[Swiftwater Gazette] Made in America

[Brad Haslett]

http://www.enotes.com/shakespeare-quotes/lets-kill-all-lawyers




On 2/5/10, Ed Kroposki <ekroposki at charter.net> wrote:
> Brad and Elgin:
>
> Elgin said, "The time has come for Americans to read the label.  If it
> doesn't say "Made in USA," then don't buy it if it can be made in the USA."
>
> Let us understand some of what Brad said is not complete.  Even when a
> product can be made in USA for same price or even lower, the opportunity to
> merchandize that product is not an option under certain supply contracts.
> China uses some coercive contracts to do business in China.  Wal-Mart has to
> buy certain product for USA market regardless of prices in order to do
> business in China.  Bush let this issue go by. It is out there
>
> Some products may be made in USA but contain foreign ingredients or parts.
> It is called made in USA if certain percentage of product is made in USA.
> An example is in dairy products. All Natural has taken place of 'Real' on
> most dairy products.  Why?  'Real' had  contractual stipulations that all of
> it was made or grown in USA.  The big dairy products companies wanted to use
> foreign milk solid in the production of cheeses.  Technically, the cheese is
> made in USA with the percentage of foreign ingredients with the law to still
> be called produced in America.  That is, on package the foreign ingredients
> do not have to listed as foreign.  Packaging sleight of hand.
>
> Then there is the issue when precision quality is not an issue.  Tools for
> example.  Many hospitals use stainless steel scissors one time rather than
> sterilize them.  They just throw away scissors, forceps needle holders and
> other items that could easily be cleaned and sterilized and reused.  But
> then they would have to workers to do the job correctly.  And if patient got
> infected wound, Trial Lawyers would sue.  It would be cost prohibitive to
> prove that the instruments were clean.
>
> Then there are tools used on boats.  How many wind up in the drink?  So if
> you work on boats you buy throw away tools at Harbor Freight which come from
> far east.
>
> The same applies to tools used on job sites where control is difficult and
> good tools walk away.  Just use throw away tools. Tool made in USA generally
> cost about four times as much.  Why?  They have to be of proven or provable
> quality or the manufacturer will get sued even when tool was used
> incorrectly.  The manufacturer was supposed to anticipate wrong use of tool.
>
> This is why trial lawyers support Obama and the Democrats.  It is why most
> ladders are made offshore.  There used to be about 200 ladder makers in USA.
>  They made good products.  Today there are about three left.  An example
> occurred about 20 years ago near Chicago.  A guy used a ladder incorrectly
> and fell off and got maimed.  His lawyer sued the ladder company.  It was a
> small company that employed about 200 people.  After a couple of years of
> litigation the manufacturer actually won the case.
>
> The owner/president of the company upon termination of that litigation
> called his employees together and told them that rather than go thru that
> again, the company would be liquidated.  And it was with just a couple of
> months.
>
> Trial lawyers do not have to win to cause economic damage.  Even when they
> lose, they add costs to the products, even when the products were good for
> the purpose intended.
>
> If America is going to recover economically, then we need to severely limit
> trial lawyers.  This business of intimidation and threat of lawsuits has to
> cease.  Demanding that business buy product liability and service liability
> insurance to employ trial lawyers is wrong.  Just as it is wrong to steal.
>
> It is not the little guy who wrongfully uses a tool and gets injured who is
> getting rich.  It is the trial lawyer industry.  And the costs of
> maintaining that industry is an economic burden that kills jobs.
>
> Ed K
>
>