American companies that fired their quality assurance staff when they shifted manufacturing to China had better go out and hire them back.

I don't expect a sudden movement to re-open shuttered factories in the USA. Companies know a good thing (i.e., lush CEO profits) when they see them, so they won't give up outsource to China and elsewhere.

If we, as consumers, continue to purchase from these companies we'll be enabling their behavior. The message for us (and we could learn from Japan) is to insist on quality.

Ok, you want your $24 oscillating stand fan from Longs. Go ahead, buy it. In fact, there's no alternative. The $24 oscillating stand fan made in China has driven anything else off the market.

Somehow, though, we have to turn this around. We're pawns in our own economy who exist, it seems, only to help fat corporate cats get even fatter.

Permalink posted by Larry @ 9/09/2007 12:27:00 PM