We are a nation who puts top priority on everything being cheap. No, that doesn’t apply to our military. We throw so much money into our war machines their top priority has to be figuring out how to spend it all. But since there are so many outstretched hands wanting to relieve us of our hard-paid tax dollars that even ends up not a big problem.
Getting back to the topic at hand. Among our European neighbors we in the U.S. are mostly known for the shabby goods we readily accept. Don’t get me wrong, we know quality when we see it and sometimes we actually demand it but for the most part if something is ten cents cheaper than another choice we will plunk down less money.
I don’t know how many of you have heard the phrase or seen the movie “The Perfect Storm”. Here is how Wikipedia describes that:
A “perfect storm” is an expression that describes an event where a rare combination of circumstances will aggravate a situation drastically. The term is also used to describe an actual phenomenon that happens to occur in such a confluence, resulting in an event of unusual magnitude
In our search for ever cheaper goods and services we seem to have found our “perfect storm” in this arena. China has charged upon the world stage as the premiere producer of low-cost goods. Of course that is because there are billions of people in that country who will toil endlessly for hours and hours for pennies a day pay. And since the Chinese government has also developed a strategy to eventually take over as the world’s manufacturer they will do whatever it takes to get all those jobs into their country.
So China is one of the things that is part of “a rare combination”. Another part is our insatiable greed when it comes to capitalism. Almost our entire economy is geared toward maximizing profits. Little else seems to matter in our business world. There used to be what was known as the “three-legged stool” in American business: owners, employees, and customers. Equal weight was put on pleasing all three. That concept went out the window during the Reagan years.
The last part of the “perfect storm” combination is the stagnant wages for the majority of us in the U.S. Except for about the top 10% wages in this country have actually declined over the last thirty years. But, unfortunately the marketing pitches to buy more and more is still pushed on us and worse yet, readily accepted. So in order to buy more and more with less and less we have to buy cheaper and cheaper. So this is the final string to the perfect storm hairball that we find ourselves in today.
Are we poised for the perfect storm of seeing our economic and industrial power being rapidly drained from us? Who am I to say?
RJ's Corner - Having My Say 
I would maybe add another tendency and that is going “cheap” for important things and splurging recklessly on the frivolous. Example: The sewers here in town were put in anywhere from the 1880’s on. Many areas they are failing. It is financially unthinkable to dig them up and replace with new. The cheapest way to fix them is with a sleeve that is inserted and seals the old pipe for another 50 years. The city has over 800 miles of sewer line, so it is only being done “as needed”… in other words after a break and the ensuing mess. There is just never enough money … same with bridges, roads, etc… Yet, every major sport (and a few minor ones) get new “state of the art” stadiums…heavily funded by taxpayers. Bike and ski trails are built right and left. Home owners and businesses are closed or moved to accomodate them. When it comes to these “entertainment” items the politicians are a font of creative ideas to raise the money! When it’s something vital they throw up their hands and say “no money” or “we don’t like to raise taxes”…Ha!
How did our priorities get so upside down? Too much prosperity and self indulgence?
I think we are poised, as you say, for a perfect storm on more than one front.
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I think the storm is here and the wave is above us. We can either ride it out or go under it. Either way, most likely, we will come out- either refreshed or jumbled with lots of sand in our hair.
i , for one, never again bought a piece of designer clothing after living in China. After seeing first hand the conditions that the designers had people working under—and knowing it cost between $3-4.00 to produce what the designer would sell for several hundred. Never again. You are actually paying closer to the price being made at….Walmart! Much less profit margin .
Until people are willing to say, “Only from our country”, will the manufacturing move. We WILL pay more- but then maybe we would own much less. I wouldn’t mind moving back to 2 work outfits and one “Sunday go to meeting”.
Then again- we will be depriving many of jobs overseas.
What a mess.
BTW- the arms we just sent to Syria- produced and paid for by the government- AFTER the military said-” we have plenty—could you take it off the line?” But—-we already had a contract so they were built anyway :<( Please do not send my son there!!!!!!
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Janette, I would like to buy All American. It’s almost impossible. Just looking around my house almost every object I pick up says China. Clothing is a mix of U.S., Asian, South America, China. I think some US manufacturers try to advertise their American Made products, but there aren’t very many. I hope the day will come when we have a real choice but it’s not here yet.
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Nice conservation you two. When I wrote the post I wasn’t thinking about government stuff but you are right Jane. We are so stingy with our taxes that much must be done on the cheap or not at all.
Janette, as Jane said it is really impossible to just buy American anymore. But we do need to support American manufacturers where we can. I personally don’t have a problem with sharing prosperity with the rest of the world. Lord knows we have had our inordinate share but like everything else balance is the solution and we just can’t seem to understand or at least maintain that.
Arms to Syria!! I am staying away from those type topics for a while so don’t get me worked up! :)
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