[TheRealVille]

While sometimes it's impossible, I always try to buy off of locally owned merchants. I will give a little bit more for a product, if I have to, to buy off of a business owner that is local. It's impossible sometimes, being in rural EKY, to do that though. I completely agree with your "evil WalMart" statement.

[vundy33]

I like the Craftsman line of products. Tools, weed eaters, compressors, and such. Yes, some Sears stores carry Blu-Ray players. I've saw them in the one that is in the Fayette Mall.

Thanks man. I think I'm going to head down there in the next few days and check it out...might get my mom a small TV or something to go with it. Been looking for some tools for myself for a while too.

The Sears in Pikeville is on Town Mountain Rd, across the parking lot from where the old Food City was that was turned into a giant dollar store, correct..?

[Bob Seger]

Sadly, China can make it much cheaper, ship it over here and it be sold much cheaper. It is a sad truth.

I bet that if a pair of pants were made exclusively here and the same pair were made in China, it would be significantly cheaper to buy the Chinese product.

Do I like it? No, but it is the sad truth. American businesses would love for someone to make a point to only "Buy American" , because they make the money off of it, but their prices will be higher than that Chinese product. You can go ahead and buy that car or jeans or whatever at a much higher price from people that complain when they make $15 per hour plus benefits, while the Vietnamese/Chinese/Japanese/Mexican/etc... person makes nickles and dimes and is content with it.

Sadly, I do not blame businesses for moving overseas. If they can make the money and not deal with unions and workers wanting 10x what the overseas worker wants, why not?

With all of that said, if a product is the same price or relatively the same price, and I had the conscious choice to buy the USA product, I would. I would love for people not to lose their jobs because a factory owner can move his company to Mexico, still live in America and enjoy the beauty of being a US citizen, while making 5-6 times MORE money!

I remember being told once while I was young to never complain about what you get paid at your job, because there is always someone willing to do it for less. That is what is killing the US economy. We complain because we want $20 per hour as opposed to $15, while someone in China is willing to work for $1 an hour! Obviously, the businesses will leave. Kill the free trade agreement and things might change, but still.

I am a proud American but that doesn't mean I have to pay significantly more for something that is made in the US. It means I have the freedom to choose to be economically smart about it. I honestly would not care if China/Mexico/Japan/etc... was the richest country and we were number two, as long as we left each other alone.

I complain often about the greedy business owner always wanting more and charging more and paying less. However, the American worker, overall, is the same way. A buddy of mine made $26 per hour at a job he had. He got great hours and had a job that he loved. He was debating with the company because he wanted free dental insurance as well. Keep in mind that he makes $52,080 per year. My dental insurance costs me about $30 per month or $360 per year. He QUIT because they would give it to him but somebody 1 position above him got it. He was going to start work at the other factory about 30 minutes away that had the same position that he worked. Before he started working they moved away. Now I think he has been unemployed for about 2 years. Where would he be today if he would have said, I make $52,080 per year, why can't I be content with my wonderful salary and pay 1/3 of what I make per WEEK for dental insurance for A YEAR. (Good dental BTW). Stuff like that saddens me. I hope he finds work, this ordeal has obviously taught him humility.

Should we lay down for whatever the boss wants to pay, no! However, workers have to understand that the EMPLOYER writes the checks, not the EMPLOYEE!

You bring up some good points in your post. Those are the things that have got to be addressed in this country if we hope to survive.

But remember, right now, when you buy that Chinese product you need to keep in mind that,............The Red Army thanks you for your donation and the continued support of their state controlled enterprises that are fueled by what amounts to slave labor.

[TheRealVille]

Thanks man. I think I'm going to head down there in the next few days and check it out...might get my mom a small TV or something to go with it. Been looking for some tools for myself for a while too.

The Sears in Pikeville is on Town Mountain Rd, across the parking lot from where the old Food City was that was turned into a giant dollar store, correct..?

I don't know. I'm not familiar with Pikeville much.

[LWC]

You bring up some good points in your post. Those are the things that have got to be addressed in this country if we hope to survive.

But remember, right now, when you buy that Chinese product you need to keep in mind that,............The Red Army thanks you for your donation and the continued support of their state controlled enterprises that are fueled by what amounts to slave labor.

That is why I said earlier, as long as we are safe, I could care less if China was #1. If them being #1 is a REAL threat to our safety, that needs to be made more widely known.