[quote=briansd1][quote=CA renter]
Precisely why some of us really hate our current version of “free trade.” We gave up great jobs and well-made durable goods. Yes, they were more expensive than the plastic junk made in China, but a US-made, $500 widget might last a lifetime (or 20-30 years), while a Chinese-made $100K widget lasts only a couple of years. [/quote]
Free trade is good and increases our standard of living (as measured by the stuff we can buy with our money).
Take my Harbor Freight example. If you need to fix a fence you can buy a cheap air stapler for $20. It does the job but it’s crap and won’t last long.
Why do you need a $300 made-in-USA tool, if you’re not in the trade? You need a tool to use once and maybe you’ll misplace it somewhere in the garage.
So thanks to the cheap tool, you can build your fence yourself and save money to spend in other areas of the economy.
With many choices, we have to choose wisely.[/quote]
If you have a well-built tool, you can become more self-sufficient, even if you don’t use it professionally. Most people would be more inclined to learn how to use it well, and would be more likely to put it to good use if they had to pay more for it. Additionally, other people can borrow your tool (or you can borrow theirs), preventing a lot of pollution and reducing the need to use finite resources in the production of these goods.
If you have a $300 widget, trust me, you’re not “losing it in the garage”; you’re going to take much better care of it than you would that $20 piece of crap from China.
Arraya alluded to one of the issues with our version of “free trade,” in the above post: it’s a race to the bottom. Once a competitor grows their profit margins by going overseas (even while undercutting your price), you have very little choice but to follow them. Since we’ve off-shored so many of our good jobs that provided our higher-quality durable goods, we have no choice but to buy cheap crap from China. Many of us want that choice, but it’s been largely taken away from us.
As to your quote here:
Free trade is good and increases our standard of living (as measured by the stuff we can buy with our money).
You’re focusing on price, while I focus on value. We get MORE for our money when things are built to last. IMHO, our quality of life is better when we get more value for our money.
