On Sat, 3 Sep 2011 16:36:58 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

> "sf" > wrote
>> I know there's a delicate balance; but I want more government
>> regulation not less. In the USA, "free market" just means "take it to
>> China to be manufactured as cheaply as possible" and cheap doesn't
>> just mean "inexpensive", it means "shoddy" too. So the big question
>> for business in these virtually unregulated times of a "free market
>> economy" is to figure out how shoddy a product they can get away with
>> selling to the public or other businesses (which include our
>> government & military) at a certain price point.
>
> So you think regulations will improve quality? Should the government write
> specifications for can openers, toaster element thickness, the alloy to use
> in cookware with minimum thickness?
>
> First, let me say that the Chinese are capable of making very high quality
> products. It is the American writing the specifications that makes the
> products shoddy. Just look at the decline of American made products even
> before they moved overseas. Look back at the cheapening of power tools,
> look at the US made Teflon fry pans of the 1970's, and a lot of other crap
> that was in the stores. Remember when Black & Decker was a high quality
> tool? Now it is junk and I won't touch it.
>
> Sadly, the American public buys by price. You can buy a Kitchen Aid toaster
> for $50, or you can buy a China made GE for WalMart for $8. If no one
> bought the $8 toasters, WalMart would stop having them made and the KA sales
> would increase. I could not find a toaster aside from Dualit (over $200)
> that was not made in China, but some had far better specifications.
>
> We don't need regulation, we need educated consumers that know what a
> quality product is and willing to pay for it. You want to buy junk? We'll
> make junk for you. We want 15¢ hamburgers and if you make them, we'll buy
> billions of them.
>

i'm not talking about durable goods as much as food, meat and dairy
products in particular. i don't find the libertarian claim that 'the
market„¢ will self-regulate safety' to be at all convincing.

your pal,
blake