I found this little gem floating around in cyberspace a couple of years ago. I save some pretty weird stuff sometimes.
Joe Smith started the day early having set his alarm clock (MADE IN JAPAN)
for 6 a.m. While his coffeepot (MADE IN CHINA) was perking, he shaved with
his electric razor (MADE IN HONG KONG).
He put on a dress shirt (MADE IN SRI LANKA), designer jeans (MADE IN
SINGAPORE)
and tennis shoes (MADE IN KOREA).
After cooking his breakfast in his new electric skillet (MADE IN INDIA)
he sat down with his calculator (MADE IN MEXICO)
to see how much he could spend today.
After setting his watch (MADE IN TAIWAN) to the radio
(MADE IN INDIA) he got in his car (MADE IN GERMANY)
and continued his search for a good paying AMERICAN JOB.
At the end of yet another discouraging and fruitless
day, Joe decided to relax for a while. He put on his
sandals (MADE IN BRAZIL) poured himself a glass of wine
(MADE IN FRANCE) and turned on his TV (MADE IN INDONESIA),
and then wondered why he can't find a good paying job
in.....AMERICA.....
This really isn't exaggerated all that much. It's a sad state of affairs that will take a real concerted effort by ALL Americans to correct. The way things are going, we won't even have enough jobs left in the U.S. for our illegal alien workers. Hey! That's it! We don't have to fix that problem. Time will fix it for us! Maybe I should run for President!! Now, what to do about that Iraq situation.
I first posted this on Friday, March 28, 2008. I know that a few of you long-time followers have seen it, but most have not. I don't mean to imply that all the blame goes to consumers, but a good portion of it does. It might be to late to save many things, but surely we can at least try to save the things we still do make here. Buy American when you can and be part of the solution, instead of part of the problem!
Looking at the map in the picture above, does anyone else notice who's missing from the list of countries with the highest standard of living? In case you can't read the small print, here are the top ten countries: Iceland, Norway, Australia, Canada, Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, Japan, Netherlands, and France. Where are we??? I could have sworn that we used to be at the top, guess I was dreaming.
16 comments:
AA,
What a shame that this map will be a barometer we can live by. Our standard of living used to be at the top. Now, who knows? We have truly reaped what we have sown. I wish I could say I told you so, but like most Americans I thought we would be at the top a long time. Oh how the mighty have fallen.
I've heard that one of the criteria for this map is how much vacation time a nation's citizens have. I don't know that's a fact, however.
I would be interested in knowing the criteria used.
good find my friend.:)
Yeah i suspect they're using some half-baked criteria on this Joe. Because if you think about it, if life is so terrible in America, why is it still the number one choice for people to move to.
And things like standard of living is very relative, in the countries that are listed, there is a fair degree of socialism, so someone else is funding your standard of living. What it would not account for is also that those very countries are going to find out soon that this subsidized standard of living is unsustainable.
When that happens, watch the standard of living tank.
BTW, glad to see you're back.
i would also have to argue that a "high standard of living" is not synonymous with "quality of life"
Long has my hubby bemoaned the fact that we (America) produces very, very little. We cannot even produce for ourselves, let alone for export.
It will be our undoing.
Sadly, standard of living to most Americans involves consumption...not saving and or investing. Thus, as we increased our standard of living we also increased our debt levels.
MK...we are finding out that our standard of living has been subsidized for years, and it has been subsidized by government debt and credit card debt.
In regards to the flow of immigrants...well, it is now being reported that even the illegal immigrants have begun to go home!
Very interesting!
I'm glad you're blogging again!! Missed you!
As soon as the sweat shops and boiler rooms in those other countries figure out how to unionize, the work will come back to the U.S. Give it about 150 years or so.
"MK...we are finding out that our standard of living has been subsidized for years, and it has been subsidized by government debt and credit card debt."
Indeed Tao, it's a similar situation out here. Personal debt is just a smidge over our eyeballs and there is no indication that we're worried about it. And there is no one in government telling us to wake up to ourselves, only that they are willing to help those who are suffering thanks to their own stupidity, in return for a vote off course.
And so the lazy get rewarded and the thrifty and mature get kicked in the teeth.
But here's something that American businesses in countries abroad are starting to discover: the workers are beginning to unionize, they are becoming Westernized, they are also increasingly incompetent, and businesses are becoming very wary of changing political climates and unrest. Labor costs are going up and, moreover, TRANSPORTATION costs for these products are going up markedly.
BZ
Some businesses are actually starting to return to the US.
See this: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/10/AR2008121003574.html
See this: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/jul/28/made-in-usa-starts-to-make-a-return/
BZ
have seen that many times over the years but it is so sadly true.
L&OTeacher, you may have noticed that the countries who have pulled ahead of us are all quite liberal. Standard of living doesn't mean you actually have to EARN it. I doubt they will sustain their moment in the sun for long, nor will we.
Always on Watch, I haven't a clue about that. I would guess that it may certainly have some weight on the matter. Lets face it, vacations certainly are nice to have.
Angel, thank you as always loyal friend!
MK, BINGO! The sustainability part is spot on! Sooner or later, the haves will not be able to carry the dead wood any more and the bottom WILL fall out.
Griper, very true my friend, very true. I'll take quality of life over quantity of material things any day.
Brooke, your husband is a smart guy. It's just to bad that a lot more people didn't realize that a long time ago when we might have been able to turn it around. Other countries are stealing our technical expertise jobs now also, especially China. At least with our manufacturing jobs, it took them many many years to take them away from us.
Tao, why wouldn't they go home? There are almost as many American jobs back there now as there are here. You are correct about the mountains of debt we have created in our zeal to "live the better life"!
Z, thanks, I'll try to get in here a little more often, at least twice a week. Not as much ambition to blog now that the messiah has stolen the Presidency. The whole damned thing is absolutely disgusting.
PCC, actually, I think that is already starting to happen in a few isolated cases. Lets hope it snowballs into a reverse mass exodus of jobs soon, we sure do need them right about now!
MK, some things never change do they. I don't think that is the change that NObama was talking about. I see Uncle Sam's fists digging even deeper into my pockets, and I don't like it.
BZ, THAT IS GREAT NEWS!! I haven't gone to check out your links yet, but I will as soon as I'm done here. Thank you for the uplifting news! Let's hope that this is just the beginning.
Shoprat, yes, very sad but true. We as a country seem to have forgotten that you can't "have your cake and eat it too." If we want to manufacture something, someone actually has to buy it. Sure, it's nice to save a few bucks on that Jap car or those Chinese clothes, but then guess who makes those items?? Not Americans.(I know, I know, some of the cars have some of the work done here now-a-days). I'm 60 and I have NEVER owned anything but Fords or General Motors vehicles! My money IS where my mouth is!
Wow, I better get in here more often, answering all those comments was as long as the original post!
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