Who needs who?

[Birdbuff]

Anyhow^^^^^^^^???????


It’s a “what comes first chicken or egg” situation. Let’s say that we stop trading immediately. That would probably sink us. It needs to be gradual. If they cut us off first, as a retaliation for something stupid, then we’re left scrambling for options.

I agree that our government needs to step up to make it easier for Canadian grown businesses to start up. But the blame can’t solely be placed there. The people of Canada, US!!!, we need to take a stand or at least believe in ourselves. We are so full of natural resources, we are full of potential. We need to seize the moment, before it slips away.

I’m not saying trade is not healthy, but I think it needs to be done a little more fairly. On the world stage China has a monopoly on trade. Long term effects could be disastrous. It might be time that the world strikes a different tone and globally reduce their reliance on China.

When answering who needs who, I think we all need each other fairly and equally.

[Gilroy]

Gil,
I agree 100% but they have us so addicted to cheap stuff I am not sure Canadians have the appetite to really break ties with China.......unless of course we find another 2rd world country to exploit until they, like China, becomes the tail wagging the dog.

Well that is the problem we are addicted to cheap stuff but nobody has figured out it AINT cheap stuff because you replace it so often.

I found a Montreal made Homelite 93cc chain saw in the garbage a year ago, a saw probably 60 years old. It is built like a tank, I had it running almost right away. You buy a Chinese made snowblower in a big box store, no gas shut off even installed, made to last about 3 seasons.I have an 25 year old Tecumseh snow king ,probably 40 years old starts first time.

Back in the old days anything with made in USA, Canada ,England, Sheffield, mean something,,,, it would last.

We can easily go back to those standards if we choose to do so.

[greatwhite]

I have to agree with you on this most stuff Chinese is cheap because that is what the masses want. I buy Chinese stuff but not always cheap stuff. The Chinese do make some good stuff.
But most stuff is built to be thrown away if it is Chinese.

Like you I have a 35 year old snowblower and was saving my Canadian tire money to buy a new one the one I had picked out was almost the biggest Chinese junk they had spoke to a few people on here and my Uncle who is a mechanic and some mechanics around here and all said if mine is not rusted out I would be far better to repair it or else buy a "Real Snowblower" that has a good engine.

But I do have some cheap Chinese stuff that works well, I have a digital scale I paid 3 dollars for off of Amazon shipped for free from China the exact same one sold here cost 20 bucks, go figure.

The Chines tools like wrenches and sockets nothing wrong with those. Without all of those I would not have the workshop I have today.

But these jobs were moved out of Canada because people wanted to much pay for a job that required little to no knowledge and that a monkey could do at a certain point it is no longer worth manufacturing in North America as nobody would be able to afford the items.

At a certain point of cost employers begin to look at alternatives. Look more and more stores are going to self checkout, why because cashiers are wanting more pay for just scanning an item essentially doing nothing.

Well that is the problem we are addicted to cheap stuff but nobody has figured out it AINT cheap stuff because you replace it so often.

I found a Montreal made Homelite 93cc chain saw in the garbage a year ago, a saw probably 60 years old. It is built like a tank, I had it running almost right away. You buy a Chinese made snowblower in a big box store, no gas shut off even installed, made to last about 3 seasons.I have an 25 year old Tecumseh snow king ,probably 40 years old starts first time.

Back in the old days anything with made in USA, Canada ,England, Sheffield, mean something,,,, it would last.

We can easily go back to those standards if we choose to do so.

[Species8472]

I agree with you 100%.

Proof that anything is possible! Maybe i should rethink my the odds of getting a moose tag in WMU 47.

[JBen]

Few things to consider.
Better made stuff = fewer units sold per year = less consumption = less jobs = less gdp = less tax revenue

Immigration
We are getting older. Already in debt up to our eyeballs with fewer suckers ( birth rates) at the bottom to support and old, top heavy population

Companies are already fleeing, or refusing to invest here to expand. Because it’s either too expensive or politically uncertain.

[Gilroy]

Few things to consider.
Better made stuff = fewer units sold per year = less consumption = less jobs = less gdp = less tax revenue

R . Better made stuff=fewer units to landfill=less green house gases to manufacture=healthy planet=less man made sickness=less revenue needed for health care.

Immigration
We are getting older. Already in debt up to our eyeballs with fewer suckers ( birth rates) at the bottom to support and old, top heavy population

R. No solution for that one. Some of us are not in debt because we did not play the consumption game, some of us raised more children who will support those who did not manage to do so.

Canada is a multicultural society and immigration has always been part of the equation.

Companies are already fleeing, or refusing to invest here to expand. Because it’s either too expensive or politically uncertain.[/QUOTE]

R. Any company that was going to flee has already been gone a long time, it can be expensive to open in a place like China or Russia where you can get ripped off in pretty short order and they are also politically uncertain.

[greatwhite]

The reason birth rates are so low are because Taxes are so high. Lower Taxes and birth rates will go up.

[Gilroy]

The reason birth rates are so low are because Taxes are so high. Lower Taxes and birth rates will go up.

That does not make much sense, poor people have historically had more children. Rich people have always had less children.

[Birdbuff]

The reason birth rates are so low are because Taxes are so high. Lower Taxes and birth rates will go up.

People are to wound up about careers and costs of having kids. Not just monetary costs but there are lots of people that are selfish, for lack of a better word, and just want to live their lives happily and responsibility free. Then again, there are lots of people out there that kids aren’t in the cards.

[sawbill]

Back in the old days anything with made in USA, Canada ,England, Sheffield, mean something,,,, it would last.

We can easily go back to those standards if we choose to do so.

We have to get rid of a lot of greedy unions first. As far as I'm concerned, they're at the bottom of this whole mess we're in now.