How hard is it for you to own a product made in a former enemy country?

2016-12-18T18:57:21-05:00

Drove my parents crazy when I first owned a car from Japan. Most of us look at German products as being high quality. I almost choked when I opened a box of TV tray tables and saw a made in Vietnam note. We all seem to get past buying products from former enemy countries. How will we feel when the first made in Iraq or Afghanistan things start showing up in our homes?

Response by Maj John Bell made Dec 18 at 2016 7:05 PM

2016-12-18T19:05:07-05:00

It is far harder to go to war with a good trading partner.

Response by MSgt George Cater made Dec 18 at 2016 7:21 PM

2016-12-18T19:21:22-05:00

If those two disadvantaged (or screwed up, if you prefer) countries can start exporting something useful, it will signal a significant step in stability and crawling out of the hole they are in. So far their exports appear to be opium, ill gotten oil & terrorism.

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Dec 18 at 2016 7:56 PM

2016-12-18T19:56:58-05:00

The aversion to Japanese products post WW2 was driven both by the war and frankly most their stuff was crap. So the exports reinforces the derogatory feelings. That started turning around when Japanese industry started embracing statistical process and quality control; much from Ed Deming, an American still revered there long after his death. US industry started getting a taste of their newfound capability when ordering stuff with say 2/thousandths tolerance and it was always under 1/thousandths. Once they got their own R&D up to speed, everything took off and the "Rice Grinders" became reliable. I remember having a Datsun B-210. Pretty basic and everything eventually fell apart at the same time. But we could afford that then. Then Honda took off and never looked back. I did stop buying anything Toshiba when they compromised sub propeller technology. That boycott continues.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 18 at 2016 11:27 PM

2016-12-18T23:27:13-05:00

I'll be happy as a lark, to be quite honest. I've actually day dreamed a lot about the idea of importing products from Afghanistan to the US. I'm fairly certain that there'd be a market for authentic Afghan products in the US. You'd have to set up in a larger metropolitan area, and market towards people who've got money to spend.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 19 at 2016 3:48 AM

2016-12-19T03:48:56-05:00

Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen - I thought about this before I bought four cheap TV dinner tables at Bed, Bath & Beyond. My feeling is that the table was most likely made by poor people who need to make a living - not by the commie government officials responsible for the war and the atrocities of the war. I believe this is a lot like the situation where American troops on the ward would call my nurses over to treat an enemy patient in pain - because when you are done with the fight it is over - and we are all human. So I bought the tables. Warmest Regards, Sandy :)

Response by Cpl Justin Goolsby made Dec 19 at 2016 9:46 AM

2016-12-19T09:46:39-05:00

Honestly, I'm not sure, but I will say that it's interesting if you own a product from a country that no longer exists. For example, my dining set has Made in Yugoslavia stamped on the bottom of it. It's funny to me that one day I'll be able to tell my children that I have a piece of a country that no longer exists.

Response by SGT Ben Keen made Dec 19 at 2016 12:51 PM

2016-12-19T12:51:33-05:00

Before my grandfather passed away we had a similar discussion over a car I purchased. He served in the Marines during WWII and would only "buy American" so when his grandson drove up in a Mazda, he was not all too happy. But then we got to talking about how times have changed and the fact that we can now deal with former enemies is a good thing. It shows that they were able to come back and do some good rather than continue to foster hate in the world. I think that is why N. Korea remains so far behind compared to S. Korea.

I agree with others in saying that it would be good thing to see Iraq and/or Afghanistan be able to produce useful products that can be exported. It would create more jobs and give the people the hope of seeing things become better rather than worse.

Response by Lt Col Scott Shuttleworth made Dec 19 at 2016 4:42 PM

2016-12-19T16:42:50-05:00

When I was at Air Command and Staff College it came time for the foreign students to give a country brief. The senior foreign student started it off with input from all the participants. It went something like this. "Before you went to bed you drank a beer from Chech Republic, then you went to bed under sheets from Egypt, woke up to an alarm clock from Taiwan, made your coffee from south America beans in a Chinese coffee pot and drank it from a cup made in China, scrambled your eggs in a frying pan from Thailand, made your toast in a toaster from China and you eat off plates from the Ukraine and drink juice from Polish crystal. Then you took a shower with the water coming from a faucet made in Europe, with a bath sponge from Bangladesh, dried off with a towel from Vietnam, dried and style your hair with a hair dryer and comb from Singapore, put on undergarments, shirts, and ties from Korea, then put on your Italian or Chinese made shoes, got into your foreign car and went to work where you used foreign products in the office to include electronics. Still think we aren't connected???" Great eye opener for me. If you take the time to really look at every day items, rarely if any are actually made in the US. If they are it is mostly made from components from other countries. Even my 1997 chevy truck was assembled in Canada.

My grandmother till the day she died would not buy a foreign car...no matter how reliable or inexpesive or how much money it would save on gas she would not do it. I can understand that but now really not an issue for me. I try to buy American but it is tough.

Response by SSG Mark Franzen made Dec 19 at 2016 7:57 PM

2016-12-19T19:57:22-05:00

Sir why would someone be like that but there are still people that have Been in wars that they still have not gotten over all of Yet and Maybe they won't ever.
SSG MARK FRANZEN
USA VET

Response by Sgt Bob Leonard made Dec 23 at 2016 10:46 AM

2016-12-23T10:46:12-05:00

Your question and reading some of the comments reminds me....

The father of a close friend of mine was on Gen McArthur's staff, post WW2 . He (the father) was a cutthroat domino player, and it was my privilege to lose many games to him before he passed away. He told me that one of the brilliant moves Gen McArthur made while o'seeing the rebuilding of Japan was to insist that none of the Occupation Forces be combat Vets. His post-war mission was to build Japan into a contributing member of the world community. He didn't think that would happen if the survivors of South Pacific campaigns and battles were given authority and power over the vanquished foe they had suffered so much from in battle.