Would You Pay More To Have Your Gadgets Made In the US?

14 Comments

  • Milly - 14 years ago

    I wish they would make more things in America and get people back to work

  • Amier - 15 years ago

    i rather have some in usa cause you can always send a refund an get it back faster

  • David - 15 years ago

    This poll implies that the only reason to buy foreign is greed. That's backwards. Buying American is the greedy step---it says we want to keep our money close to home, instead of giving it to people in other countries who have worked hard(er) an need it (more). Buying foreign is how we can contribute to global equality.

  • frank - 15 years ago

    Call me crazy, but I doubt we, as consumers, are seeing much of that cost benefit from Chinese manufacturing. The manufacturing coast has little to do with what we pay for devices. Apple charges what were willing to pay, and not much more below that.

    Is it a coincidence that as manufacturing went over seas, exec pay skyrocketed? I think not. All those cost savings went straight to exec pay, not cheaper prices.

  • Chris Pratt - 15 years ago

    I'd more than be willing to pay more for an American-made product. Previously in American history, you could buy something and it would actually work and *continue* to work, because it was made by skilled manufacturers who took pride in their work.

    Now, our goods are made in what amounts to little better than sweat shops in foreign countries such as China were near monarchial plant owners squeeze every last American dollar they can out of producing the goods we receive. The result? You buy something and 3 months later you have to go the same thing again because it's already broken.

    The insane part is that this Wal-Mart generation thinks they're actually getting a deal, and our previous president actually lifted sanctions and increased tax subsidies so that we could import even more crap even faster. The idea that free-trade is good for the United States is a fallacy. Exporting benefits the economy, but importing makes it weaker. And we import a LOT.

  • DizkoDan - 15 years ago

    I think people are full of s**t! If so many people were willing to pay for American products, let alone 10 - 50% MORE, we certainly wouldn't be in the situation that we are in now. Let's face it, most American made products are complete garbage. The US auto industry isn't in the can just because the economy is bad. They make unreliable crap and overcharge for it. Are there any US electronics companies (that don't outsource) anymore, who can compete with Asia?

    Pride when it comes to money = ignorance. It's not about creating/saving jobs. The bottom line is, make better stuff, and people will buy it. Why would you support crappy products, so that they can continue to be crap?

  • Darragh - 15 years ago

    We should have a situation where we can outsource manufacturing and still pay reasonable wages / have reasonable working conditions for the workers.
    Products are cheaper to produce in the Far East so it makes sense to produce them there. There would not have to be much of a price rise to drastically improve the working conditions for the average labourer there.

  • Derek - 15 years ago

    If some of these countries didn't have "our" manufacturing jobs, they would likely be unemployed. And that's far much worse for the US.

  • US Soldier - 15 years ago

    I voted that I would buy at up to 25% more, the reality is that we could not afford to have the same costs associated with manufacturing in China due to our higher cost of living alone... But on the flip side, American build quality DOES suck compared to what used to be manufactured in Japan! China has improved enormously in the last decade, hence the fact that they make 95% of consumer products, BUT, we are going to pay for it in the END... We are victims to numerous scams from chinese mfgs, copyright infringement, dangerous materials and chemicals being used in their products and so on... Ultimately though the biggest price paid is in our industrial development, education lag and economic decline from having a export deficit... WE SHOULD BUY AMERICAN, WE SHOULD SUPPORT OUR OWN ECONOMY, CHINA IS GOING TO F@$K US IN THE LONG RUN!!!

  • Guy - 15 years ago

    You american fools... All you think about is money.. Thats's why we even come to these kind of situations.. people are being killed because of a stupid Iphone. A STUPID gadget! yes, I Love gadgets but I will not kill for them and willing to give all my gadgets away for saving a human life... Money made you people blind, cold and just absolutely un-human. You say Apple isnt responsible for the death of the poor chinese guy? WELL, I bet they were the ones that killed him. Think about it... Every CEO will kill these days just to make more money on YOUR back! haha this is funny actually. IDIOTS

  • vmsiyer - 15 years ago

    I picked "No, I Think American Build Quality Sucks", but infact I wanted to pick an option like "No, I think American Build Quality Suck, due to corporate greed and bureaucracy". Think about it, America and Americans are very well capable of making a quality product. But here are some points to ponder. Let us consider the phone which happened to be in center stage of this suicide news. We all know that it costs very less to make these products in China. Even if the cost of manufacturing these gadgets in the USofA is 200% higher than China and the manufacturing companies sell it to consumers at the same current market price they still will be making money on this. Currently the price at which we buy the phone is not actually for the phone, but the long term contracts and complicated plan we sign with the telecom companies.Bottom line it is greed, we all personally want more and more money, but want to spend less and less. The fundamental thinking has to change for Americans to start buying American products. Until than we all can just keep blogging about these.

  • Dan - 15 years ago

    I picked "No, I don't Want to Spend More." However, I really wanted to pick an unavailable option; that is: "No, I think that manufacturing jobs, while horrendous by U.S. standards, represent the single best opportunity that people in countries around the world have to lift themselves, and their children, out of poverty. I think that these jobs represent a fundamental aspect of any society's attempts to forge a robust middle class. I think that a robust middle class in places like China, India, and Indonesia will lead to a world that is better for me and for America generally. As a result of these convictions, I prefer to purchase foreign made." Unfortunately, that option didn't fit into the poll format.

  • Troy - 15 years ago

    Yes I'd be willing to pay slightly more and being in manufacturing(machinist/programmer) I know very well that we could make them here for a competitive price. When you factor in the environmental impact of the boat trip over here when sourcing over seas, It just makes sense to build things closer to where the materials are readily available. Most of the processing is automated today so labor isn't the advantage it used to be. The question is when will US businesses be allowed to get back to making goods and spend less time, expenses and energy working around and through bureaucratic road blocks.

  • The fact that 1300 people have voted and not one single comment has been made seems a bit odd, but to everyone who favors buying American, why wouldn't you favor buying local? What makes Detroit so special that you wouldn't try to start a car company locally as to benefit your community? Why would you buy anything that couldn't be produced by your community? Because you share something with Americans across the country, but not people in a different country? How do you know you share something with them? You've never met them!

    Why not let people you've never met before compete for your hard earned dollar, regardless of geographical or political affiliation?

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