American made tractor?

SPIKER · Jan 26, 2004

Hi all:

I like the thread but the thing is that most of everything that is manufactured is going to have forgien content some place, like others said it is HOW MUCH that makes a diff. I buy a lot of china made stuff too, but if I want the best tools, then i buy craftsmen. If i'm oing to use ti 2 times and not use it again for 10 years, then china stuff is OK. as for tractors, I bought a china made one, because it was all I could afford. it is great little machine works hard and hasn't broken down on me. anyhwo

I'm in OHIO. and here we have lost TONS of manufactureing jobs. and where did they go? to Mexico, brazil, indonisia. ect. the CEO's there make more than they do here ! you know why!? they are same CEO's that were here, but now the company can pay then 2 times as much because the manufacturing process is SO MUCH CHEAPER, like others said, not just hourly workers wages, but facts that they can manufacture with out epa, osha workers comp stuff too.! ok now they lower the price just about 1% so everyone buys it faster, and they are making 50% more profit, where does it go? into CEO's and other big paying peps pockets...

here in OHIO, the gov, (TAFT not that great but at least he wants to run for pres and repeal NAFTA) which will at least help pay for the government to fix up IRAC after we removed teh dictator!

so lets RAISE taxes on the US workers and COMPANIES, let forgien copmanies and the old us companies who went overseas to send in all the trade they can free, that way we can send MORE money over to the rich oil countries! ARGGG,

(needlsess to say I'm WAY aginst sending more $ ovver there, when WE don't get anything in return! (they say security?) hell with that for 80 billion I'm sure we can stop every terrost from comming in and ceap the $ HERE!) ya I sound like an anti bush, but I'm not, I'm anti sending money over there! I even voted for bush becasue what was the OTHER CHOICE? the same idiots who put NAFTA INTO PLACE!? I don't think so!

ok off my soap box which was made in china, shipped over here costing pennies and assembeled in mexico then shipped FREE across the boarder costing more american soap box makers jobs! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Mark :evil:

art · Jan 26, 2004

I normally go the American route and I'm proud to be one and I enjoy the privilege of being one. I do feel that when it comes to my money I want the best that I can get for a dollar and I enjoy knowing that I can do that here.

AndyM · Jan 26, 2004

( And Hummers.
And wear Brand H clothing.
Or wear Brand T boots.
Eat at the more expensive restaurants.....

There are a lot of people in this country that are about 2 paychecks away from bankruptcy. )

I listen to some people say that back in the 1950's and 1960's, that only one income was needed to support their family, and now things are so bad that both the husband and wife HAVE to work.

That would be true if they had the SAME standard of living they had then, but the 1000 square foot cape cod in the suburbs has given way to a 2900 square foot house in the new delvelopment just outside of town. Rather than eating out once every two weeks, fast food has become a staple of our daily lunches and eating out or take out food is a nightly part of our dinners. Instead of the basic 4 door family car (just one!) we have to have a new SUV for $40000, even though it's never going to be used in 4 wheel drive, and a new $30000 pickup truck, even though nothing will ever go into the bed. Add cable TV's, DVD's, internet access, and camera phones for everyone in the family!

Things aren't so bad that we NEED both husband and wife working to support the family. If families live at the same level of 40 or 50 years ago, only one spouse would need to work. We built our 1800 square foot house last year, and everyone keeps telling us it's a small house. I grew up in a family of four in a 900 square foot bungalow on a city lot, and didn't know we were crowded.

The simple fact is, people WANT more, and that is why husband and wife work. Then they get credit easily, wind up with a house bigger than they can afford and use one credit card to pay the other.

I may be as guilty as the next person, but the point is, we've become a greedy society, wanting more and more with less and less and we don't want to worry about the consequences later. This is true for BOTH families and corporations...

rtimgray · Jan 26, 2004

You've hit the nail on the head, Andy. A hearty "Amen" to everything you said.

There's two ways to be richer: make more or desire less.

higgy · Jan 26, 2004

IT would seem so. I'm going the other way. Down size (well i never upsized) be as self-sufficiant as I can, grow what I need and be good to the earth.

Disconnect, unplug and through out the phone, kept the net. Kids are getting used to the idea, and after the first shock, don't seem to care much. Off topic, but I wount be captive to STUFF!
Just to my farm!

shvl73 · Jan 26, 2004

I think Andy nailed precisely. People WANT alot, People THINK they need alot. They couldn't be further from the truth.

Bird · Jan 26, 2004

Reminds me of one of my college sociology courses and the theory of "relative deprivation". A lot of stuff we wouldn't even know existed or that we needed it if it weren't for TV, advertising, and "keeping up with the Joneses." /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Bob_Skurka · Jan 26, 2004

I think there is a big difference between WANT and NEED.

My parents had a telephone to communicate with the outside world. It cost about $30 a month. I have a phone. I have 2 cell phones. I have a satellite dish for my computer. Combined they cost me about $300 a month.

My parents had a car, they eventually got a second car. I started with 2 cars when I got married. Now I have 3 because I sold one recently. And a bunch of tractors. And some scooters. And there are only 2 people in my family who are old enough to drive! How much transportation do I need?

My parents had a beautiful home. They moved to a condo on the golf course. It was even nicer than the house, but still not too big. But when I built my house a few years ago it was 4000 square feet, and we have another 1500 square feet of patios. And then we added a pool, and a pool house, and deck, and more patio, and a pool house. I don't even go into most of the rooms of my house!!!

When I was a kid I played in cardboard boxes and built a tree house out of scrap wood. My daughter has a play house that has cathedral ceilings, electricity to power exterior & interior lights, 2 rooms (7' by 8' and 8' by 14') plus a sun deck. It has 7 windows and 2 custom made doors that are 5'5" tall. And it is landscaped!

I think we live in a world today when we raise expectations so high that we just keep wanting more. I have lots of STUFF, but I have come to realize that what I really want is TIME to enjoy simple things and I really think that I could be happier with LESS stuff and more relaxation. My wife quit her job as a high level corporate banker to become a high school teacher. I am trying to figure out how to quit my job and become a market farmer to sell produce on the weekends. Somehow I think it would be a much simpler life that would be more fullfilling.

AndyM · Jan 26, 2004

( There's two ways to be richer: make more or desire less. )

That quote really got to me.
I was sitting over dinner in deep thought, and my wife asked what I was thinking about. I told her I was trying to think of ways to simply life.

We, as a society, spend so much time complaining about such small things that no one really takes the time to reflect on how much we, as Americans, have been so greatly blessed. Many times I think we have much more than we deserve...

Bob_Skurka · Jan 26, 2004

AndyM I totally agree with what you just wrote. I was lucky enough to visit Eastern Europe when the cold war was still in full swing. You really want to know how lucky we are, go over there! We have SO MUCH here and we can't even figure out how to appreciate what we have. In most parts of the world there is no clean water or safe food. We take both for granted. Our health care system, while not cheap, is amazing. We bring back to life people here that would not even be treated in many parts of the civilized (western) world and we think it is common. Sure, our drugs cost more, but our doctors do more, and we take it for granted. How often do most Americans worry about heating their homes or other things as simple as that. I've been to places where people burn tires to keep their corrugated shanties warm and then die of the fumes.

There must be a better way for us to live. I'm not complaining about my beautiful home, I'm just complaining about the lifestyle that I have that got me that home. And I am not alone. I moved to the country to get a simpler life. That was a decade ago. I'm still trying to find it! And I know many who envy me; they would be amazed to learn I envy people with far less. And I think it is a **** shame that most of us are still chasing happieness.