JBL manufacturing in China

[scott fitlin]

I don't think anyone said it did.

Interesting that when I used non audio, non JBL examples to gently illustrate some of the same points you are making I was scolded.

Mmmm?

Thomas

To be truthful, YOU wanted to continue, so?

[Mr. Widget]

Never having been a fan of the greed - I mean growth model, I applaud the feature section in the new (April 2010) Scientific American. The really big picture is the theme, and the article "Breaking the Growth Habit" is germane to this thread in particular.

The growth model of business makes a very few very wealthy and leaves everything and everyone else in wreckage, the Earth included.

I'll have to look into that.

Unfortunately we even have a political movement that is against science.

How did we get here? ...this is not my beautiful wife....


Widget

[Wagner]

NOW you want to get along?

We wanted to NOT go here, but some so desperately NEEDED to go there!

So, now we are here, BUT the problems with your arguments, are simply that this has been going on for so long, and we have been dependent upon American design/Foreign manufacture for so long, we can't turn back now. We just won't, either.

Wagner, you wanted to be a politician, NOW we are all POLITICIANS!

?
I am not arguing with you.

Thomas

[Wagner]

I'll have to look into that.

Unfortunately we even have a political movement that is against science.

How did we get here? ...this is not my beautiful wife....


Widget

Ah so, David Byrne!

Thanks for reminding me, now I'll have to go and dig up "Angels"!

Thomas

[jim3860]

Well, unfortunately, so is making THE BIGGEST PROFIT!

True and we as a country have only ourselves to blame we have allowed these things to happen through our own actions.

Consumers want things cheaper, why go to your mom and pop store to purchase a loaf of bread or a gallon of milk when you can get the same bread and milk at Walmart for half the price?

Why go to your local mens store to get your clothes when you can go to K Mart and get the same jeans and shirts for half price?

Why go to your local furniture store or appliance store or hardware store or small engine shop? when you can go to Best Buy, Home Depot, Sears etc and get your products at half price?

All these huge chains have one thing in common.... they purchase overseas for far cheaper in bulk than the small stores can, they get huge tax breaks for opening new stores which further drive out the little shops they simply cant compete period. All these larger stores to remain competitive with each other have to sell for less than a competing store which means they cant purchase USA made products if they want to stay in business and the cycle continues.

The end result of all this is that down the road we all pay the price in lost jobs, skilled trades, tax sources, ability to make a liveable income which we are seeing right now as a result of things that started in the 60's and 70's and we will continue to see unless this trend changes.



REGARDS JIM

[Doc Mark]

Greetings, All,

Many outstanding points have been made in this thread, and even though it's wandered around a bit, the subjects under discussion are very, very important to us all!! Sweet Bride and I live in a small mountain town, and do our level best NOT to have to do down the mountain to do our shopping. We try, as best we can, do support our local food stores, restaurants, and other businesses. Yes, we occasionally have to venture down to a larger store for a certain item, or two. But, mostly, we shop where we live and support our local businesses. As a matter of principal, we seldom walk into Walmart, or any of the "big box" stores, unless we absolutely HAVE to do so.

Do I think that most other folks will think about, and then undertake doing the same thing? Not likely, unfortunately. Like most of the rest of you, however, Sweet Bride and I very much miss the days when American companies were proud to put the MOST they could into their products, and charged a fair price for those stellar efforts, like JBL did, back in the day. These days, most companies seem driven to put the very LEAST into their products, and in so doing, make their profits. But, then again, their customers are from the "throw away" generation, who really don't seem to expect their things to last, then when they do not, toss them out and go buy another just like it..... or worse. They want to pay the least, and the least is what they receive in return, both in goods and services. Go figure......

I absolutely agree that, if we are to survive as a Country, the US MUST change it's course, and quickly. But, we have obstructionists of all political stripes, happy to make their own "30 pieces of silver", no matter how distasteful, misguided, or even illegal, their activities, with, seemingly, little to no regard for how things go for the future of the US. May God bless us with the wisdom and the strength to clean our house enough so that the house may actually be saved from the wrecking ball. Take care, keep the faith, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

[scott fitlin]

?
I am not arguing with you.

Thomas

But you did what you wanted to, and so, NOW will I!

[Wagner]

Greetings, All,

Many outstanding points have been made in this thread, and even though it's wandered around a bit, the subjects under discussion are very, very important to us all!! Sweet Bride and I live in a small mountain town, and do our level best NOT to have to do down the mountain to do our shopping. We try, as best we can, do support our local food stores, restaurants, and other businesses. Yes, we occasionally have to venture down to a larger store for a certain item, or two. But, mostly, we shop where we live and support our local businesses. As a matter of principal, we seldom walk into Walmart, or any of the "big box" stores, unless we absolutely HAVE to do so.

Do I think that most other folks will think about, and then undertake doing the same thing? Not likely, unfortunately. Like most of the rest of you, however, Sweet Bride and I very much miss the days when American companies were proud to put the MOST they could into their products, and charged a fair price for those stellar efforts, like JBL did, back in the day. These days, most companies seem driven to put the very LEAST into their products, and in so doing, make their profits. But, then again, their customers are from the "throw away" generation, who really don't seem to expect their things to last, then when they do not, toss them out and go buy another just like it..... or worse. They want to pay the least, and the least is what they receive in return, both in goods and services. Go figure......

I absolutely agree that, if we are to survive as a Country, the US MUST change it's course, and quickly. But, we have obstructionists of all political stripes, happy to make their own "30 pieces of silver", no matter how distasteful, misguided, or even illegal, their activities, with, seemingly, little to no regard for how things go for the future of the US. May God bless us with the wisdom and the strength to clean our house enough so that the house may actually be saved from the wrecking ball. Take care, keep the faith, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

Yes
Good Man
+1

Thomas

[scott fitlin]

Who said we get to survive as a 1st rate nation? Don't ya know? WE are the NEW 3rd world country!

Tis us that will now serve the world, as the world served us for the last 150 years, or so.

Get used to your new position in life.

[Wagner]

Who said we get to survive as a 1st rate nation? Don't ya know? WE are the NEW 3rd world country!

Tis us that will now serve the world, as the world served us for the last 150 years, or so.

Get used to your new position in life.

Sad to hear you feel that way.

Thomas

[scott fitlin]

We are all entitled to our opinion, even when NOT asked for them, Ayy, Mr. Wagner?

[JoMoCo]

Failure to recognize REAL enemies leaves friends arguing amongst each other...

Deafness is both a cause & a result that grows all the more...

[Wagner]

Failure to recognize REAL enemies leaves friends arguing amongst each other...

Deafness is both a cause & a result that grows all the more...

You got that right!

Thomas

[hjames]

Great for you! Only time I hit Walmart is for prescriptions - I never buy food or goods there ... but we aren't the prime problem. Venture to say most of us are fairly comfortable - certainly have enough extra to have a speaker hobby but folks who are tight on their money shop these places to make ends meet. Younger folks without the older values shop these places so they can get more, and some of the folks who weren't born here shop there to stretch their dollars as well.

So, bottom line, no matter how many of us (boomer) folks stay out of Wally world, I don't think were the big problem - so, how to you stop the others, short of tarrifs on imports or land use policies that discourage big box stores ... ?
How do we talk JBL into going to the boutique market?
Sadly I think that's not possible, and they're just going to be the Memorex, RCA and Zenith of this decade ...

So sad ...

Greetings, All,

Many outstanding points have been made in this thread, and even though it's wandered around a bit, the subjects under discussion are very, very important to us all!! Sweet Bride and I live in a small mountain town, and do our level best NOT to have to do down the mountain to do our shopping. We try, as best we can, do support our local food stores, restaurants, and other businesses. Yes, we occasionally have to venture down to a larger store for a certain item, or two. But, mostly, we shop where we live and support our local businesses. As a matter of principal, we seldom walk into Walmart, or any of the "big box" stores, unless we absolutely HAVE to do so.

Do I think that most other folks will think about, and then undertake doing the same thing? Not likely, unfortunately. Like most of the rest of you, however, Sweet Bride and I very much miss the days when American companies were proud to put the MOST they could into their products, and charged a fair price for those stellar efforts, like JBL did, back in the day. These days, most companies seem driven to put the very LEAST into their products, and in so doing, make their profits. But, then again, their customers are from the "throw away" generation, who really don't seem to expect their things to last, then when they do not, toss them out and go buy another just like it..... or worse. They want to pay the least, and the least is what they receive in return, both in goods and services. Go figure......

I absolutely agree that, if we are to survive as a Country, the US MUST change it's course, and quickly. But, we have obstructionists of all political stripes, happy to make their own "30 pieces of silver", no matter how distasteful, misguided, or even illegal, their activities, with, seemingly, little to no regard for how things go for the future of the US. May God bless us with the wisdom and the strength to clean our house enough so that the house may actually be saved from the wrecking ball. Take care, keep the faith, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

[Wagner]

Great for you! Only time I hit Walmart is for prescriptions - I never buy food or goods there ... but we aren't the prime problem. Venture to say most of us are fairly comfortable - certainly have enough extra to have a speaker hobby but folks who are tight on their money shop these places to make ends meet. Younger folks without the older values shop these places so they can get more, and some of the folks who weren't born here shop there to stretch their dollars as well.

So, bottom line, no matter how many of us (boomer) folks stay out of Wally world, I don't think were the big problem - so, how to you stop the others, short of tarrifs on imports or land use policies that discourage big box stores ... ?
How do we talk JBL into going to the boutique market?
Sadly I think that's not possible, and they're just going to be the Memorex, RCA and Zenith of this decade ...

So sad ...

My son and I made a case study of our local WalMart.
We compared prices on 25 random items, from cookies to pellet rifles with the prices available at other brick and mortar chains here in the area for identical items.
Our conclusion from our little sampling? WalMart enjoys the enormous draw they do because of clever marketing,
AND the very intelligent use of high profile loss leaders combined with effective television advertising.
It's all a big lie, but almost everyone that enters their stores is convinced going in that they are going to save a shit pot full of money.
Except for the loss leaders (which all big chain stores feature from week to week) you'd be just as well off at Target, KMart or any of 'em.

Only thing Walmart has to offer that beats the other general merchandise giants is more crap in one place under one roof. At WalMart you can buy braided fishing line, a gallon of milk, a new car battery and a bra all in one stop for example. But there are other stores that offer the same, just maybe not as grotesque. General stores, it's not a new concept obviously; only the SCALE.

Kind of like a Costco without the membership fee (which is no longer the "great deal" it once was).

AND, chances are you can get all the crap you need for a week or two with one stop, which means one trip, which is I guess a savings needed and valued by some.

All marketing and volume (with a little brain washing (loss leader) propaganda thrown in).

Working well for them

If you don't believe me, try it yourself.

Thomas