This whole coronavirus horseshit has caused me to rethink where I spend my money. Like most people I’m lazy & I typically just look for what I need without much consideration for where it comes from, but I’m beginning to see its origin as a bigger factor, and for reasons that go beyond the quality, or lack thereof, of the product. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to me to continue supporting a country that’s at a minimum negligent in their conduct towards the world & more than likely reckless if not fully & intentionally punitive. China’s ‘mishandling’ of information surrounding this virus makes clear that the safety of people outside its own borders is not a consideration much less a priority. It’s not like we’re learning this for the first time, but this incident has really sent the message home to me in a most dramatic form.
My first opportunity to make a necessary purchase comes on the heels of the Harbor Freight 6-ton jack stand recall. Yesterday I returned the set I bought a few years ago & got the $43 gift card. I figured I’d use it for something I need in the future, something that has no safety implications, and the thought of using it for ‘improved’ replacement jack stands made in China is not something I’m considering. I read @Jerry Bransford 's fuel truck story on the Harbor Freight thread that’s intended to assure us that they won’t make that mistake again & while I’m sure there’s some merit to that it’s hardly the point. Yes, perhaps they’ll pay extra special attention to not screwing us again with bad jack stands but there’s a million & one other ways they can and more importantly will if it suits their purposes. Bottom line is I’ve lost any/all trust I have in that nation, for many reasons, and while I’m aware that there are certain things I’ll have no choice but to buy from them as they’re the only producer, I do intend henceforth to go out of my way to give as much of my business to companies that manufacture products in the United States first, or other countries that have proven their trustworthiness; Japan comes to mind. I’m old enough to remember when “Made in Japan” was a bad thing but now I’d go out of my way to buy something made there as it has very much come to symbolize products that are not only well made but in many cases better than those made here.
Like many I find it difficult to even identify the origin of many products as the sellers often hide or at least obscure that information for obvious reasons, it’s not a selling point to boldly state “Made in China”. I also understand that this isn’t a capability issue & that China indeed has the ability to make excellent products but most often they make garbage because that’s what we want to pay for. That said I return to the virus & simply cannot ignore the true colors they have shown the world; knowing that at the end of the day they’ll screw all of humanity on such an epic scale they’ve lost all trust. I’m no zealot, they can regain that trust, but they’ve got a helluva long road to travel to do so.
All of that said, does anyone know where I can get a pair of American made pin-style jack stands? I really like that design much better than the other type which always seemed flimsy & dangerous to me regardless of where they’re made.
Are there any sources or websites that assist in finding American made products?
My first opportunity to make a necessary purchase comes on the heels of the Harbor Freight 6-ton jack stand recall. Yesterday I returned the set I bought a few years ago & got the $43 gift card. I figured I’d use it for something I need in the future, something that has no safety implications, and the thought of using it for ‘improved’ replacement jack stands made in China is not something I’m considering. I read @Jerry Bransford 's fuel truck story on the Harbor Freight thread that’s intended to assure us that they won’t make that mistake again & while I’m sure there’s some merit to that it’s hardly the point. Yes, perhaps they’ll pay extra special attention to not screwing us again with bad jack stands but there’s a million & one other ways they can and more importantly will if it suits their purposes. Bottom line is I’ve lost any/all trust I have in that nation, for many reasons, and while I’m aware that there are certain things I’ll have no choice but to buy from them as they’re the only producer, I do intend henceforth to go out of my way to give as much of my business to companies that manufacture products in the United States first, or other countries that have proven their trustworthiness; Japan comes to mind. I’m old enough to remember when “Made in Japan” was a bad thing but now I’d go out of my way to buy something made there as it has very much come to symbolize products that are not only well made but in many cases better than those made here.
Like many I find it difficult to even identify the origin of many products as the sellers often hide or at least obscure that information for obvious reasons, it’s not a selling point to boldly state “Made in China”. I also understand that this isn’t a capability issue & that China indeed has the ability to make excellent products but most often they make garbage because that’s what we want to pay for. That said I return to the virus & simply cannot ignore the true colors they have shown the world; knowing that at the end of the day they’ll screw all of humanity on such an epic scale they’ve lost all trust. I’m no zealot, they can regain that trust, but they’ve got a helluva long road to travel to do so.
All of that said, does anyone know where I can get a pair of American made pin-style jack stands? I really like that design much better than the other type which always seemed flimsy & dangerous to me regardless of where they’re made.
Are there any sources or websites that assist in finding American made products?
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