dieseltaylor Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 This really sucks: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/08/business/08drywall.html?_r=1&em Sixty to one hundred thousand homes ruined and not even taking into account health issues. Ouch! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tero Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 Yes, getting stuff cheap from China is good for everybody. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 I think it was about fifteen years ago I began noticing Chinese manufactured products appearing in US markets. They were nearly all crap to one degree or another. Soon the trickle became a flood. The quality of some items improved; a few were even impressive in some respects. But the vast majority that I have come into contact with are cheap, shoddy, or second-rate goods. We seem almost to have turned over the manufacture of a very great many consumer goods to the Chinese, even though they are not yet ready to make those goods up to what I would consider acceptable standards. While I don't advocate that we stop importing Chinese-made goods, I think someone should be enforcing some kind of standards. And we should not be putting out of work our own people who have the necessary skills and experience to produce goods that are more acceptable. Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergei Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 Even if you lived in a toxic house, eating toxic food and wearing toxic clothes, you'd still be better off than the Chinese workers who produce those goods for you. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Affentitten Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 I think it was about fifteen years ago I began noticing Chinese manufactured products appearing in US markets. They were nearly all crap to one degree or another. Soon the trickle became a flood. The quality of some items improved; a few were even impressive in some respects. But the vast majority that I have come into contact with are cheap, shoddy, or second-rate goods. We seem almost to have turned over the manufacture of a very great many consumer goods to the Chinese, even though they are not yet ready to make those goods up to what I would consider acceptable standards. While I don't advocate that we stop importing Chinese-made goods, I think someone should be enforcing some kind of standards. And we should not be putting out of work our own people who have the necessary skills and experience to produce goods that are more acceptable. Michael The difference is that say, 20 years ago, if your TV stopped working, you'd go and get it fixed. You would also probably keep that TV for 10 years or even more. These days, if your TV goes on the fritz and it's out of warranty, you just junk it and buy a new one. And you might upgrade your set every couple of years anyway as you go for the next feature and the next. (I mean, I don't do this, but it seems that many people I know do.) So quality is not an issue because you're feeding a much more voracious market. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 So quality is not an issue because you're feeding a much more voracious market. I wonder how long that level of rabid consumption can continue though. Aside from reduced buying due to the present recession, it may be that a more fundamental restructuring of buyer habits is underway. Not saying so much that people have "seen the light, placed one hand on their hearts and the other on the Bible, and reformed" as that they may be driven by a new set of economic imperatives. We shall see what we shall see. Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tools4fools Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 Standards are fine - but cost of houses will rise...and less people will be able to afford houses.. Maybe skilled people at hometurf can compete then when higher standards are set - but Chinese (or whoever) are capable of producing quality as well - not as cheap as their cr@p stuff but likely still cheaper than produced on hometurf. At then end buyer decides - and often buyer goes for cheapest available. Be glad you don't have those standards... A little house in Switzerland starts at 600'000$ but average near a city is rather 900'000. Nothing fancy. But build to quality and lot of regulations and standards fullfilled. Yet lots of products used are imported from far away. In the end I think it preserves a few jobs - but on the other hand much less people own houses, so less construction, less jobs there again... **** 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stalins Organ Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 I can assure you it's not a problem limited to the US nor to Chinese made bulding supplies - relaxation of regulations led to a crisis in New Zealand where brand new homes weer not waterproff & were literally rotting away within a few years of construction - the latest case was just a couple of days ago where tenants were given 1 hours notice to move out! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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