I have "a friend" looking at buying a new mini-van for the family. His wife very much wants the popular and highly regarded Honda Odyssey. He insists that they must "Buy American" to save US jobs and because a foreign nameplate just sends US dollar profits overseas. We won't even go into the fact that "profits" go to shareholders and not the 'host" country and that very well could include HIS OWN mutual fund investments! So what do you think his brain does when faced with the fact that his "buy American" purchase is the Canadian-built Dodge instead of a Honda built in Alabama? To top it off... he is an arch-conservative republican who is ending up really just supporting the CAW/UAW and their far-left-of-center agenda and politics!
Issues are always more complicated than political pundits would like us to believe they are. Citizen Consumer, educate thyself!
Tell him to buy the M-Class.. it's made in Alabama or the Accord which is made in Maryland. Just don't buy "american" cause they seemed to built in Mexico or Canada lol.
Send your 'friend' to Princeton, IN where a few thousand Americans work every day building Toyotas. It's Princeton, right? Or is it Jasper. One of my high school rivals I just can't remember which one. Oh, and tell him to buy televisions, VCRs, and DVD players manufactured in the United States and use computers comprised entirely of components manufactured in the US. Let's see, what else? Oh yeah, make sure they check the tags on their clothes including shoes and jackets. Unless, of course, they are convinced that buying GE televisions and Nike shoes supports working American citizens.
Remind him NOT to shop at Walmart, who has been exporting manufacturing jobs to China for years. Manufacturing Plants in the US have closed and many jobs have been lost thanks to Walmart. Definitely check all clothing tags. Hopefully he looks good naked . My Ford Escort was manufactured in Mexico. My husband's in Indiana. His is actually the better manufactured car. So Made in the USA isn't a bad option if the car design is good. But so few Designed in the USA cars seem to be good any more. *sigh* Lisa
"he is an arch-conservative republican who is ending up really just supporting the CAW/UAW and their far-left-of-center agenda and politics!" Don't forget, what is considered "far-left-of-center" in the U.S. is considered mainstream in Canada. For Canadians, the U.S. mainsteam is far right of center.
Or just buy the Chrysler 300: A German-controlled "American" company, and the car is proudly built in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. Or how about the Dodge "Taco Truck" Quad Cab, made in Mexico?
I like this letter from the latest issue of Consumer Reports: You're in our driver's seat Has a little tidbit in there about which American made cars aren't built in America, and which Japanese cars are actually built in America and so forth.
The people that continue to support "American" car companies just don't get it. The thing is these folks who insist on buying their Chevy's and Dodges etc. also spend a lot of time shopping at Walmart! What is well represented in that article is that Americans CAN still make a good product in association with the world market. Give me an American made Toyota over a Mexican Dodge any old day!!
http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive...ks/1269771.html Looking at the domestics, why do they have 4 plants building the same truck?!?
Probably because they make a bunch of them. I think they're what make them (Chevy) the best selling brand - think about all those fleet vehicles, work trucks, university, power company, etc.
4 plants? right. Our Corolla is made in Canada, yours is primarily sourced from CA but some come from our plant. The Prius is primarily made in the Tsutsumi plant (the same one that makes the Camry). Toyota Auto Body is a subsidary and makes the extras as Toyota ramps production. Your Accord as well as ours is made in the Maryland plant. 4 plants is a lotta resources for one truck.
Well, there shouldn't be any problems with materials made in Mexico and Canada versus made in the U.S. After all, wasn't that what NAFTA was all about? Perhaps the "friend" should be supporting things made by our North and South neighbors.
I am on my fourth minivan in a dozen years and would offer this advice as a pro-American American: 1. Dodge is not an American company anymore. And it is not as good a minivan as it used to be - check out the ratings in ALL car magazines. 2. I now do not purchase American cars for lots of reasons including quality, cusotmer support, UAW presence, etc. 3. Most vehicles are not purely "American" made and have lots of cross over parts. 4. Most most importantly - we thought the Sienna was the best of the lot and have had two years of great ownership experience - we got the XLE AWD version and have been happy ever since. And, by evidence of their last elections - the Canadians are becoming much more conservative than you have given them credit for. Also watch as their socialized medical system is dissolving. Interesting in how conservatives have won elections in Canada, Australia, Germany, and of course here too. Must be the water Or could it be that their philosophies are winning in the marketplace of ideas B)
Uhhhgh.... I cannot even comment on this one... If this were true, i would try to leave planet earth altogether...
Their new Prime Minister is a conservative/liberal (circle one) Their newest Supreme Court Justice is a C/L? Their joinging the joint missle defense project with the US is a sign of C/L (ism)? Cost of Canadian health care is rising faster/slower than US health care?? Average wait time for bypass surgery, hernia repair, MRI scans is months/years ? Quebec - part of Canada or future independent country?? Canadian Defense Forces... able or unable to defend Canada or defend its interests abroad?
"Huh...makes ya wonder if their elections are rigged, too... " Guys, guys... Imagine that the democrats lost to Bush twice - a weaker candidate has never run. Imagine that the next Republican candidate might actually be able to speak in public and be a decent debater. Imagine Hilary Clinton running... Imagine the debacle that was 1980. Whoa. Imagine another 2 or 3 Supreme Court Justices appointed by the right.... Missle defense, idiocy? If Clinton did not let North Korea gets nukes and missiles to deliver them with I guess we wouldn't need them. Then again, as of now, North Korean missles can only reach California - no big loss And if they go off course towards Canada -- well then, who would make our cars for us or were would we get our wood from Or were would our AWOL's go? Geez - the problems we would have :blink: