Thread: What I like about rat rods...seriously!

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Bob, I guess at 52 years old I don't understand your statement about the Japs. What the hell does that got to do with this?

Originally Posted by Aster

Bob, I guess at 52 years old I don't understand your statement about the Japs. What the hell does that got to do with this?

In the immediate post WWII era (until roughly the mid '60's) inexpensive consumer items were produced in Japan, and often the quality level was low. Virtually all the statements made today decrying Chinese quality/merchandise could have the word Japanese substituted for Chinese and be identical from that era. Many of the Japanese companies eventually prospered enough to adopt higher quality standards of production/packaging/marketing and only devoted isolationists rag on Japanese products today. History does repeat itself.

As for your most recent comment (and not picking on you in particular, you're merely echoing the "conventional wisdom" of the day) consumers are their own worst enemy when they get stuck with poor quality goods. How often do we see someone come on here and ask "what is the cheapest.......................". Absolutely no consideration for quality and the hidden REAL cost of an item. The base reason is that as a consumer they've not taken the time, or experienced the pain, to have learned the difference. Intrinsic in that question is the assumption that all available options are identical so only price matters because the product/service/outcome will be the same. An informed consumer who takes/makes the time/effort to learn how to discern quality/value will shop for the features and benefits that meet their real needs, and THEN choose the supplier and price that gives them the best balance. Most often the price isn't the lowest, but the satisfaciton is higher.

When Bob says we are our own worst enemy, he is absolutely correct. The reason the Walmarts have overpowered most of the small Mom and Pop retailers is because of price. I do it, you do it, we ALL do it. So the trickle down effect is that these places hire the cheapest labor they can, and offer them very little, if any, benefits. They love retirees who are just looking to earn enough to suppliment their social security.

A few years ago I bought a computer from Best Buy, and all I got was a cheap price on a computer. No knowledgeable sales person, and no support after the sale. I had to make numerous phone calls to even find that the order was in the works. I deserved what I got.

I live in Florida, and there is virtually NO manufacturing here. We are a State that services people. In a former life I was an Industrial Credit Manager up North. I earned a good living, and was sought after. When I moved to Florida I came on a Northern pay scale, and did ok. When that job dried up I had to start completely over at a wage level I had surpassed in my 20's. (The reason the job dried up was we got sold out to a German company)

So, we can't have it both ways...................can't expect to buy cheap stuff and still earn a good living. Those wages have to come from someplace.


JMO,


Don

Things usually follow that saying "You get what you pay for."

You make a good point Bob. I guess my frustration is based in the fact that Communist China is exactly that...a communist country and it doesn't make sense to be buying EVERYTHING from them. Japan on the otherhand was whipped by the US at an enormous cost to us and then WE rebuilt the country and made it what it is today. China supported the North Koreans in the Korean war and also backed the North Vietmanese in that war. They helped kill hundreds of thousands of US soldiers and we backed out of both wars with our tail between our legs. I work in the oil and gas drilling business and I found out last week that the Chinese are drilling for oil right here in South Texas. That's right folks, their rigs, their crews and there drilling in TEXAS! Bet you didn't know that HUH? What's next, your home has an extra room, well uncle sam says, move in a chinese family of 12. After all you don't need it, right? I'M SICK OF IT. The sickening part is you can't do a thing about it. I'm going to get off here before I lose some friends. Over and out.

I'm going to get off here before I lose some friends. Over and out.



You won't lose any friends. The one thing that is still "MADE IN AMERICA" is our right to have our own opinions and voice them. The foreigners haven't learned how to build that better than us, yet.


Don

[QUOTE=Aster] I work in the oil and gas drilling business and I found out last week that the Chinese are drilling for oil right here in South Texas. That's right folks, their rigs, their crews and there drilling in TEXAS! Bet you didn't know that HUH? QUOTE]

All the more reason we should punish our domestic oil companies for making money...........just listen to our "concerned" politicians.

The reason the Chinese are supplying rigs and crews is because there is a worldwide shortage of drilling rigs. They're also operating in Colorado, perhaps elsewhere. When the price of crude was down a few years ago it didn't pay to over invest in equipment. Now that the price is up and justifies drilling in areas that didn't pay before the demand for drilling rigs has sky rocketed (you probably see it in hiring demand in your business). Of course, the way any business pays for additional new equipment and employees to man it is through profits. However, in this country we've been taught that profits are bad, and companies that enjoy them are doubly evil. What you report is the the result. Is it a communist country like China that restricts it's energy producers, that bans drilling in it's own potential reserves, that opts to punish the producing companies by threatening an additional tax on productivity, that intentionally erects barriers to the building of new, desperately needed refineries, or wastes capital on the subsidy of alternative fuels that cost more to produce than than the energy value they yield while taxing more cost effective imports of that same fuel? This stuff is all connected, yet the average citizen is too ill-informed to see the whole picture.

Now, the Cubans have hired the Chinese to drill 30 miles off the coast of Florida. Anyone here pay attention to the voting earlier this month on allowing our domestic industry to do the same? I didn't think so. If you want to get mad, look closer to home at the obstructionist politicians who pander to the chicken little "environmental" crowd, all the while claiming that they want to "solve" our energy issues.

Can't do anything about it? Find out where your politicians stand on freeing up energy production instead of obstructing it and vote accordingly. And don't be fooled by false, pie in the sky choices of "alternative" energy.

November is coming, a lot can be done about it...... I do think alternative fuel is a viable alternative----but not today and not for a long time to come... I live in the middle of the corn belt in a small town of 5,000 people and we only have 1 station selling E-85. Sioux Falls is about 130,000 and has a dozen are so staitions with E-85 available..... Ethanol fuels are not the total answer, the country couldn't grow enough corn to keep up with the demand today let alone in the future. I've got nothing against the oil companies having record breaking profits last quarter, maybe our long awaited new refineries can start being built????? Alternative fuels will never replace the need for oil, but I do believe they could lessen our demand for it and hopefully stabilize the price of oil.

As Bob said, find out what your politicians stand is on the fuel situation, your vote will let him know what your position is on it!!!!!

hEY GUYS , WHATS THIS GOT TO DO WITH RAT RODS???????????

Some ratrods need fuel . . . the ones that will run, at least . . .

Originally Posted by hotroddaddy

hEY GUYS , WHATS THIS GOT TO DO WITH RAT RODS???????????

Yeah, and now those damn Chinese are starting to build RAT RODS. We're pretty ticked about THAT.


Just watch the quality of rat rods drop when that happens.


Don

Yeah, heck a rat rod without fuel would be a lawn ornament..... hmmmm... got to give that some more thought!!!!!

I can't believe you said rat rod and chinese in the same sentence. Be careful here, the topic may change,right before your eyes, to "rat recipes and other chinese delicacies" (sp?)

Zaoshàng hao

Hey Henry, is that "rat on a stick" in chinese? Pass the mustard please. And hotrodaddy thought we were off topic. Now.... how 'bout them rat rods.....