Ron I think we need to be smarter and more responsible when we bring lost jobs back to the USA. After watching this video It made me aware of the real cost of manufacturing:
http://www.storyofstuff.com/

Ron, I agree with you…to a point. Ideally, I’d love to keep all business in the US.

I’ve seen people who claim they are “Buy American”, yet they drive a foreign car and have many foreign products.

I grew up and still live in my hometown. We have a General Motors factory. I’ve seen many family members laid off in the past, and now currently because of declining sales to foreign market. My family always stressed buying american.

They’ve since become lax in doing so. I mean they do for the most part, but not entirely. I find it funny also that they don’t think the same way when dealing with other aspects of goods and services. For instance, I work at a hospital doing Xrays and CAT scans. My job is directly dependant on patients, yet I’ve seen my own parents getting Xrays at Dr’s offices/clinics. We lose alot of business to things like that. I give them sh*t.

I like to frequent mom and pop stores if I have the option to instead of places like Walmart. I like to think my money is going to an individual instead of the corporate CEO’s pocket.

Ron,

I whole-heartedly agree.

But ONE of the primary reasons for starting and growing a business is profit.

Our local governments (city/county/state) are making it increasingly more difficult to operate (let alone start from scratch) a manufacturing opeation here at home.

In the past, world-class manufacturers were offered incentives, and otherwise lured to setup shop. Now, with a true global econymy, as local govs (and federal to a certain degree) make the permit and licensing processes, not to mention taxation, so restrictive and expensive, manufacturers are getting the incentives they desire overseas.

So due to the complex nuances of socio-economics and politics-there’s no easy fix here.

For me, if I had ANY say in the matter, I would REQUIRE my product(s) to be ‘Made in the USA’… but at this juncture in my life and for this venue… I’m not in a position to be making such demands.

Good Luck

:o)

I don’t like the consequences but the cold fact is that manufacturing jobs going overseas is a straightforward matter of labor supply and demand.

The world has become effectively smaller due to communications and transportation improvements. There is now a much larger pool of labor available. That pool is historically lower paid. So, they can be employed to manufacture items at a lower product cost.

As long as other factors work out economically (transportation costs, currency exchange rates, tariffs, etc) outsourcing is more cost effective than insourcing.

It is not much different than a large influx of workers to a manufacturing town, offering to work at lower wages; when the dust settled they would get the jobs.

This applies to many skills beyond manufacturing; jobs are going overseas for engineering, some types of healthcare, and more.

This is one of many factors affecting the outsourcing phenomena, but is is a major one.

WOW Tom. What a special video! See, these issues, of manufacturing,clean environment, economics has become so complicated that I don’t think anyone in the world can figure with the correct answer.

What is special is the video you said to watch does break these issues down like a mathematical formula to common denominators to the simplest forms so an attempt can be made to solve.

EXCELLENT…thanks! I first said, oh no..20 minutes…but I gotta watch cause you said so. That was the best 20 minutes I spent in a while.

Ron Komorowski
Inventor of Handi-Straps
www.handi-straps.com

Bob…what about if we just say no more. Say no, our kids need these jobs and at any cost, I want my kid to have a job…so I’m keeping my factory here. Look, all our kids can’t be Edisons. some are born “workers” that need jobs.

Yeah, so it costs more at face value, but are the long term values well worth it? China and India are booming right now. They can do ANYTHING they want with their country right now. Is it because they are all “working” and not all just wheeling dealing and stealing from each other?

We know this boom of theirs is from manufacturing surges. Anyone can figure that out. Did we lose the American Dream then to India and China? Is it just time we all band together and say NO to excessive outsourcing?

Ron Komorowski
Inventor of Handi-Straps
www.handi-straps.com

The good side of having a week dollar is that other countries are buying our products at a greater rate. Thier money buys more. Additionally, foreign factories are closing down at record rates, no longer being profitable due to workers rights and environmental concerns. “Made in the USA” is more then a slogan. It means that it is made with Human rights in mind, and environmentally conscious practices. Additionally, shipping is getting more and more expensive, so if you have a US market, then you can elliminate the additional fuel costs and tariffs.

Hi Tom:

CUDOS!

Thank you for sharing this link!

http://www.storyofstuff.com

It gets 5 STARS from me !!!

It was one of the most important videos I have every seen!

I heartily encourage all Edison Nation’ers to watch it, and
I think it should have it’s own forum topic.

(The irony is that we all have ideas on how to make more ‘stuff’… but if we approach it correctly, most of us can do it without contributing to the ruin of the planet)

I agree Paul…ya know us inventors really are in the decision making driver’s seat to be able to make a difference. Tom’s link should have it’s own thread. I am amazed at the genius to figure it out and tell the answer so simply!!!!

Ron Komorowski
Inventor of Handi-Straps
www.handi-straps.com

That is definitely a great movie. When I rebuilt my house, I went as green as I could afford. New windows, new appliances, increased the insulation, energy efficient lightbulbs. Yes, I spent about 10G on the whole project (materials only, I did the labor), but… my neighbors are paying up to 400% more in gas and electric bills then I am, with comparable houses. When my January heat and electric bills are reaching $100, my neighbors bills are reaching $300-$400. And that is just one month.
One thing that I was suprised was not mentioned in the movie though was “packaging”. 95% of my trash is packaging.
Unfortunately, because of Alaska’s remote location, recycling in not a viable option. Very few products are manufactured here, and shipping our tinfoil to portland just doesn’t make sense.
That leaves the two last R’s, reduce and reuse.

Paul I think most of us including myself are so involved in the process we aren’t aware of the big picture. The Story of Stuff video has was an eye opener for me.

Mark sounds like you are doing your part and it’s paying off. I have the opposite problem in the desert with excessive heat. Twenty five years ago I ran the return air from my swamp coolers (evaporative coolers) in my garage/workshop and sun room into the attic. I had people in construction tell me I was going to warp my trusses with the excess humidity. It never happened and my power bills have been lower than my neighbors for years.

I think this thread is generating a real display of intelligence on a number of very important matters. That is good!

I think inventors are the smartest people to figure these problems out. I’m learning a few things here!

Good for you Mark, for “going green” as much as you can. I think going green will be a symbol of the people that have the brains to care. It will show what they are made of and worthy of respect.

Ron Komorowski
Inventor of Handi-Straps
www.handi-straps.com

RE: “Bob…what about if we just say no more. Say no, our kids need these jobs and at any cost, I want my kid to have a job…so I’m keeping my factory here. Look, all our kids can’t be Edisons….etc.”

I am not an economist but my understanding is that what your are describing is ‘protectionism’, via involuntary means (tariffs) or voluntary means (‘just say no’.) This has been tried many times in the past and succeeds for a brief period and then fails on a large scale.

If we become a closed society, only consuming our own home-manufactured goods, other countries will develop their own economies and products that will eventually be more successful than ours – we’ll be living technologically behind them.

The only way to succeed with a more expensive product than the competition is to make a better product. That’s why some companies have brought support centers back to the US; the US support centers were still able to provide better services with better English-language skills. But if the foreign workers become equally competent in English (speaking and culturally) then the support centers will go back to where the lower cost is.

(And while I’m at it I wonder how this works out for providing support in Spanish, where we do have a growing pool of Spanish-speaking people within the US – both customers and support people – maybe that part of support stays here.)

This works for something like support centers where a US native may have better skills and provide better service, but it might not work assembling DVD players where there is no ‘home field advantage’ skill-wise.

I’m just ranting here – this is a big problem for us economically and I’m not seeing an easy solution.

The only solution I can see is to be innovative (go Edisons!) and stay ahead of the rest of the world. When the mills went overseas we susrged ahead with a technology industry. But now technology is going overseas also and we need something to replace it. A big problem with this is that sequential economic models appear to support smaller pools of higher-income workers. This aggravates the economic divide between the haves and have-nots within our own country.

I’ll stop now.

I think the http://www.storyofstuff.com video should be required viewing for people signing up for submitting a product idea to Everyday Edisons. It’s that serious of an issue.

We all have to wake up and ask ourselves if we really want to make more ‘stuff’. And at what cost?

And having a link to it as public service announcement at the end of EE episodes would getting the word out to millions of viewers. That might help shape their purchasing actions towards products that contribute to the earth’s stewardship and sustainability.

Awareness and education are the key.

Paul, Spreading the word is great, and as you can see from my previous threads I am all for the message here… but… I don’t feel elliminating products is the answer.
I myself don’t buy frivulous things, but deciding what is needed or wanted is not for us to decide. That would be equivilent to product sensorship. It could be argued that papertowel holders and lamp shades are unneccisary, picture frames are frivulous, shampoo is for the vain. I think responsibilty would go to though processes that include durability, longevity, green manufacturing, and as mentioned before, more responsible packaging. The packaging is what we create to be thrown away.
I find the commercial by Johnson and Johnson quite Ironic, that they have figured out how to use the methan gas from the nearby landfill to power their factory. What gets me is that most of the landfill is probably their own waste. Ethics is doing what is right, justice is forcing somebody to do what you think is right.

Bob…you made alot of sense here. I started this thread to learn more myself on this complicated issue. It’s like the biggest math equation ever to solve: economy + manufacturing – environmental pollution – outsourcing =

I see in my inventors group all talk about manufacturing in China as the way to go. I must have had a 100 offers to help me make this current product in china. Even my manufacturer talks about having things made in china eventually.

I am just saying we need to change our mentality a little and swing a portion of manufacturing back. Not 100%. Let’s start with 10% of what we lost in the past 30 years. See how that works and decide if we should try for more.

I am just so tired of hearing make it overseas. I want to hear a few start saying how about if we make some stuff here.

What will happen if we don’t? You either work on Wall Street or Wal-Mart cause there are no other jobs except service jobs just serving each other?

I say it’s time America rolls up it’s sleeves again and starts making a few more things. Good old fashion work is good for us. As for me, when I see a product stamped made in the U.S. I think it’s worth a couple extra bucks. I’ll try and buy as a matter of support for us all even.

I am betting that “Made in the U.S.” will carry some heavy marketing weight soon as we realize in these economic difficulties. I think it’s coming back. Got my chips down on it.

Ron Komorowski
Inventor of Handi-Straps
www.handi-straps.com

I am all for trying to get things made in the U.S first. The problem is once you have a licensing contract with a company you never know who they sub-contract their work too.
The other issue is how hard it is to find a product that all the parts were l00% done in the U.S.
Another problem is the loopholes the other countries use to bypass our laws. There was a push years ago on T.V from the clothing industry to only buy clothes with the Made in USA label. The Koreans got around that by renaming a town, you guessed it, “Made In USA”. So, they could legally label it “Made in USA”. The general public couldn’t tell the difference.
Inventors find themselves spending money for patents, lawyers, packaging, prototypes, market analysis and then it comes time to manufacture the product. Molds cost out the nose. By the time all this is done the Inventor is struggling to survive financially and has to make the decision to go with a U.S. company or a overseas company. The choice is between support an American company or save money that you need to get the product off the ground.
These decisions would be easier if the playing field was more level, but its not. An example is when I ran a internet filtering company. My partner and I wanted a 24 hour call center. The cost in the U.S was $9 an hour for employees. The overseas call service was $2.16 for the same service. It was a hard decision but we went with the U.S. company. That decision was one of the reasons we ended up shutting down the company due to high overhead.
I love this country, but from an economic standpoint we are our own worst enemy.

For me “Made in the USA” is a step up. Try getting approved for the “Made in Alaska” label!
http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/oed/mia/

Unless it’s made out of oil, coal, halibut or salmon, we don’t have the resources. Besides that you have to deal with Greenpeace, and every environmental organization in the world.

I would pay a few dollars more for “made in the USA” but you can never find like products side by side to give you the option.
Aside from that you have “raw materials from pakistan, processed in tiawan, manufactured in Korea, assembled in Indonesia, Packaged in Mexico, Imported by Canada, Distributed in the USA”

Ron, you used words like “Good for you”, “have the brains to care”, and “worthy of respect”. Thanks for the kind words, Can I put you down for a reference on my resume’? :)
And congrats on getting the last laugh with your cooling system!

Roger…the thing is…we need to try. Just try. All the people in my inventors group come up to me and ask me why not make it in China.

I want to roll up a magazine and wack them in the side of the head and scream CAUSE I LIVE HERE!!!!

Roger, so much manufacturing is automated, so we can make some stuff here. I talk to a couple of very large plastics manufacturers that manufacture here and abroad and they tell me that with automation it is not much cheaper in China anymore.

That was a couple years ago. Now with shipping costs rising to get your product here, and the environmental factor of burning more fuel, maybe some more things are feasible made here.

Ya know, I think like this; my product, if we can’t put a couple of stitches in here…we are SHOT. We have a bunch of women sewers that really need a job! Some are part time in the short night shift. Some come and go before and after having babies. It is nice to supply these sewing jobs to the community, it makes me feel good.

Also, made in the U.S. may mean as little as 51% and you have to be careful, as I do state made in the U.S. because there are regulations by the consumer protection agency. If you state falsly you are in alot of trouble, that is consumer fraud.

My webbing is made in Rhode Island and my elastic piece is made in Virginia. I am VERY happy to support these companies and they are very willing to help me with all kinds of business leads in return!

My hardware I believe is made in China, I don’t think I can help that but it’s just a couple of buckles. My hook accessory though is made in Texas. I am trying…and it sure does give me much more incentive and drive…another purpose, reason to strive.

Ron Komorowski
Inventor of Handi-Straps
www.handi-straps.com

Hey Ron, how about a Harley hangin from the handi-straps instead of a “Rice-burner”? Just kidding!

One of my favorite clothing companies for years has been Patagonia, I got into them when I was an avid mountain biker about 12 years and 40 lbs. less ago (or a wife and 2 kids ago)! Anyway I read an article by the founder Yvon Chouinard who said he wanted to keep having items made in the US, but then your competitors are making stuff overseas and you can’t compete. The market forces you to go overseas to stay in the game. Even if you aren’t greedy, the greedy ones moved the game so you have to go along or you’re out. Look at Wal-Mart, they’re a BIG driver of this. Add to their “whatever it takes to get it made cheap-er” MO, lesser conscientous shoppers (masses) who care more about saving 25 cents than the larger economic picture they know and maybe care nothing about, and you have got yourself a success story.

Don’t think there’s much turning back at this point.

Out of curiosity…what is everyone driving for vehicles?…clothes do you wear…etc?

I’m all for buy american, but find some of the strongest voices often make exceptions.

Jason,

Right on… but a funny thing about autos: I saw a snippet on the news (NOTE: I don’t believe much of what I hear on the news unless I can verify it myself) The Toyota Corolla (or Camry?) can be considered ‘Made in USA’ while the newer Ford Mustang (among others) cannot.

Hooda Thunkit?

:-O

It would help if these companies promoted themselves better. Say like on a site like this.

I want nothing more than to see my product manufactured in the USA. I hope I can. I can’t expect people to pay $35/unit for it however. It would never sell at that – I wouldn’t buy it at that. I’m not about putting as much money in my pocket as possible. I believe the people working for you (anybody) are the people who put “any” money in your pocket to begin with. I feel a lot of it is greed – since when is $350,000/year not enough to where you need $350 million/year? American Axle is out here by us – don’t know if any of you “outsiders” have seen the reports. They were striking – told that they had to take a pay cut – something like half of what they were accustomed to – just to keep the factory open. I think it was the CEO who just got an 8.5 million dollar bonus to top it all off – that’s a slap when others are taking cuts. Don’t get me wrong, there is something definitely wrong where a system is set up to where these workers are earning 60 to 70/hour, BUT you can’t just take it away. It only contributed to the expense of my darned car too, which is what makes people have to go elsewhere to get something made. I have avoided shopping at a particular store since the beginning of its appearance in my town, due to the outsourcing/overseas issue, and even though I feel like such a sellout going there now, I’m feeling a pinch these days that means I need to save and therefore I go. I do, I really feel like a louse walking those isles. Can’t shake it. I can get my OJ there for more than $1 less and each can of soup for more than $1 less, among around 10 other products, than where I’ve been buying it for years and years – a locally-owned business. I go there and buy these things, then I take the rest of my shopping back to the local business. I guess it makes me feel better conscioius wise to do it this way. I work at my current business all the while knowing that there has been a trend to outsource. God help me if those providing the foreign services ever actually get good enough to compare to the quality I offer. If they do, then I’m out.

Jason,

Speaking of vehicles, my dad was always very proud to buy American. All we’ve ever owned are Fords or GMs. Until my last Buick which was made in Canada, so I was like WTF? After that I didn’t think it made much difference anymore. I have a Volvo now which is owned by Ford, with the engine block from Japan, some other parts from Germany, and assembled in Belgium.

When you buy clothes it’s all over the place, China, India, Vietnam, etc… but no USA. Like many other immigrants, my mom’s first job in the US was at a ILGWU (For those that can remember “Work for the union label”) shop as a sewing machine operator. Don’t think there’s many of those anymore.

There was a news report I read once about a lady who tried to Buy only American, and how it was virtually impossible. I see Mfg. moving out as the current trend for a while now. My company just announced today that Mfg. here in NJ will be closing. So my time at my present job is ?
As much as I’d like to see it stay, it’s all global business competition, and until either the other places get too expensive and/or the US gets cheaper as a result, major mfg. is going to follow max profits.

These are all good points we can learn from but here’s one point that hasn’t been said. I think there is a new way to manufacture here.

The final cost of an item includes not more than 25% manufacturing costs. Everyone wants to be a salesman. we have salesmen upon salesmen and multiple distributors before an item reaches a consumer. Too many distributors.

If we can cut some of the bullshitting salesmen out and sell more direct like I am…with BIG help from the internet, maybe we can make a little more here…or atleast try to. I do believe the internet can make this happen. I am doing it. I know other manufacturers are too. It may be the only way for a U.S. manufacturer.

Ron Komorowski
Inventor of Handi-Straps
www.handi-straps.com

Ron,
This may sound a bit extreme but how about doing a month long study. Only buy American for one month. Create a forum on Edison Nation (or use the blog feature on your profile) and tell us exactly what you’re buying. I mean everything, too, coffee, gasoline (good luck getting 100% American gasoline), bread, butter, computers, smokes, whatever…

Always pick the Made in the USA option and make note of two things: 1) if there was a less expensive foreign option – and how much less expensive it was and 2) if you couldn’t get it 100% Made in the USA, what was it and what did you have to settle for?

I bet it would be a real eye-opener for a lot of us. I bet it would be a pretty transformative experience, too.

Good luck riding his Trek bike all over the place shopping.(foreign gas and oil)

Matt, that would be a cool idea. It reminds me of that guy who did the movie Super Size Me and ate only McDonalds.

I bet if you filmed it, you’d get national coverage.

I’d be willing to do the experiment, but I really don’t buy anything. I’m taking the summer off, so some days I never even make it to the mailbox. Since May 1, I have only spent $52 in gasoline.
As far as vehicles, I have a 1992 Ford F150, and a Honda CBR1000 Hurricane motorcycle, Proudly made by Honda of U.S.A.

American Vehicles: I Own a couple of Harley’s and a Dodge Magnum which has metric bolts and electrical parts from, china and other foreign company’s. So shouldn’t it read 60% American made vs. made in America?

Here’s the story… I think:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19508453/
Here’s a head start for research:
http://www.stillmadeinusa.com/

Even if it’s made in the US, it’ll probably contain raw materials purchased elsewhere. Like those TREKs with Shimano components. I think TREK makes only the very high end frames by hand in the US. The one I bought my daughter in 2006 (China-made) was later recalled because of a Manufacturing DEFECT.

Matt…I will think about your idea and maybe incorporate it into my Fall plans. I plan on promoting the hell out of myself to medias for the fact of pulling off a U.S. made product by selling manufacturer direct. This can be done, it may be the only way, and it ,may be the future with the new tool of the internet.

The U.S. just has too many salesmen. Too many sharp slick guys. Do you know how many calls I get from people who want to be reps? AMAZING! NONE from people that want to work on building a product line etc.

The other thing with your idea though, many lie about a product being made here. I’ve seen blatant lies surrounded by red white and blue in a major retailer. It was 80% made in China.

There are ways though…even American beef; when it’s not contaminated or there is a scare with mad cow disease, we export alot. There are products we can make but it has to be researched. There is also preventive against this rush of imports by becoming more aware.

I drink Yiengling beer. Oldest American brewery. It’s good, but it tastes even better when I remind myself of the American tradition behind it.

My product pitch is this. REALLY good quality. It is, I was very surprised when I received the first one and if something breaks, you can find me and throw a rock through my window. That gives people a reason to not consider price as much although the price is still cheap.

Point is, we must get creative to promote American Made once again. The pitch has to change too. I see this country getting wiped out; us losing all we gained if we don’t start manufacturing more here. The country’s entire value IS going down. No one can deny that.

Ron Komorowski
Inventor of Handi-Straps
www.handi-straps.com

Chic, the rules pretty much are 51% has to be made here to be called “Made in the U.S.” but it gets confusing when you check with the consumer protection agency which I did.

You can’t make anything really 100% here…it’s almost impossible.

I work with a big military manufacturer and have looked into their buying and selling systems. The military demands U.S. made, but that also means atleast 51% made here.

My product is all made here except the four simple metal buckles. I don’t know where they come from. Could be here for all I know…tough to find out too. You call up and ask a manufacturer and some office help could lie and say it was made here. I do know as fact my webbing is milled here…unless they are sneaking some in and marking it up…happens..but I don’t think these guys do. They are an American Landmark Murdock Webbing.

Ron Komorowski
Inventor of Handi-Straps
www.handi-straps.com

My product is 100% American made, I watch them produce about 250 today.

I know your product is hard to make here, but good for you. I guess it’s made in Texas. I think Texas is your best shot at feasible and competitive manufacturing in the U.S.

There are other places but Texas just has everything…manufacturers all over.

Know what Chic…Texas’ economy is doing pretty well. they seem to also have the top 4 cities doing well economically. I’d bet it’s because they have the biggest manufacturing sector in the country. They are rated as #2, CA being #1 but I think that’s more for intangible manufacturing like software. For products you can touch, Texas is #1

Know what…I’ll post that website here in this thread.

Ron Komorowski
Inventor of Handi-Straps
www.handi-straps.com

Yeah ron post that website

To Chic and all others here who may have an U.S. made product, you can get some free publicity on these websites as they are promoting made in USA.

I have been following these websites and they do seem to be growing. I am on one of them and do receive substantial web traffic.

Also, if you care to do a search with “Made in USA” you will find many interesting sites with information on this debated subject along with supporters who understand you may undergo more of a struggle but praise you for your American pride.

The websites are:
www.madeinusa.org www.madeinusa.com

Ron Komorowski
Inventor of Handi-Straps
www.handi-straps.com

I have a question. I just heard that the U.S. may very well be in for a decade long downturn like in the 70’s

If the whole country really tried to buy U.S. made products, would that pull us out of it? Help those companies by supporting which will make them stronger to export more bringing more money in the U.S.

Is it possible that this would do the trick? Only once I heard a government official say on the news to spend the tax rebate checks on U.S. made products.

Ron Komorowski
Inventor of Handi-Straps
www.handi-straps.com

ROn, I think that’s a double edge sword. US product sales would go up, but US production would go down. We’d all be driving around trying to find US stuff, instead of making stuff. Plus, we’d hurt all the US distributors and salespeople. It’s the interest on all of Bush’s loans that is killing us.

Mark, that’s the problem…we have way too many sales people in this country because it’s much less work just moving your mouth than moving your whole body making something!!!!!!!

If we cut out some of the sales people, get them manufacturing a little, prices can go down and also the manufacturers need to sell more direct.

Right now I am selling direct. With my operation costs I really can’t sell through distributors. Maybe I can but I am trying a new way of bringing a product to market and I hope it catches with my big mouth promoting direct sales.

After all my work on my invention, why should some salesman make double what I would make if I used them? Don’t I deserve to make the most? This is my belief.

As far as made here, suppose a few people on EN buy my product, I take the profits and buy one of Chic’s wonderful invention. Nice thing right? We all get to use the money. If we all buy foreign made stuff that is less money we get to use because some of the manufacturing money leaves the country and does not come back because of the off balance trade deficit.

I say it is time we just try a little harder to keep profits circulating in this country a little more. Just may be “what the doctor ordered” to pull us out of the turbulent economic times.

Ron Komorowski
Inventor of Handi-Straps
www.handi-straps.com

I guess I didn’t get the response I was looking for here. I see things before others do. The United States is in severe trouble right now as the knowledgable news anchors are starting to report.

I said this a year ago that this wasn’t just another normal recession in the economic cycle; our economic cycle is broken, too many holes, it leaks our American assets.

Yesterday I saw a product that said “Made in Britain for quality” How nice I thought. A company really trying and I would suspect they try to live up to their words.

Point is, these advocates for domestic manufacturing will become so very important in the economic survival of developed countries.

People just don’t see it but manufacturing (actual work producing something of value) is what builds a country. Just selling stuff(bullshitting your way through economic prosperity) isn’t going to hold up and help a country thrive. It does not make anything of value for a country to have worth.

I wish others would understand this before it is too late. Somehow the United States must manufacture more reguardless of global competition. Susidize manufacturing when we have to.

Also don’t forget it does not matter how much something costs to the welfare of the country if that profit stays in the economic cycle letting others use the money too for their welfare; if it is manufactured domestically.

The trick is to get citizens to be loyal to their country and also this is why countries have tariffs to protect their manufacturing sector.

This is why you hear that NAFTA and other trade agreements are not fair to the U.S. Clinton and Obama have talked heavily about this.

Mark my words…manufacturing and also taking those products to pick up money internationally is the ONLY thing that can save this country as we know it has been…great. This is becoming more and more obvious every day in the medias. I hope people don’t finally get it when it is much too late to bring back competitive manufacturing to the United States.

Ron Komorowski
Inventor of Handi-Straps
www.handi-straps.com

We try to help in the big picture. My husband
just leased a Saturn Vue – made in U.S.A.
Everbody – just try a little harder to help our
own country. We need to bring the pride back
to our people and country.

If the US miltary and the US money are both strong, then we’ll never allow our government to join into the EU. But, if our governemnt makes choices that happened to weaken the value of our currency, and weaken the military, causing us to call in other countries to work with us, then american citizens would demand our government do something, like maybe join the EU. (AKA Global community/ Revived Roman Empire/ one-world-order) Or at least that’s what I’ve been saying for 10 years.
All of us doing our part to support our country can overpower the supressive powers against us. Of course electing the right people helps too.

(government disclosure: this is a private conversation, and I love to lie.)

Toni…you have the right answer. Let’s just be more aware that we should try to buy American made products.

This country needs the help. If it’s a couple bucks more and you can afford it, think about it. If you can’t afford and you have to buy foreign made then that is OK…but just consider and keep an eye out for U.S. made.

It is a fact that U.S. made products are in demand around the world because the world knows U.S. products to be of high quality. We are the #2 exporting country in the world.

It is not always more expensive either, U.S. made products, because of automation and especially in food products which have always been the exception and exported around the world with worldwide fans.

Some of our fast food chains we can be very proud of growing like mad in China and other countries. The execs at McDonalds are jumping up and down over the anticipated growth in China. Coca-Cola onle has something like 25% of sales in the U.S., the rest are overseas which is WONDERFUL.

Let’s just be aware and try to buy U.S. made…IT MAY JUST BE A MATTER OF THIS COUNTRY’S SURVIVAL AS WE KNOW IT!!

Ron Komorowski
Inventor of Handi-Straps
www.handi-straps.com

Amen to that!

Here’s a shameless plug: Now you can buy your very own (Made in the USA) Edison Nation t-shirt right here: http://www.cafepress.com/edisonnation.292578053

Matt,
Thanks for the shameless plug, but is there a Womens t-shirt, you know we are built a little bit differently

Never mind! I found them and am preparing my order!