By Robin Collins | 12 Comments
Last updated: Monday, July 14, 2008

If I See One More Sticker That Reads “Worried about your job? Keep buying foreign” on any “American Made” Vehicle I Will Simply Lose My Mind

WARNING*** Political Rant to Follow.

As you know, Lee & I live in beautiful Fenton, Michigan. It was especially awesome today…78 degrees, clear blue skies and an almost cool breeze. Incredible day for golf, by the way.

And Fenton, Michigan just happens to be about an hour north of Detroit Motor City.

The economy is not great here as in much of the rest of the country. Have a lot of folks lost their manufacturing jobs, especially in the automotive industry. Yes!

Is it as bad as it’s been in the last 30 years? NO, but people tend to have a short memory when the media is in control. (But this is a topic for another day).

Now, we understand and empathize with folks who have lost their jobs in the car manufacturing industry. We really do. We have family affected by this issue.

Heck we have even started holding many of our seminars in Michigan just to support our local economy and help these struggling people take control of their lives again by giving them other “money” options outside of the automotive/manufacturing industry.

HOWEVER - if I see one more sticker like we saw on a Ford Escape today that reads: “Worried about your job? Keep buying foreign” on any so-called “American Made” vehicle (Chrysler, Ford, GM) I will simply lose my ever loving mind.

These stickers seem to be everywhere here in Michigan.

Do these people NOT realize that these vehicles and/or the parts on these vehicles are often times up to 50% or more manufactured overseas?

Hell, Ford OWNS Land Rover and Jaguar - just to name a couple.

I know that I am going to hear a lot of heat from both the “gear heads” and the people who have worked in manufacturing.

But I don’t care.

Stop listening to the all the propaganda you’re being fed from the media and do A LITTLE research on your own.

Hell, I love people with strong opinions. But please have an EDUCATED opinion about the topic and don’t rely so heavily on The View or 60 Minutes for your news!

If you want to get down to the nuts and bolts here, A better sticker would read…

“Lost your job to overseas?
Thank your politician for the catastrophic corporate taxes
that force businesses to take their jobs elsewhere!”

So, take some time tomorrow to thank your Representative or Congressman.

And if you don’t even know who they are…Shame on you!

Now, I don’t like to just bitch without taking some action. I find this to be a lot hypocritical.

Here’s my proposal…

Post a comment with what you feel is a great “change the world” bumper sticker.

If I get enough, I will personally write a letter to my Representatives and include your suggestions.

Have fun, my friends.

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1. marty sokolowski
   July 14, 2008
   

   The whole world is going crazy right now and will it get better? I am from Michigan, Dearborn to be exact and I do understand and I do drive american made. I have family that have lost their jobs due to the overseas trend but all I really can say is to send prayer above because it doesn’t seem like the big dogs care and the ones that do, well it has been proven that the president does what he wants not what is best.

   Leave a reply
2. Paul
   July 14, 2008
   

   Hey Robin,
   Timely post, considering I was just laid off Friday from my day job. I could sit around and mope, curse my (former) employer, and rant, but I do not sit idly by and blame the habits of people’s purchasing power in this nation.
   I believe that no matter who your elected representatives are, that collective “elite” is no longer there to serve anyone but themselves. It seems that there are far too many whiners in this nation anymore, who feel they are entitled to anything and everything, and have removed themselves from the hard work of our ancestors that built this great nation.
   The business of the government is too far out of hand to fix with anything quick or soon. Heck, even my dad used to complain we needed another revolution, and that was nearly 30 years ago! (Are we too late??)

   At any rate, for my personal situation, I have been working quietly behind the scenes with some good friends to begin working online, and so I am not as shaken as many when they lose their jobs. I even had advance warning, thank God. Despite the layoff, I have some options too, which many do not. Mine was not the cause of corporate restructuring and manufacturing practices moving overseas. Mine was caused by the housing downturn, as I dealt more in land development and engineering design.

   Now I look forward to working more online with my family, and possible part time consulting positions to help out as needed.

   My prayers are with so many friends who continue to struggle and scoff at the freedoms to be found online.

   Paul

   Leave a reply
3. Lee Collins
   July 14, 2008
   

   Marty,

   Thanks for taking the time to comment on Robin’s post.

   Unfortunately, I believe the illusion many people have of “American Made” is the biggest part of the problem. Especially when at least 30% of most any so-called “American Made” Detroit automobiles are manufactured in Canada or Mexico or elsewhere.

   For example, today we saw this sticker on a Dodge minivan. Another “American Made” vehicle that contains a minimum of 30% foreign-made parts.

   (Should we buy 70% American? Maybe the bumper sticker should read “Worried about losing 30% of your job, keep buying foreign”.)

   Honestly, is it really “American Made” the way that most people who chant this mantra want it to mean, if 30% or more is manufactured outside the USA?

   The short answer is in most cases “no”.

   Unfortunately “American Made” doesn’t mean what it used to mean when things really were “American Made”.

   So I have to ask… should we stop buying Chrysler, Ford, Chevrolet or any of the other “American Made” automobiles knowing much of the manufacturing is done outside the USA?

   Would that help fix the problem? Really?

   I believe the problem is this mantra is outdated, and is most often used by people who don’t really understand the full scope of the real issue.

   Over-regulation by our government is more to blame than those “evil foreigners stealing our jobs” because “buying foreign” really isn’t the issue.

   (And if you’re also part of the “blame Bush” crowd, you have to keep in mind it’s the American companies sending the jobs overseas - NOT Bush. But that’s a whole other story…)

   If it were those same complainers wouldn’t be driving the foreign-made vehicles they’re driving or shopping at Wal-Mart (where nearly everything in the store comes from China).
   
   Here’s a challenge for the “they stole my job crowd”:

   Go take a look at the “Made In” stickers on all the products in your home. When you find that 90% or more of those products were made overseas, then you can quietly put your “media-controlled ideals” where your mouth is.

   THINK PEOPLE!

   Leave a reply
4. Lee Collins
   July 14, 2008
   

   Paul,

   Right on, brother! When one way fails, find ANOTHER WAY! I salute you.

   We’d love to do a FREE consultation with you if we can help you in any way.

   Just let us know.

   Leave a reply
5. Robert
   July 14, 2008
   

   “American Made”, eh?

   So here is a statistic for you ‘bumper-sticker politics’ folk: Today 63 percent of Japanese-brand automobiles sold in the U.S. are built in North America, and more than 425,000 Americans design, build, and sell them. Eighty-six percent of Americans surveyed believe these jobs represent a significant contribution to the American economy. [www.jama.org]

   So when I buy a Nissan (made in Tennessee), Mercedes, Toyota, Honda or Hyundai (Made in Alabama), Kia, Saab, Porsche, Daewoo (Georgia) or BMW or Daimler-Chrysler (South Carolina), am I not buying American?

   And are these not “jobs offshore” [another popular American complaint] to their own home countries? You suppose they moved their operations here for {*GASP!*} Economic Reasons?! A Good workforce, lower corporate costs, creating American Jobs for American Workers???

   Just an idea, here……..Get A Grip, Folks! We ARE “Buying American”!

   Rob Walker, Tennessee, USA, home to Nissan, Peterbilt, and Saturn, among an incredible amount of other automotive suppliers and manufacturers, foreign AND domestic

   have a nice day!

   Leave a reply
6. David Larson
   July 14, 2008
   

   There are many reasons why people do not want to buy American made - compare the finish and attention to detail on some “Japanese” cars, which can be made in the US.

   Are they American Made?

   IF GM and Toyota have a partnership, and make the same vehicle, in the same plants are they American made?

   If GM buys a stake in a Korean manufacturer, or takes the company over, are they American?

   If GM has German plants, Canadian plants, Mexican plants, are they an American company?

   How do you define the terms?

   Parts are shipped from country to country. Toyotas and Hondas are manufactured in the US. Are they American?

   If you look at what the companies that have products made in China are doing, you might be more worried. What if China stopped shipping anything to the US - what would happen? Think of all the things that are made in China, starting with computers and computer parts.

   There are all sorts of responses to be made to the Buy American slogan, but they should take into consideration that it goes the other way as well.

   GM started in Canada as well as the US - Buick was Canadian, and it owns French, German, Korean, and Japanese companies (or a part of them). Does that still make it American?

   I am Canadian, and I resent some of the things that the US and US companies have done to Canada (especially in lumber), but that is the way that the world operates.

   The world is not a separate US, and a whole bunch of other countries all around.

   It is integrated in many many ways. Some things will happen that are due to politics. More are due to the world market. If a “Japanese” car is more fuel-efficient, more comfortable, more spacious, more reliable, and has a higher ressale value, might you not buy that one instead of an American one, especially if it were made right in the US?

   Many people apparently agree.

   Leave a reply
7. Micheal Savoie
   July 14, 2008
   

   Here is my bumper sticker idea:
   Screw The World Economy:
   Buy American Horses & Buggies

   Imagine if we went back to the simpler times… When people weren’t in a hurry to get everywhere. If it weren’t for my job, I would never be in a hurry.

   But this fast-paced society we live in has gotten so ridiculous that we now have to have people think for us on TV, in our schools and on our jobs. They do the thinking so we don’t have to. Our minds atrophy, and soon we are nothing but the working class to the elite who have control of our lives.

   Resist!

   Become an independent thinker. Research the facts before you buy in to the crap coming out of the media.

   Here is to starting our own intellectual revolution!

   Have an amazing day!

   Micheal Savoie

   Leave a reply
8. Chris Lockwood
   July 15, 2008
   

   It’s definitely a Michigan thing; I’m originally from there and remember that stuff. I don’t see stickers like that in the rest of the country.

   I also remember stories of people finding their foreign cars vandalized up there. Of course foreign cars still create US jobs for dealers, sales people, repair shops, etc, not to mention all the foreign car companies who now have US plants.

   Has the UAW figured out yet why the new car factories are being built in the South rather than on their turf? Hint: It’s not because of the weather!

   Have the auto workers figured out yet they could maybe move to one of the other states that have car factories and get a job there? No wait, that would involve effort.

   Leave a reply
9. Dennis Fassett
   July 15, 2008
   

   Content is what counts. PERIOD. Content is what puts dollars into pockets here that gets spent here. And if people focus on content, then manufacturers will increase the content on vehicles and build more here, which just adds to the economic boost.

   So a better bumper sticker would be - I buy American CONTENT.

   Leave a reply
10. Steve Chenneour
    July 15, 2008
    

    Hey Robin,

    You hit the nail on the head with that post!
    Just my opinion made=assembled, manufactured means to me everything is created from the raw material to finished product here in the USA.

    The media plays a huge part in changing Americans minds as brain washing, politicians are the other part. If you don’t like what they are voting for, do your part to change that vote them out of office!

    They were voted in to convey our sentiments NOT that of corporate America and NOT that of other select groups either.

    If Americans would only stop with the idea of buying “cheap” , this usually equates out to offshore products of inferior quality that simply doesn’t last or hold up to the task its meant to do.

    We as a people should be willing to buy all the American manufactured and assembled products we can and if we can’t find them create a demand for them from a USA manufacturer.

    Bottom line is if we want to have the money to purchase anything in the USA you need to have a source of money (income).

    As you’ve seen over the past few years unemployment/lost jobs going up and income staying the same or going down, all cause of overseas dumping their products for less than the cost to make it.

    Generally speaking if you want the income, buy American manufactured and assembled products and keep our brothers and sisters employed.

    I’m done with the rant now, see what happens when you post something like this Robin.

    Again this is my own opinion and yea there will be some that won’t like it.

    Leave a reply
11. Robert Walker
    July 22, 2008
    

    Just thought I would follow up on my July 14th posting here…

    The day after I noted all the automakers here in the Southeast, the news broke that VW is coming to Chattanooga. Quoting the Knoxville News Sentinal: “The Tennessee site won out over potential sites in Alabama and Michigan. Volkswagen Group of America Inc. plans to invest almost $1 billion in the plant that will employ 2,000 workers and produce an economic ripple effect throughout several states in the Southeast - certainly in the Knoxville area.”

    Hmmmm….$1 Billion invested, to start, and 2,000 workers, to start, not counting all the ancillary industries that will benefit, as well…

    Seems to me, Steve, we will be doing just what you asked for - buying American [VWs this time], keeping 2,000 of our brothers and sisters employed, with that Income you spoke of, and keeping our money right here in the good ol’ USofA, right?

    I thought so, too….

    Leave a reply
12. Reba
    July 27, 2008
    

    People don’t understand, when you buy a so-called foreign Nissan (made in Tennesee), you’re actual buying an American-made car from a company headquartered in Japan. When you buy a so-called American Ford (most parts made in Mexico, Canada, etc., even some assembly not done in the U.S.), you’re buying a foreign car from a company headquartered in America. Hmm…

    And P.S. ~ the Nissan will last for a heck of a lot longer then the Ford.

    Leave a reply