Why is it?

[TallTom]

Foreign powers are excellent at getting tech by subversive means....they plant agents into tech firms and draw out whatever they want...

The west does the same to them...

Look at during the cold war how many Soviet inventions looked identical to western equipment and devices (they never worked the same though).

Noone knows this better than me. I made a living doing it for a time.

That's quite a bit different than handing it over. In who's mind does aiding and abetting an enemy makes us stronger?

 

[Bumblebee]

Noone knows this better than me. I made a living doing it for a time.

That's quite a bit different than handing it over. In who's mind does aiding and abetting an enemy makes us stronger?

There was technology share pact made a while back that saw a lot of tech moving back and forth...some of it stays close to the chest however...handing all this tech to the Ukrainians is putting it right in the hands of our future enemies as it is captured.......and then eventually reverse engineered...

 

[TallTom]

There was technology share pact made a while back that saw a lot of tech moving back and forth...some of it stays close to the chest however...handing all this tech to the Ukrainians is putting it right in the hands of our future enemies as it is captured.......and then eventually reverse engineered...

It all started with NAFTA. And the ever burning need to keep labor cost down. And it got worse when we decided we could capitalize on China making everything.

Example: We want you to make an engine turbine blade. And we give them blueprints for the whole engine. It was because we felt we could rely on them to be a team player. And they now can build their own engines, aircrafts, cars, space stations and stealth aircraft. Not because they are innovators. But because we gave decades worth of our hard work so they could be our cheap supply source.

And our dumbasses used to make electronic components. This became a huge problem on the backend of my career. We were trying to replace components, and we no longer made them. And what we got from China was pure crap. So how did we fix it? Open up the spec tolerances so the China Crap would eventually be acceptable. Just keep it cheap!

It drove us crazy.

Our previous administration recognized this. And was trying to level the playing field. So that made in America would actually start to mean something again.

 

[Bumblebee]

It all started with NAFTA. And the ever burning need to keep labor cost down. And it got worse when we decided we could capitalize on China making everything.

Example: We want you to make an engine turbine blade. And we give them blueprints for the whole engine. It was because we felt we could rely on them to be a team player. And they now can build their own engines, aircrafts, cars, space stations and stealth aircraft. Not because they are innovators. But because we gave decades worth of our hard work so they could be our cheap supply source.

And our dumbasses used to make electronic components. This became a huge problem on the backend of my career. We were trying to replace components, and we no longer made them. And what we got from China was pure crap. So how did we fix it? Open up the spec tolerances so the China Crap would eventually be acceptable. Just keep it cheap!

It drove us crazy.

Our previous administration recognized this. And was trying to level the playing field. So that made in America would actually start to mean something again.

The problem with your former administration is all the childishness that came with that package...

But, I agree that it would be good to have things made in our countries again but the consumer wouldn't pay more for a product...and it would cost much more to make products here in North America due to the cost of employing North Americans..

 

[TallTom]

The problem with your former administration is all the childishness that came with that package...

But, I agrees that it would be good to have things made in our countries again but the consumer wouldn't pay more for a product...and it would cost much more to make products here in North America due to the cost of employing North Americans..

I agree. We are spoiled with cheap chyt now. Germany dealt with this when they refused to give up manufacturing. Everything was expensive. But they all stayed employed.

 

[Bumblebee]

I agree. We are spoiled with cheap chyt now. Germany dealt with this when they refused to give up manufacturing. Everything was expensive. But they all stayed employed.

It's crazy to think we can send raw material there, they make the product and ship it back and it's still less expensive than making it here......of course quality assurance is only two words to them....

 

[WuzzaCBXRider]

It's crazy to think we can send raw material there, they make the product and ship it back and it's still less expensive than making it here......of course quality assurance is only two words to them....

I lived on the north coast of California in the late 70s and early 80s, right in the middle of a huge but declining timber industry. Ships from Japan would come in and be loaded with wood chips and sawdust. Eventually, pressed board products would be ‘manufactured’ there and then shipped back to America for sale. We had the basic materials but it was cheaper to send them across the ocean before the assembled materials were available for sale, right back where they came from?

On a related note re Kawasakis, the OEM oil filter for my Z900RS (made in Japan) says Made in China! It’s cheaper for Japan to have China make their oil filters too?

 

[Bumblebee]

So this guy (a veteran) gets into a firefight with some punks and is really lucky to have come out of that unscathed...

Of course he had a firearm in his truck and the bad guys got away with that....this is how many firearms end up in the hands of bad actors...owners aren't responsible.

I cringed when I saw him on the camera while he was going out to engage the intruders...his body positioning was not conducive to anyone who's been in combat...

 

[WuzzaCBXRider]

So this guy (a veteran) gets into a firefight with some punks and is really lucky to have come out of that unscathed...

Of course he had a firearm in his truck and the bad guys got away with that....this is how many firearms end up in the hands of bad actors...owners aren't responsible.

I cringed when I saw him on the camera while he was going out to engage the intruders...his body positioning was not conducive to anyone who's been in combat...

I didn’t hear anything about a weapon taken from his truck.

 

[Bumblebee]

I didn’t hear anything about a weapon taken from his truck.

It's in the video....2:25

 

[mabupa]

Do

It's crazy to think we can send raw material there, they make the product and ship it back and it's still less expensive than making it here......of course quality assurance is only two words to them....

don't quote me on this but I remember reading somewhere that even certain produce grown here was sent there for processing and packaging and then come back.

 

[mabupa]

It all started with NAFTA. And the ever burning need to keep labor cost down. And it got worse when we decided we could capitalize on China making everything.

Example: We want you to make an engine turbine blade. And we give them blueprints for the whole engine. It was because we felt we could rely on them to be a team player. And they now can build their own engines, aircrafts, cars, space stations and stealth aircraft. Not because they are innovators. But because we gave decades worth of our hard work so they could be our cheap supply source.

And our dumbasses used to make electronic components. This became a huge problem on the backend of my career. We were trying to replace components, and we no longer made them. And what we got from China was pure crap. So how did we fix it? Open up the spec tolerances so the China Crap would eventually be acceptable. Just keep it cheap!

It drove us crazy.

Our previous administration recognized this. And was trying to level the playing field. So that made in America would actually start to mean something again.

My father spent his life as a sales rep for some of the biggest importers/distributors (not in the USA) and the owners of the company would travel to the factories in China with samples of what they wanted mass produced. For example: one of the popular items was a gerber baby bottle. They would take one to the factory and tell them they wanted 100k bottles that looked just like that BUT at X price per unit. A couple of months later several containers full of baby bottles would arrive but you can already imagine the quality to meet a third world country’s price point. This was such a big problem that store owners would not buy a product from distributors, unless they could see a sample in person. This meant my that had to drive around in a van full of one of each of the items they distributed in the country and a meeting with a customer meant unloading and laying out everything for them to see/touch. This process had to be done with every single customer. I learned at an early age that I did not have what it took to follow in my father’s footsteps. Lol! I loved traveling our little country with him every summer but all that loading and unloading of that van got old quick. This was close to 30 years ago so it has been going on for awhile throughout the world.

 

[Bumblebee]

People who think they are mechanics aren't....?

A friend of mine and I were talking on the phone and his son (a super mechanic.....not really) changed out the engine in his Honda Civic with one out of an Acura...My friend asked me if I knew anything about them and I said I didn't know much but I can drop over to take a look if he wants.

So I go over and the kid is there telling me his engine is "effed" and will have to get it changed and so on and so on.....

As soon as I heard it run I knew right away it was a valve clatter...I pulled the cam cover and discovered one adjuster was missing and I could physically "rattle" any of the others which were not engaged. I asked for a stick magnet and fished out the adjuster from the oil recess and went to work adjusting the valves. I got them all in spec and when it was buttoned up told the lad to start it....other than the obnoxious exhaust, the engine was quiet. He said holy crap, I thought the engine was done and I told him it would have been a costly mistake to change it out without investigating why it was noisy.

It felt good to find the issue and resolve it yet it sucks because now there is another "fart can" car out on the streets with a young idiot behind the wheel....

 

[TallTom]

People who think they are mechanics aren't....?

A friend of mine and I were talking on the phone and his son (a super mechanic.....not really) changed out the engine in his Honda Civic with one out of an Acura...My friend asked me if I knew anything about them and I said I didn't know much but I can drop over to take a look if he wants.

So I go over and the kid is there telling me his engine is "effed" and will have to get it changed and so on and so on.....

As soon as I heard it run I knew right away it was a valve clatter...I pulled the cam cover and discovered one adjuster was missing and I could physically "rattle" any of the others which were not engaged. I asked for a stick magnet and fished out the adjuster from the oil recess and went to work adjusting the valves. I got them all in spec and when it was buttoned up told the lad to start it....other than the obnoxious exhaust, the engine was quiet. He said holy crap, I thought the engine was done and I told him it would have been a costly mistake to change it out without investigating why it was noisy.

It felt good to find the issue and resolve it yet it sucks because now there is another "fart can" car out on the streets with a young idiot behind the wheel....

Yeah but just think. You saved him a ton of $$ he can spend on stereos he can entertain your neighborhood with now.

 

[Bumblebee]

I have my recently divorced older son and his girls here for the week visiting...the idea of any sort of conservation is lost to them...it's hard to keep up to how wasteful they are...I told him if he gets a handle on this his costs for just about everything will go down...

They will get a bottle of water for instance and take two sips out of it and then I find the bottles outside while looking at them them with a new one in their hands...I'm not wanting to play the food or drink police role but I tried to explain the concept of drinking al the water up and then getting another if they are still thirsty...I might as well have been talking to myself...I talked to him and he talked to them as well with the same result...now I ration out snacks and drinks like a day care to girls who range from 6-13....

Heaven help the next generation...they are definitely going to need it...

 

[TallTom]

I have my recently divorced older son and his girls here for the week visiting...the idea of any sort of conservation is lost to them...it's hard to keep up to how wasteful they are...I told him if he gets a handle on this his costs for just about everything will go down...

They will get a bottle of water for instance and take two sips out of it and then I find the bottles outside while looking at them them with a new one in their hands...I'm not wanting to play the food or drink police role but I tried to explain the concept of drinking al the water up and then getting another if they are still thirsty...I might as well have been talking to myself...I talked to him and he talked to them as well with the same result...now I ration out snacks and drinks like a day care to girls who range from 6-13....

Heaven help the next generation...they are definitely going to need it...

It's not an all lost generation. I was asked out on a date by a younger woman. We had some nice long chats. She owns all her vehicles. Has no debt. Doesn't drink or smoke. Drinks bottled water but drinks the entire bottle. Mostly from being in healthcare and knowing what chemicals are doing to us. She refuses Starbucks, etc. Doesn't really drink coffee that much. Asked for advice on investing and wants to retire by 50. She will do it. Because she has never fallen for the spend and consume culture that is pushed.

She put herself through all her own education. Is dead opposed to forgiving student debt.

So there is hope for the next generation to figure things out.

 

[Bumblebee]

It's not an all lost generation. I was asked out on a date by a younger woman. We had some nice long chats. She owns all her vehicles. Has no debt. Doesn't drink or smoke. Drinks bottled water but drinks the entire bottle. Mostly from being in healthcare and knowing what chemicals are doing to us. She refuses Starbucks, etc. Doesn't really drink coffee that much. Asked for advice on investing and wants to retire by 50. She will do it. Because she has never fallen for the spend and consume culture that is pushed.

She put herself through all her own education. Is dead opposed to forgiving student debt.

So there is hope for the next generation to figure things out.

She's the minority......the majority of her peers are not even close to being that efficient...

 

[TallTom]

She's the minority......the majority of her peers are not even close to being that efficient...

Probably why she liked an older guy. I was impressed at the amount of education required to reach her level of nursing. She is a Nurse Anesthetist. An interesting niche that I knew little about. And is a very finite pool. She just took a travel position to fill in at other facilities during holidays. Crazy what she makes from Nov to Jan. I decided that all it takes is maybe 20% of the population with that sort of work ethic, to figure out how to save the rest.

 

[Dnyce]

I hate that water poop lol get a water dispenser and give em a actual water bottle. Or a cup. No more half empty bottles to give the cat or plants or whatever u do with it.

 

[Bumblebee]

I hate that water poop lol get a water dispenser and give em a actual water bottle. Or a cup. No more half empty bottles to give the cat or plants or whatever u do with it.

We have a water dispenser and great well water out of the tap and lots of non-disposable water bottles..the bottled water was basically for any excursions we were going on-we could quickly grab one for each and be off....next time I won't have them and force them to use their own water bottles.