This posting of "Made in America" will take a look at a typical NW Dallas familia right here in my neighborhood, just a couple block's over from my home. Jon and Anna Usry (their kid's name's are Landon and Ellis, no I dont know them or ever seen them before) like thinking that they buy American product's ... and man oh man ... were they in for a shock when ABC News came in to investigate! After removing everything in the house they found "NOT" made in America, the house was actually empty. The part of this I found funny, was ABC News then went to find and replace the item's/ furnishing's in their home with American made product's, and the furnishing's not were just as durable ... but even looked way better in my opinion than the foreign furnishing's, and the real kicker is that the price's were in most case's less than the foreign made product's ... um, um, um ... imagine that! The video below will highlight part's of the week long ABC series and show some finding's, then a few word's from the Chimp after.
***** ABC NEWS: Made in America: Usry Family's Dallas Home Refitted With American- Made Goods
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Look ... I am also one who alway's run's my jaw's about America this and that, loving my country, etc, etc. But the truth is ... unlike the Usry familia ... I have actually "intentionally" bought foreign product's that I have favoured for year's. For instance in the 1980's and 1990's especially on the smaller 4 cylinder vehicle's, I found Isuzu, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, to be the best as far as durability, resale value, etc. When I went to buy a new Isuzu for instance, I actually told the salesman that I didnt just want to test drive it, but look under the hood to make sure the part's and assembly was all done in Japan (I know ... some may think I'm a commi bastard too), looking at all the ID stamp's and such on the part's as well. The same with my stereo equipment and electronic's, appliance's ... if it wasnt made in Japan and a reputable name, there was not much chance of me buying it. Ford's new 4 cylinder car's in the 1980's and 1990's for instance were garbage and disposable in my opinion, I bought a couple brand new, so I know first hand experience, and knew many folk's with them ... on the other hand ... Ford truck's were about the best in the world, etc. Dont get me wrong ... as far as performance and big engine's (gas guzzler's too) ... I love Ford Mustang's, Chevy Camaro's, Pontiac Grand Prix's, the new Dodge Charger's, and all the old muscle car's even, to death, I have an uncle in Buffalo, New York ... 38 year's foreman on Ford's assembly line, union, and drove Ford's his entire life. But I was looking on the most bang for the buck and the least repair hassle's and longevity, resale, etc.
But also thing's are changing in America and product's are getting better and more competitive. The truth is ... when 4 cylinder engine's transverse mounting and fuel injection's came into the mainstream, no one built them as good as the Japanese, however, at the same time, I noticed that working under the hood was harder, it was more compact and they make everything so tightened, you also needed all "metric" tool's in them day's (1980's) which many folk's didnt have, as they do today ... as far as changing belt's, hose's, alternator's/ regulator's etc. Ford in the early 1980's actually had their own patented tool that cost you $75 just in order to change the timing belt/ chain (yep, I bought one, and that's how I found out) ... you know that shit was done to make a buck, sell "only" one million of them tool's, which they probably paid a buck a piece for in China labour market's, they just raked in $75 million dollar's. USA has been catching up ... after all ... back in the 1970's when most of us were driving gas guzzling American car's ... Japanese car's that ate hardly any gas were laughed at by many American's, and they were small and frankly ugly. A decade later because of gas price's and economy ... the Japanese were the hottest selling vehicle's, now America has been catching up on what Japan was up over us on a decade earlier ahead of us. But when I'm in a store, I am one that actually look's most of the time at where what I buy is made. Trade has also been unfair, and you can thank Washington for that. But also ... the world is so much more interdependent ... so I dont mind buying American manufactured appliance's, electronic's, car's or such that may have inner component's made overseas, Latin America, Canada, Asia ... Why? ... because they are being assembled/ manufactured here ... and that create's job's here. If a product is good and a fair price ... I frankly wouldnt care where it is from. But this video series was a shock to me, because the product's/ furnishing's in the Usry's home that replaced the old import's, looked better and had a better price.
Over and Out ....
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