I like things that are made in America. We as a country don't make much anymore. Our country has changed from being one of the world's manufacturing powerhouses to being a largely service-based economy. I wish we would have more industry here. It'd keep people working, but I can understand why factories accross our great nation are closing at an alarming rate. In places like China and India, they don't have benefits like health insurance. the EPA is a huge deal here, but environmental sanctioning bodies in third world countries often take a back seat to profitable manufacturing. Those countries usually don't have organized labor unions either. I won't get into that part here because this is a gun blog, but I will say that unions are single-handedly responsible for American car companies being unable to turn a profit. There is no reason a worker should make $46 an hour installing windshields. Toyota built plants in the southern part of the US, where there isn't such a union influence. As a result, they can make cars cheaper because they don't have to pay ridiculous wages.
Our gun industry is great. As a country, we produce some of the best guns in the world. I just hope that tradition continues. A major factor keeping the American gun manufacturing industry alive is import regulations on firearms. We simply can't get pocket guns from overseas anymore, which is why companies like Jennings, Bryco, Calwestco, Davis, Lorcin, Republic Arms, Leinad, Cobra, and Jimenez are in business.
I like to buy American. I have an American-made vehicle and i chose to buy domestically produced firearms whenever possible, especially when it comes to purchasing new guns. I own very few imported firearms. I've never purchased a foreign-made gun brand new, ever. Why? I want to do my part to keep America Working. Why should my dollars be going to an overseas company? Even if some of those dollars are being retained by a middleman or importer stateside, the vast majority of the expenditure is not contributing much to our economic figures.
As an off-topic comment, part of how unions made things more expensive is guaranteeing medical coverage for retirees. (I'd want that if I was working!) The auto companies spend soooo much on that that it greatly hurts them.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile Japanese [and other] auto companies don't have to worry about that, as health is paid for equally by all members of society, via their taxes. Thus, a Japanese industry doesn't need to provide health care or be put at a disadvantage due to that.
Anyway.. back to guns... :)