Why don't we make things here? Why buy stuff from China?

[TreasonousBastard]

Howcum we export pork and soy beans and import televisions? Isn't that what third-world counties do? Well, of course we do make things here. But, sometimes that invisible hand gets stuck. Take N95 masks...

This article basically says that we have a number of companies making N95 masks, but they can't sell them. They are perfectly good masks, but got stuck in the incredible web of purchasing mysteries.

Northwell Health, one of the biggest, maybe the biggest, hospital chains uses millions of these a year, but runs short. Problem is that if DemeTech goes to a local hospital, they are sent to "Purchasing" which already has contracts lined up and is loathe to pay an extra buck a mask. Distributers the same way. Amazon and Google have banned mask selling because fraudulent sellers can outnumber legitimate ones. Meanwhile, DemeTech has warehouses full of them. That containers full of masks and other stuff are tied up in salt-water "traffic jams" trying to get into port is only the tip of the iceberg.

We don't have any sort of a national policy to deal with this, and localities too often have hands out.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/10/health/covid-masks-china-united-states.html

[Blue Owl]

1. So the corporate, Republican CEO's can pocket more $$$

[TreasonousBastard]

2. Well, too many companies find actually doing or making things is troublesome...

much better to make money from stock swaps.

[mitch96]

3. correct.. it's all about the Benjamin's.. Labor costs are less in asia..

product is less there for save a bunch of cash and get a fat bonus.. YMMV
m

[Blue Owl]

11. And also the oil & gas industry who benefits from the fuel demands of transcontinental shipping

And those big oil companies notoriously trend conservative/republican...

[OldBaldy1701E]

4. Exactly!

I had someone ask me a similar question last week. I replied, "Because the American people seem to want the Ferengi to be in charge of the entire country, when it was obvious, from Quark on down, that putting vulture capitalists in any position of responsibility would be seriously dangerous to the culture and the people. Because they only care about wealth and d**k waving."

[Shermann]

5. So there is actually a glut of N95's?

That's pretty bizarre considering you still can't find them.

I imagine this will be completely sorted out at some point. I predict that we will require hospitals to buy the USA versions and we will have a robust supply chain based here and the national security issue will be solved in time for the NEXT pandemic.

In the meantime, what a debacle!

[flying_wahini]

6. And you get really sweet tax write offs when you are a business that has to ship products

Or parts overseas. That way it Really is an incentive to produce goods overseas.
Not to mention a lot easier for businesses to ‘hide’ money.
I bet Elaine Chou could explain a a lot more about it.

[2naSalit]

7. Also...

Environmental costs. Mining and manufacture are dirty and corporations, rather than invest in cleaner methods of production, they went to other countries to trash their environment instead.

[Firestorm49]

8. 1) The lion's share of the wealth in the country is in the pockets of the 1%.

2) Less money in the hands of those who create the products and services that put money in the pockets of the top 1% means that less money can be spent on goods and services.
3) Less goods and services being sold means that prices must come down for businesses to sell their product. They can only cut cost to a point.
4) Ultimately, producers of much of what we buy, in order to make them affordable to a shrinking middle class, must shift production to countries where even lower wages are paid. It has become the norm these days for both spouses to HAVE to work, as in many cases a single wage earner can no longer raise a family, buy a house, or send their kid(s) to college.
5) When those goods, services, and products become even more unaffordable, you now have created complete control of an entire sector of the population. Unbridled capitalism.
6) Automation will continue to erode jobs once performed by union workers that amplified upward mobility.

One reasonable way to invigorate an economy would be to encourage labor unions. Unions create upward mobility, security for the common Joe (Jolene) and competition for workers. The result is more goods and services being sold, factories ramping up production, security and peace of mind that the America that was once the greatest nation on Earth can reclaim its status.

[no_hypocrisy]

9. Ask American businesses why.

Their Boards of Directors choose to build factories overseas to avoid paying even minimum wage and to avoid environmental and zoning regulations.

My friend, a teacher, was approached by a former student who's making a gazillion dollars, soliciting American businesses to move their operations to China.

If you want most anything made in America, check your thrift stores. The stuff may not be new, but you find the quality to be more than adequate, e.g., dishes, cookware, clothing, etc.

My proposed remedy: penalize companies whose operations are overseas.

[Firestorm49]

10. Put money in the pockets of those who need it most, and watch the economy grow.

Demand creates supply. Put money in peoples pockets and you will see the economy grow and then you won’t need companies to shift production to China or other countries.

Of course you also need to deal with NAFTA and it’s siblings that encourage foreign importation.

[Worried2020]

12. $$$ - It's that simple - Robber Barons founded the USA's creation and it's wealth

.
.

starting with "imported" labor who worked for them getting nothing but survival benefits like food and shelter, while citizens tried to scratch out a living in the factories, mines etc., and from the soil.

$$$ run the USA, not the voters - the perpetual election cycles are for entertainment and distraction.

Once the robber barons/oligarchs/one-percenters/etc. figured out more dollars could be made by importing,

end of story . . . . .

Besides - need these resources to fund the permanent wars the USA has engaged in ever since they discovered it's all very profitable . . . .

(sigh)

W