BS: What's wrong in the USA

Subject: RE: BS: What's wrong in the USA
From: Kim C
Date: 25 Mar 02 - 02:38 PM

Do some of the poorly-paid workers in other countries not also work to support the bloated lifestyles of their own government officials and other like figures?

The latest National Geographic had an interesting article about the diamond trade. Not only do the diamond brokers get rich, so do the local warlords. Also it talks about the expert diamond-cutters in India, who can facet a diamond as tiny as the seed on a strawberry - highly skilled work, for which they make very little money.

I used to get a catalog of pricey South American imports, mostly knitted goods. A sidebar in the catalog said that some of the sweaters took about four months for an expert knitter to complete. They were selling these things for $400, and I know very well the people who made them were probably not even getting half of that for their trouble.

I forget who it was that mentioned the Deva catalog - their goods are fabulous, at a fair price. I am still wearing a dress I bought from them a good 5 years ago.

Something else I've noticed, is that goods are just not as good as they once were. When I was in junior high, in 1980, I had a pair of Adidas. That was the big thing then. I wore those shoes for a good 8-10 years before they finally gave out. I bought a new pair of Adidas, and within a year they were toast, and it wasn't because they were subjected to any hard wear or adverse conditions.

I bought an expensive Denman (Made in England) hair brush several years back. I loved it. The rubber on it started to deteriorate, so I went to the salon and bought a new one. The new brushes have a skimpier handle - one of the things I really like about the old brush was the weight and shape of the handle. Same price, less brush. Hmpf.

I been saying for years that Wal-Mart was the anti-christ, and everyone laughed at me...

Subject: RE: BS: What's wrong in the USA
From: GUEST,Chip A.
Date: 25 Mar 02 - 03:13 PM

The Geographic article made the rounds at our house last week. Having that story fresh in my mind is what caused me to respond to this thread in the first place.

It's true, of course, that these people also carry their own government officials on their backs. Them and hordes of middle men lined up between their hard working hands and our illusory little islands of plenty.

I don't believe it's necessary that there be "have nots" in order for there to be "haves". I believe it's possible for there to be a world of "haves". At least insofar as the earth is able to support us all very well. But boys will be boys, you know, and the boys all want to make a profit. Then, in order to keep the profit coming in the boys all want to have a little control.........banana republics anyone?

I think the best we can do is to live with our neighbors as well as we can, practice a little tolerance with one another and make MUSIC! Remember, it takes a string band to raise a child.

Okay, putting my head back in the sand now.

Chip A.

Subject: RE: BS: What's wrong in the USA
From: GUEST,DC
Date: 30 Mar 02 - 01:52 AM

Nothing is wrong. It is as near perfection in government as man will ever achieve.

A the Joe Clone that removes this is?

Subject: RE: BS: What's wrong in the USA
From: Escamillo
Date: 31 Mar 02 - 01:25 AM

Leprechaun, your phrase has enlighted me to understand why it is called the Anti-Christ:

"then you go into the Walmart to get doritos so you can watch the game at home, then some snot-nosed cheesy girl announces over the loud-speaker, "Attention Walmart shoppers, The Ducks won, beating California in the last quarter by..."

This is unheard of in Argentina, and, fortunately, it will not happen because WalMart is now departing, as Home Depot, Wendy's, Gillette, and many others did.

May God want that the Argentina disaster (see the thread "Still alive in Argentina") serves as an escape valve to globalization. Some symptoms are already noticeable: Mom&Pop stores are recovering from a 30% share to 45%, local manufacturers are trying to raise their heads (including myself as software developer), some absurd products are disappearing (French carrots, Danish cheese, Israeli peaches, U.S. candy, Italian coats, etc.) and 1.5 million tourists arrived in the last two weeks are frantically buying everything by the dozen. Soon I could export CDs with my voice !! (no, we better take care of that market)

Will we see again those golden days when you could buy a genuine locally made pair of leather shoes ? Buy an excellent guitar not made in Japan ? See our workers out of the streets, busy at their workshops ? Eat something tasteful ?

Wolfgang, sometimes we have some coincidence with the right wing. As a scientist, you may agree that the value of truth is independent of the source where the information comes from. :)

Un abrazo - Andrés

Subject: RE: BS: What's wrong in the USA
From: Coyote Breath
Date: 01 Apr 02 - 12:36 AM

We are lucky, here in New Haven, Missouri. We still have local markets. On my street almost all those who are working, work for Chrysler. No one buys a "foreign" car. Of course many of the components they attach to those American made cars are from off-shore vendors! Still our local wineries produce excellent products, our four or five local meat processors sell only local farm raised (no feed lots here) beef and pork and I buy my huge, lovely brown eggs from a lady down the road who has dozens and dozens of free ranging chickens. I shop locally. I can get it for less at Wally world. but I won't drive the 12 miles to do so. I figure I can't ever save enough money to justify our local stores going out of business.

Washington, the next town to the East of us is gleefully surrendering to the strip-mall mentality and becoming a bedroom community for St Louisans frightened that the black and poor will eat them for breakfast.

CB

Subject: RE: BS: What's wrong in the USA
From: Little Hawk
Date: 01 Apr 02 - 12:59 AM

I love old-fashioned stores, and I go into big malls as seldom as is absolutely necessary. Sounds like Argentina may be discovering its own identity again, as Cuba already has done. The price: you don't get Walmart, Blockbuster Video & McDonalds, etc. Halleluya! I loved it there.

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: What's wrong in the USA
From: Escamillo
Date: 01 Apr 02 - 02:13 AM

Beware of the industry or service that is especially made and marketed for foreign and tourist buyers. For example, those sweaters mentioned by Kim:

"I used to get a catalog of pricey South American imports, mostly knitted goods. A sidebar in the catalog said that some of the sweaters took about four months for an expert knitter to complete. They were selling these things for $400, and I know very well the people who made them were probably not even getting half of that for their trouble."

No, they will receive only 5 to 6 % of that price. Fortunately we in Argentina have never seen (until now) a level of exploitation similar to the South East Asia or Africa, but we do have child exploiters. Curiously, most of them are oriental immigrants who exploit Andean immigrants in a kind of sub-sub-world under the complicity of local authorities who take a good share of the earnings. Don't buy from them, please. Just choose a South American product when it fits your needs and competes well in price and quality without damage to local jobs or environment. Or, come here and eat Kilograms of REAL BEEF ! :)

Un abrazo - Andrés