web page makes that claim. And, according to most writers, Ford introduced his eight-hour day in 1914. By contrast, Johnson had introduced the eight-hour day in his factories more than twenty years sooner. (The Square Deal Arches were dedicated in 1920. They were a monument to a group of social programs that had already existed for an entire generation of EJ workers. That generation wanted to ensure that the memory of the Square Deal would survive.) Johnson's Square Deal was also good business: happy workers are more productive. Shorter work periods were not the only features of the Square Deal. Johnson also addressed many "quality of life" issues. Endicott-Johnson, Inc., built hospitals, which were also available to the larger community. The company also built houses, and sold them to EJ workers at cost. Then, the company deducted the payments from workers' paychecks - thus making it one of the first direct-payment mortgage programs in America - long before the computer industry (which was also born in Broome County, NY). Johnson also had a wide-ranging program of community philanthropy. It included building parks, swimming pools, the first corporate golf course, and his famous group of carousels. (When he was a boy, Johnson had been so poor that he could not afford to ride a carousel. So, when he became wealthy, he donated them to the county - with the standing rule that they would always be free-of-charge.) George F. Johnson used his wealth from the shoe industry to improve life for his workers; and, he "spread the wealth" to the communities where his workers lived. Johnson was a pioneer of what became known as "welfare capitalism". (In the modern parlance, we call it "compassionate conservatism" - as though compassion was an anomaly. But, true conservatism is always compassionate, because its goal is to "conserve" peace and well-being for everyone.) Prior to the Square Deal, the normal work day in America had been ten hours (this was the standard for Federal workers in 1840); and, some jobs worked from sunrise to sunset. (Some jobs still do.) But, the political Left sees two big problems with welfare capitalism: 1) it's capitalist; and, 2) it works. The Square Deal infuriated President Roosevelt, because it flew in the face of the Socialism that he embraced so thoroughly. Local researcher and writer Tom Cawley, in his "Postcard History of Broome County", had a picture of FDR (who was Governor of New York at that time) riding in a car with George F. Johnson. The relationship between the two men was strained, because Johnson had successfully created a system that actually did in fact what Socialism could only purport to do on paper. Further, records at the time indicated that the crowd at the parade was cheering Johnson, not Roosevelt. In his "revenge", FDR came up with a government-funded New Deal that mocked privately-funded Johnson's Square Deal. (Interestingly, in so doing, FDR also mocked his conservative cousin: President Theodore Roosevelt. There goes the concept that "dementia liberalis" is genetic!) |
When he was a boy, Johnson had been so poor that he could not
afford to ride a carousel. So, when he became wealthy, he donated them to the county - with the standing rule that they would always be free-of-charge. I visited Binghamton NY a few years ago and rode one of those carousels. There was a fee for the ride... but it was a token fee. Each person got a ride in exchange for one piece of litter they found on the park grounds. Nice idea. Daniel B. Martin |
While at HD last week looking for a new push mower, the Lawn-Boy display
got my attention. Nice looking, great features for the asking price. model 10684 $339. But, read on the box"assembled" in mexico! This is a 2005 model with a date of 3-15-04 on the box(?) LB is owned by the Toro Co. The Toro mower is made in MN. John Saint Charles,MO |
Don't compare John Sweeney to Jimmy Hoffa - Hoffa was a crook, Sweeney
is not. But no matter how much of a crook Hoffa was, what would you have union people do when management and owners where fascists who created groups like the Black Legion and the Silver Shirts (modeled after Hitler's goon squads) to break up unions meetings and threaten union organizers? No matter how bad you feel unions are for getting into bed with the mob, they are not in the same league with management. Henry Ford and Tom Watson Sr. got medals from Hitler, who wanted to send his brown shirts to help Henry Ford break strikes in the US. Tom Watson got his medal for helping the Germans use punch cards to identify and round-up Jews and Gypsies and put them into concentration campsm, and supplied the Nazies with punch card machine parts and paper for the cards during WWII - in violation with Trading with the Enemy Acts (meaning he was a traitor). And Prescott Bush has a hand in managing slave labor near Auschwitz prior to WWII, and also was in business with the Nazis from December 9, 1941 to October 1942 - when we were at war with Germany. So don't ****ing put any labor leaders in the same league with these traitorous corporate scumbags. If any of these corporate scumbags came after me and my family for my efforts to get a better life through joining a union or trying to get better working conditions on my own, I'd take up a gun or get in bed with the mafia, and God help anyone who stands in my way! Take that Wal-Mart! Gregor wrote: USENET READER wrote: Having met John Sweeny at the AFL-CIO HQ up the street from the White House - and even parking in his spot out front - I can tell you that he is more like the idealistic folks who started the unions. You wrote that the people who run the unions today are not the same people who started them, and are not of the same quality. I wrote that you were incorrect. But most of the anti-union people on here seem to think that management can do no wrong - they all want to be CEOs or make their money. Jimmy Hoffa was a very personable fellow also -- doesn't mean he wasn't a crook. |
C G wrote: USENET READER wrote: C G wrote: USENET READER wrote: C G wrote: USENET READER wrote: C G wrote: USENET READER wrote: C G wrote: USENET READER wrote: C G wrote: USENET READER wrote: I am starting a DYI home-improvement project and I notice that few power or hand tools are made in the USA. Even most of the Craftsman brand tools are made in the USA. Some are made in Taiwan (a democracy I have no problem doing business with) and Red China (perhaps I should call them Fascist China, a country where the factories are owned by the state and staffed with slave labor). Are you stuck in the '80s? Most Chinese companies have been privatized. And who owns these private companies? Mostly it is well-connected members of the ChiCom party - so for all intents and purposes, it is still owned by those who run the government. Still stuck in the '80s. The ownership has been changing for quite a while now, but I would not have expected you to be informed enough to know this. No actually - your head is up your ass. Can you tell me who owns the private companies if not the party elite? They just privatized these factories and now they split the profits not with the workers, but with their American investors. So you tell me how while it has changed in shape, the end result isn't really different? Seems it's your head up your own ass. China's got a thriving stock market and ownership is shifting to individuals. I wouldn't have expected you to know this, it bursts your bubble of ignorance. Prove it - show some cites. I cited examples of poor pay - rational people don't starve themsselves to buy stock. Bullshit - you can say that there is a stockmarket and that is supposed to mean that your average rank and file Chinese citizen can own stock? that is such bullshit - that whole thing is set up to attract foreign investment capital and to also make it easier to reward the party bigwigs. Their system is more fascist than free-market capitalism. They could still take it all back and leave their overseas investors hanging - what you gonna do when they do that? Sue them? You've just proven you do not know what the hell you are talking about. The average citizen DOES OWN STOCK. Give up, you obviously are clueless about this subject. Can you prove it - can you cite examples of stock ownership by Joe Chinaman? The average citizen in China doesn't own stock. Do you know what the per capita or average income level is in China? There are like 1.5 billion people over there. Can you show a cite where you an prove that the average chinese citizen owns stock?? You don't know what the **** you are talking about, why don't you just shut up idiot. I know many average chinese citizens. They own stock. The ability of the average Chinese person to live cheap and save would put most Americans to shame. You know these citizens from where? You go over to China? I know them from China, twit. You're an idiot who writes before reading. I did go over to China, more times than I can remember. I lived there for several years. I have friends from many different income levels and from many different places including cities and the country side. You obviously know nothing about China other than a few things you read in the paper. As you've now shown, even your reading skills are limited. I'm done talking to you. Go troll somehwere else. You went over to China more times than you can remember? Where did you lve in China? If the Red Chinese let you over there, they didn't let you run all over the country and see all the poverty and the people who had no democratic freedom. Keep going, you're showing more of your ignorance. Are you saying that that I am somehow ignorant of the decrease in poverty and the increase in democratic freedoms in China? Back it up - and by something that can be proven - not just you saying that you lived in China, which itself proves noting - since you can't prove you lived there and I can't check it out. I can check out cites thatr you provide, but perhaps that is why you haven't provided any. I don't have to prove shit to you moron. I lived in China. People who know me know it's a fact. Ever see a US passport that was issued at the Hong Kong consulate? Didn't think so, but I've got one. There's at least one person I work with who follows this NG. If I'm lying about living in China, I'm sure he'll say so. YOu could say you lived on the moon, shared a peanut-butter and banana sandwich with Elvis last night, and have of of your loser friends back you up - but it doesn't make it true. And since you're just trolling, nothing I write here will convince you either, lutou. Not trolling - just asking you to put up or shut up - show us a cite or shut the **** up! If they can buy stocks, they can only buy the stocks the commie *******s want them to buy. Sure, whatever you say. Moron - I haven't said anything - I WRITE to post on USENET - no wonder you have problems understanding logic. You are such a petty fool. Words mean something - talking is not the same as writing. Anyone who doesn't understand that there is a difference between talking and writing is a moron - or a Republican (same thing). Anyone who resorts to sniping at the use of the verb to say versus the verb to write during this kind of a discussion is a troll. You also should learn a bit more about the use of the English language. The verb to say is not the same as the verb to talk. The first definition of to say is "to express in words". The form of expression is not specified. In fact, one of the examples is "the clock says five minutes after twelve". Everybody knows that most clocks don't talk. It's very common in literature to use the verb to say in a manner such as I did. Either you have a limited grasp on the English language, or you're trolling. Since you appear to be able to write, it's obvious that you are just trolling. I don't any intelligent person who says that "the clock says anything" - they say or write that the the time is whatever it is, or according to the clock on the wall, or WWV, the time is whatever it is. It's obvious that I have a better command of the English language than you do. You make Red China sound like a bastion of freedom, democracy and capitalism. Maybe you should talk to some Tibetans - they just love the Red Chinese. Maybe you should just go the **** back there and live - r starve. I don't care - either way you are a ****ing moron who can't make a logical argument and can't cite any facts to back up your claim. I've backed up my claims, I have personal knowledge of the subject. You only have a few distorted newspaper articles and an obvious predjudice that has prevented you from learning much about what has happened in China over the last 20 years. Get your head out of the paper. Go experience life and then report back in a few years. Ni bu zhe dao Zhonggua. Ni tai ben. Ni zui zui ben. Zaijian shagua. And no, I did not need any help to write that. Go figure it out troll. YOu have backed up nothing - you claim that you are right because you lived in China. I don't know you (and don't want to know you), and you can't prove that you lived there and there is no way to validate your claims anyway. You offer no cites for facts to back up your claims, unlike the ones that I have provided. I can prove I lived there, but you are not worth the time. Did your cite prove people can't, and don't, own stock? Nope. My cites proved that average people in China don't have rights, and don't earn enough money to put food on the table - from that any intelligent person would realize that they wouldn't be starving to invest in stocks and buy TVs and cars and cell phones. Per capita income in China according to Business Week is $1000 a year - how much ****ing stock can you buy at that level? Once again, you've proven your ignorance. Many people do have cars, TVs, and cell phones. They also live a hell of a lot cheaper than people in the US. More people live in one house. They spend more carefully and save much more. "Many" people? How many people in CHina is "many"? Give us a cite - percentages of chinese citizens who own cars, TVs and cell phones.You say they spend more carefully - I say they have less to spend because they get paid a dollar a day or less. Furthermore, China's high population and the "one-child" policy is causing another problem which would lead any thinking person to conclude that workers aren't buying much stock. The Chinese old-age pension system is broke, and with every worker supporting his or her parents and their two parents, for a total of 6 other people, how are they going to eat, live, raise their own kid, take care of parents and family, and invest in the market? Many of them do it quite well. Have you been there to see it? Nope, didn't think so. I have. Do you know how inexpensive food it there? Nope, didn't think you did. Do you have ANY first hand knowledge about China? Nope, you can only form your opinion on second hand information. I'm not saying China is perfect, in fact, it is far from perfect. My point is, and has been, that they have an amazing ability to live cheap, save money, and spend it carefully. Depends on what your definition of "many" is. India for example has more well-educated workers than the entire working population of the US. But that doesn't mean they are as well paid as our workers are. A smaller percentage as well as a number of Indian workers have cars than do workers in the US. While cars in China don't cost as much as cars do over here, they still cost a whole lot more than the average Chinese worker can afford to pay, therefore fewer of them have cars. So give us some cites not your observations. One of my bext friends from college is from Taiwan. He was very active in the political system over there about 5 years ago, and he relocated his business to mainland China because he speaks the language and he would have a competitive advantage over people located in the states. Talking with him when he comes back to the USA, and exchanging e-mail, he tells me of a China that is definately not the China that you write about. So what accounts for that difference? Probably because you are full of shit and have never been to China. What China have I written about? I've talked about common people being able to buy stocks. The rest of the things about democracy and freedom are things you added. Yet more examples of your inability to read and comprehend. Dinglebarry - since I have not met you personally - you only wrote about China in your posting, you could not "talk" about it. I read and comprehend perfectly - you can't talk in print! You are a moron! More trolling. Sheesh, what a petty loser. What trolling? You say we should believe you because you have been to China, but there is no way for you to prove that or for any of us to check that. I on the other hand have shown cites and their sources which anyone can check on and you so far has not been able to prove wrong by any verifiable sources. Who's trolling now dumbass! Another associate of mine is a retired executive/engineer for an American/Canadian company who worked in China for 5 years, retiring from that job in mid 2004. He tells me the same thing that my other friend who lives in China - the economy sucks and there is no democracy for the average Chinese worker. Also he tells me that it is not uncommon to see workers missing body parts or otherwise severely injured because there are no workplace safety and health protections in China. So how are they better off than we are? Once again, you are showing you can't read. I never talked about any of this stuff, although I know all about it. Where did you get your ability to fabricate? I roomed with a very cute girl from Taiwan, who has a mother and sisters over in Taiwan. I also have two friends who teach college-level courses in Taiwan. They all watch the mainland and they say that things aren't as good as you claim them to be. Well isn't that special. I never claimed they were good. I said common people can, and do, buy stock. The rest is stuff you imagine I said. You wrote about it - not talked about it. More trolling. No - simply being precise with words. And given what I wrote about and the cites I gave, it makes your claim that common people in China own stock rather unbelievable. Unless you care to back it up with some cites and facts like I did, you would fail to score points at any debate except for those held at the Rush Limbaugh fan club. I'll humor you. I wrote up a list of the cities I have been to. I know I forgot a few, but here it is: Beijing, Changsha, Chengdu, Chengde, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Lijiang, Zhongdian, Zhuhai, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Kunming, Guangzhou, Guilin, Yangshuo, Xian, Sanya, Shijiazhuang, Fujian, Huangshan, Haikou, Zhuhai, Taipei (internationally accepted as being part of China). How can you prove it - you can't! I simply asked you to provide some cites to back up your claims (since you can't prove you were in those cities - you could have picked them out of an atlas), and you have not been able to cite anything other than your own experiences. So I ask you again - do you have anything other than your word to back up your claim that things in China are doing great? You say don't read the newspapers - but what should I read for factual information to back up your claims? Can you cite just 3 sources of information that back up your claims? If you can't - you lose and shut the **** up! I told you. Go there. Visit some farms in the country side. Work in 15 to 20 cities. Talk to some (mainland) Chinese instead of just Taiwanese who's view of mainland China is biased. Marry one, instead of rooming with a "cute girl from Taiwan". Once you've done some of these things, you'll have a better idea of what China is like. I don't have to go there - I can take the word of my friends who have lived on the mainland and and who live there now. Then you can only go by the second hand information you get from them. If you actually spent time in China, and worked alongside Chinese and Taiwanese, you would understand the Taiwanese bias against (mainland) Chinese. This would help you better understand the opinions they give you. I get my information from Chinese friends who are there now, and people who used to live there - it backs up the cites from verifiable sources. Nothing you have offered can compete with that. I can base my opinion on the articles published by sources on both sides of the political aisle. I know what China is like now and I damn sure wouldn't want to live there now. That's a pity. It seems you have a closed mind and little desire to learn about other cultures. There are many beautiful places in China. The people are friendly, curious and love to learn about what our life is like. I base my opinion on the time I spend there, the condiditions I see, the people I worked, lived, and played with. I wouldn't want to live in a country run by a fascist dicatorship where I have fewer rights than I have here. I wouldn't want to live in a country with such a backward health system (remember the SARS problem last year?). The land up around Durant Road is nice to look at, but I prefer not to live next to a landfil and smell the garbage rotting in the summer. I rather like not living in filth and squallor, with blackouts and horrible public health problems, and having to worry about losing a finger, arm or other body parts working in factories with no workplace health and safety protection. I've had more power outages since I got home than in all of my time in China. Yes, there are health and safety problems. Never said there weren't. If you liked it so much - why don't you go the **** back there to live? I actually may for a couple years. We damn sure don't need anymore people trying to turn the US into China with a race to the bottom. More trolling. I didn't say anything about changing the US to be more like China. You seem to want people to live more like the chinese - eat less, work more, have fewer protections and get paid less. As long as we get to drive cars, have TVs and cell phones - and invest in the stock market. Isn't that what you wrote earlier? |
USENET READER wrote:
We damn sure don't need anymore people trying to turn the US into China with a race to the bottom. More trolling. I didn't say anything about changing the US to be more like China. You seem to want people to live more like the chinese - eat less, work more, have fewer protections and get paid less. As long as we get to drive cars, have TVs and cell phones - and invest in the stock market. Isn't that what you wrote earlier? No it wasn't, TROLL. Zaijian PLONK |
$339 for a self-propelled mower made in Mexico? What a rip-off - for
everyone except the stockholders and the CEO of the company! After looking around, I bought a great mower from Sears that was made in America - a Bob Villa signature series (not that this matters) 22" cutting deck, variable speed rear bagger, regular price about $328, on sale with early bird special for about $260 on sale. Sears doesn't make their own tools and equipment - they contract with a company that makes the stuff to put on a private label. From my understanding, Electrolux is one company that makes these mowers and slaps a B&S engine on top. I also bought a very nice Porter-Cable saw at Sears for $129 - also made in America. I could have bought this saw at HD, if they didn't stock only the left-handed models. Some Porter-Cable tools have lasted up to 50 years with regular service. My grandfather was a contractor and he had Porter-Cable tools. Those were the first power tools I ever used, down in my grandfather's basement workshop. The tools were left to my uncle, who doesn't use them and have left them and all the other tools in a chest in the basement. When my uncle kicks, they will be mine, as he doesn't have any sons and his grandsons aren't into tools - you can't plug them in and play games on them! Yes I could have bought a POS saw from Harbor Freight along with an extended warranty - the net effect is to have a tool that when it breaks or stops working, I can take it back and get another one. The thing is, their stuff breaks way too often and I lose time going back again and again. I'd much rather buy something once and keep using it for years and years - like my Craftsman drill, rachets and other tools. I have only had to return to Sears twice in 25 years to replace a Craftsman tool - once to replace a rachet mechanism and once to replace a cracked socket. It's not that the American consumer can really make logical choices based on the value of the tools made in America vs. elsewhere, or the choice between supporting fellow American workers vs. sending money to help build up the Chinese military. Those questions are secondary to the question on where the investors will get the greatest return on their investment - in the US or elsewhere. What good or service is produced and any value judgments (helping out your fellow Americans, balance of trade, technology transfers, etc.) are secondary - if considered at all - for the Ownership/Investment Class, who are the investors, the people who manage the investments and the managers of the companies the investments are placed in. John Prokovich wrote: While at HD last week looking for a new push mower, the Lawn-Boy display got my attention. Nice looking, great features for the asking price. model 10684 $339. But, read on the box"assembled" in mexico! This is a 2005 model with a date of 3-15-04 on the box(?) LB is owned by the Toro Co. The Toro mower is made in MN. John Saint Charles,MO |
C G wrote: USENET READER wrote: We damn sure don't need anymore people trying to turn the US into China with a race to the bottom. More trolling. I didn't say anything about changing the US to be more like China. You seem to want people to live more like the chinese - eat less, work more, have fewer protections and get paid less. As long as we get to drive cars, have TVs and cell phones - and invest in the stock market. Isn't that what you wrote earlier? No it wasn't, TROLL. Zaijian PLONK Ay moron can look up chinese words on the internet - it doesn't prove you have been there. Yes that is what you wrote - you claimed you wanted us to be able to be more like them because they **** away less money and invest more - is that invest more dollars or a greater precentage of their pay? You claimed that they have a stock market that the average Chinese person invests in, and yet you have offered no cites to prove it - but you claim that the Chinese have cars, TVs and cell phones as proof that their way of living and working is somehow superior to ours. On 1/27/05 you wrote: My cites proved that average people in China don't have rights, and don't earn enough money to put food on the table - from that any intelligent person would realize that they wouldn't be starving to invest in stocks and buy TVs and cars and cell phones. Per capita income in China according to Business Week is $1000 a year - how much ****ing stock can you buy at that level? Once again, you've proven your ignorance. Many people do have cars, TVs, and cell phones. They also live a hell of a lot cheaper than people in the US. More people live in one house. They spend more carefully and save much more. Furthermore, China's high population and the "one-child" policy is causing another problem which would lead any thinking person to conclude that workers aren't buying much stock. The Chinese old-age pension system is broke, and with every worker supporting his or her parents and their two parents, for a total of 6 other people, how are they going to eat, live, raise their own kid, take care of parents and family, and invest in the market? Many of them do it quite well. Have you been there to see it? Nope, didn't think so. I have. Do you know how inexpensive food it there? Nope, didn't think you did. Do you have ANY first hand knowledge about China? Nope, you can only form your opinion on second hand information. I'm not saying China is perfect, in fact, it is far from perfect. My point is, and has been, that they have an amazing ability to live cheap, save money, and spend it carefully. By making these claims, any reasonable person would infer that you want us to be less like we are here in America and more like the Chinese, because the Chinese can buy all that stuff and invest in the stock market and live very cheap on the fraction of what American workers make? |
"USENET READER" wrote in message ink.net... $339 for a self-propelled mower made in Mexico? What a rip-off - for everyone except the stockholders and the CEO of the company! After looking around, I bought a great mower from Sears that was made in America - a Bob Villa signature series (not that this matters) 22" cutting deck, variable speed rear bagger, regular price about $328, on sale with early bird special for about $260 on sale. Sears doesn't make their own tools and equipment - they contract with a company that makes the stuff to put on a private label. From my understanding, Electrolux is one company that makes these mowers and slaps a B&S engine on top. Isn't Electrolux a Swedish company? I also bought a very nice Porter-Cable saw at Sears for $129 - also made in America. I could have bought this saw at HD, if they didn't stock only the left-handed models. Some Porter-Cable tools have lasted up to 50 years with regular service. My grandfather was a contractor and he had Porter-Cable tools. Those were the first power tools I ever used, down in my grandfather's basement workshop. The tools were left to my uncle, who doesn't use them and have left them and all the other tools in a chest in the basement. When my uncle kicks, they will be mine, as he doesn't have any sons and his grandsons aren't into tools - you can't plug them in and play games on them! Yes I could have bought a POS saw from Harbor Freight along with an extended warranty - the net effect is to have a tool that when it breaks or stops working, I can take it back and get another one. The thing is, their stuff breaks way too often and I lose time going back again and again. I'd much rather buy something once and keep using it for years and years - like my Craftsman drill, rachets and other tools. I have only had to return to Sears twice in 25 years to replace a Craftsman tool - once to replace a rachet mechanism and once to replace a cracked socket. It's not that the American consumer can really make logical choices based on the value of the tools made in America vs. elsewhere, or the choice between supporting fellow American workers vs. sending money to help build up the Chinese military. Those questions are secondary to the question on where the investors will get the greatest return on their investment - in the US or elsewhere. What good or service is produced and any value judgments (helping out your fellow Americans, balance of trade, technology transfers, etc.) are secondary - if considered at all - for the Ownership/Investment Class, who are the investors, the people who manage the investments and the managers of the companies the investments are placed in. John Prokovich wrote: While at HD last week looking for a new push mower, the Lawn-Boy display got my attention. Nice looking, great features for the asking price. model 10684 $339. But, read on the box"assembled" in mexico! This is a 2005 model with a date of 3-15-04 on the box(?) LB is owned by the Toro Co. The Toro mower is made in MN. John Saint Charles,MO |
Like Toyota, the parent company HQ is located overseas, but they do
maintain factories in this country that certainly pay better than Wal-Mart wages. Oscar_Lives wrote: "USENET READER" wrote in message ink.net... $339 for a self-propelled mower made in Mexico? What a rip-off - for everyone except the stockholders and the CEO of the company! After looking around, I bought a great mower from Sears that was made in America - a Bob Villa signature series (not that this matters) 22" cutting deck, variable speed rear bagger, regular price about $328, on sale with early bird special for about $260 on sale. Sears doesn't make their own tools and equipment - they contract with a company that makes the stuff to put on a private label. From my understanding, Electrolux is one company that makes these mowers and slaps a B&S engine on top. Isn't Electrolux a Swedish company? I also bought a very nice Porter-Cable saw at Sears for $129 - also made in America. I could have bought this saw at HD, if they didn't stock only the left-handed models. Some Porter-Cable tools have lasted up to 50 years with regular service. My grandfather was a contractor and he had Porter-Cable tools. Those were the first power tools I ever used, down in my grandfather's basement workshop. The tools were left to my uncle, who doesn't use them and have left them and all the other tools in a chest in the basement. When my uncle kicks, they will be mine, as he doesn't have any sons and his grandsons aren't into tools - you can't plug them in and play games on them! Yes I could have bought a POS saw from Harbor Freight along with an extended warranty - the net effect is to have a tool that when it breaks or stops working, I can take it back and get another one. The thing is, their stuff breaks way too often and I lose time going back again and again. I'd much rather buy something once and keep using it for years and years - like my Craftsman drill, rachets and other tools. I have only had to return to Sears twice in 25 years to replace a Craftsman tool - once to replace a rachet mechanism and once to replace a cracked socket. It's not that the American consumer can really make logical choices based on the value of the tools made in America vs. elsewhere, or the choice between supporting fellow American workers vs. sending money to help build up the Chinese military. Those questions are secondary to the question on where the investors will get the greatest return on their investment - in the US or elsewhere. What good or service is produced and any value judgments (helping out your fellow Americans, balance of trade, technology transfers, etc.) are secondary - if considered at all - for the Ownership/Investment Class, who are the investors, the people who manage the investments and the managers of the companies the investments are placed in. John Prokovich wrote: While at HD last week looking for a new push mower, the Lawn-Boy display got my attention. Nice looking, great features for the asking price. model 10684 $339. But, read on the box"assembled" in mexico! This is a 2005 model with a date of 3-15-04 on the box(?) LB is owned by the Toro Co. The Toro mower is made in MN. John Saint Charles,MO |
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