"Buy American" Argument is Hypocrisy at it's Finest

I have two cars that were not made in America. One is a Pontiac, the other is a Subaru. There is not currently a car that I desire & can afford that is made here. I am not too concerned with the origin of my automobiles. Having intermingled with union employees in the workplace, they don't seem to care either.

1UAW - I could not have said it better myself...

"Buy American"?

- How about a better product?

Or at least a competitive product.

Then why aren't americans buying them?

Hasn't GM surpassed Toyota for the past couple months in sales? I do believe that would mean people are buying them...

Those who advocate "Buy American' should look around his/her own household and find stuff that were not made in USA. Try buy a TV made in US. You will have a field day.
For example, Vizio is an US brand (sold mainly at Costco), but they source LCD panels, parts from Taiwan and Korea. Some, if not all, were made in these two countries. So, "buy American". Tell me how to tell. Most American would love to do that if they could actually tell and be convinced.

It is almost to the point now that every consumer product we buy is made overseas. How in the world could we reverse it now ? This idea of a "world economy" has cost us (USA) dearly, instead of "lifting" up the world economy to our levels we are "sinking" down to theirs. We have sent our industries and jobs overseas and at the same time leveraged ourselves to the edge of oblivion. I am not a religous man, but maybe I should be (you?) GOD HELP US...

My opinion will always be that people should buy whatever car they want with their money, no matter the origin, wheter it be Japanese, German, or American. No one should tell someone what to buy with their hard earned money, so buy whatever you want!

"That is just the point, we need to stop being a nation of consumers"

1UAW - you are right on the money.

We miss mercedes who is building ML in US as far as I know and other cars.

I agree...

People should buy the best product available, in turn it will spur American products to strive to be the best product. Protectionism hurts everyone.

"thats not what the rest of the world think/do"

1UAW - Again, right on the money.

I am not an economist by any means but the notion that America could produce equal quality products for competitive prices compared to China, India ETC, is hogwash and we have nobody to blame but ourselves. It's time to changing the way we think, no more buy cheap and "charge it" - save up and pay cash for a high quality product.

I'm going to buy what I like, regardless of where it is made.

Also, I don't think enough people realize that when a foreign company produces cars in America and makes a profit, some of the profit still makes it back to America. Research and development centers, new factories, as well as the salaries of all the workers come from somewhere...

/thread.

How can you be against buying American? Pay attention in history class. GM, Ford, and Chrysler built the machines that defended this nation while Mercedes-Benz built limos for Hitler, and BMW built engines for the luftwaffe. Germany and Japan tried to take over and subjugate the world, America included. We need to have the industrial capacity for self defense that American industry provides. Each time you buy foreign, you make your nation a bit weaker. I don't suppose you care about that, because most people these days don't know anything about old-school values, like loyalty and patriotism.
You should put your own nation above all others, or you'll have no one to blame but yourself when you lose it.

many of them do. they are the ones still flying confederate flags.

I am not American but I belive in GOD and I am willing to die or kill for nation that love and promote Freedom, and a mean it. The problem that you are having is going beyond the products. Is part of your values, you are losing those. I do remember when God, Family and Country were your main values, now looks like most of you do not care about. Now you can not punish your chilldrens cause it is bad for their minds...(ja ja) when I was a child ther was a good medicine for hyperactivity: A belt, an unrespecfull outlaw boy was corrected by: belt. And I love my parents cause thanks to that I learn to respect all humans and I know that "sine cruciatu gloria non est". Your are not bad people, you are great nation but definitely you'll have to recover your values if you want to recover your glory. If you do not pay attention to your family and change those laws to allow the parrents to correct the childrens...You'll fail, and yes....China will become the next superpower but for not too long. Most of manufacturers will be there but no body will have money to buy the goods. Globalization was invented to help rich people but at the end that will be against them (and I do not have anything against rich people). This is Forseen. I rememer when I did not like anything but american made. Now I do not have to much american stuf, in fact almost nothing. How can it be posible....The root of your problems is your values GOD, Family, Country. Still I belive in that country and pray to GOD cause if you fall...this world is gona change in a very bad way.

"Globalization was invented to help rich people"

Globalization has brought nearly a billion people around the world out of Poverty. Yes some have suffered but far, far more have benefited.

I completely agree. Not buying American is just something on the surface. The root of our problems is a complete lack of values. People not wanting to buy American is just a symptom of people who don't have loyalty, an important core value. People don't physically discipline their kids anymore, and we don't promote competition because the losers' feelings might get hurt - our kids are a bunch of p*ssies. I'm surprised we can still raise a respectable army - the institution of manhood has been torn apart. Now we have men who wear skinny jeans, carry purses, and don't live up to their duty to provide for, protect, and lead their women. We need to start teaching our kids about loyalty, honor, and respect again.

Well I don't really care about the whole "Buy American" thing, since other countries buy American cars and many other goods.

Also it should be "Buy United States" btw, since America are two continents made up of many countries, so I can buy a car that is made in Mexico but still be considered American. Just thought I throw that out.

1UAW.. The last time I checked, GM and Ford have been gaining traction in sales everywhere in the world but the US. Suppose those people started their own little "Buy European", Buy Chinese", "Buy Japanese" campaign, how would that affect your precious American auto companies?

"1. I buy Foreign becuase the profits go to people of color to make their lives better, as opposed to supporting old White guys born with silver spoons in their mouthes.

2. Becuase they make better looking cars, inside and out.

3. Their cars are more reliable.

4. They see me as a customer and not a statistic they can take for granted for the sake of PATRIOTISM!!!!

5. Their cars make more sense for the world we live in today.

6. American cars just feel trashy, like some Chinese or Mexican Walmart supplier made them. Then again, oopps did I get the cat out of the bag?"


LMAO!!!!! What you DON'T know can fill a book! Still LMAO!!!!!

One where Toyota keeps releasing recall after recall.

The UAW can go to hell.

I will never buy a car built by an American union worker.

In the past, over the years, every time I've bought an American made vehicle, I hated it. The ride, the build quality, everything feels unsafe! My entire family used to buy American, mostly Mercury. BUT they would not last or they broke down. When we bought our first Isuzu Rodeo in 1995, it was nothing special BUT it just ran perfectly without any mechanical problems. We bough another in 1996. Unfortunately for us we didn't keep either one past 1998 when we turned to Volvo vehicles from there on in. I say unfortunately because I've met a few mechanics who claimed that when they worked at Isuzu dealerships, they had NOTHING to fix because the products never broke down. They said Isuzu's were just built in a simple straight forward way and they just lasted forever. No major problems. Notice that Isuzu vehicle are no longer made because the dealerships complained that there was NO money to be made in service! I wish I had my 1995 Rodeo now!

The point is: many people in this country had similar experiences of owning American made vehicles in the eighties and nineties with disappointment and dissatisfaction THEREFORE turning to foreign made vehicles and then only shopping other foreign made vehicles.

HOWEVER, as the years progressed, so have American made vehicles. Unfortunately though the foreign manufacturers have stayed ahead of the game when it comes to design aesthetics and interior build quality. So even though I'd like to but American, based on my past experiences and even the product availability up to this point, I just can't do it.

ALTHOUGH, the new Ford Taurus and the upcoming 2010 Buick Lacrosse are actually making a mark and may give the foreign sedans a run for the money.

Something has to give - Americans have a very high standard of living (and rightfully so) compared to most countries in this world. It stands to reason that ANYTHING built or manufactured in the USA by well the paid american worker will cost you more than an equal quality foreign built/mfg. product. If you don't believe that you are a fool. This issue goes well beyond just the Automotive industry people. If we americans keep buying the "least expensive" products we can find, NONE of those products will be american made and eventually America will become solely a "consumer" and not a Manufacturer - and that's not good. I say support America, the American way of life and the American people - buy American whenever you can.

I agree it may cost more to buy American goods but we are supporting our high standerd of living when we do.

I've owned GM cars in the past. Now that Obama has handed over partial ownership of the company to the UAW—the group responsible, in large part, for GM's demise—I will never buy GM again. If I'm going to buy American it will be Ford.

I will nevar buy a car made buy a temp worker any more. My last toyota was made in the south by temps which have no rights at work, can be fired at anytime, and get paid little or nothing. What does this do for the economy? temps cant buy cars cant buy homes and that alone has a huge impact on the US econonmy. No thank you.

I do not reward failure. I also do not buy failure. GM should have been gone by now but, no the govt had to bail them out. I also would never pay a premium for the same product if it was all constructed in America. Every thing I own except the food I eat is made or created over seas. Also the most American vehicle made today is made by Honda. Yea a Japanese company.

GM needed a gov't bailout, but VW, Toyota, Honda, and Hyundai have been subsidized and partially owned by their respective governments the entire time. schmuck.

some would say the big three where asisted by the government in the loans they granted to them. Since toyota and honda's birth they have been spoon feed by Japan. so if you dont like big government or you think of your self as an unprotectionist buying a Japaneese car is the last thing you would want to buy.

pushrod27 Interesting that you say that. If I remember correctly, GM builds poorly made cars for about 20 year, go in the red, and then whine for a bailout. Then it starts all over again. This time it is not going to work as there are so many makes to chose from. This whole "New GM" is just a scam to mask the debt they have and to trick sheep into buying a platform car that can be shared up to 5times over with a different badge.

The articles best argument was about the money we send overseas for oil. Which is worse?
- Sending money overseas to Germany or Japan or Swedan for a car
- Sending money to our enemies in the Middle East for the oil to run them.

The real hypocricy may be the guy in his gas guzzling F150 Supercrew driving around town with a bumper sticker "Buy American", or even the guy opting for that V8 option in a car instead of taking the 6cyl.

But they again, we're all hypocrites. The distintion is only in the degrees at which we are hypocrites (and what subject). That's why I don't have as much a problem with the guy driving a car that gets 15mpg as I do with the guy who has the bumper sticker

1. when drill oil in the US.

2. when can buy us goods.

simple and easy.

If America built an AWD 4 door,rally insired vehicle that performs like an Evo or an STI then I would buy American. Until then i'll just have to make due with my Evo

If America built an AWD 4 door,rally insired vehicle that performs like an Evo or an STI then I would buy American. Until then i'll just have to make due with my Evo