[MilehighBird]

This is going to be an issue that is not going away anytime soon and will probably get harder to figure out in our new supposed "global" economy. I have always bought GM cars and wanted to support our country. But now they are closing American plants and laying off people from the parts division Delphi but leaving their Mexico plant open. It pisses me off that half the parts on my Grand Am are from mexico and it might have been assembled in Mexico. I finnally bought a Honda last year. My Element was made in Ohio. I am torn because why should I buy from an American company that is fireing Americans but their executives get richer? I didn't feel great about buying a Honda but I did like that is was made here.

Our government needs to help us more. All these free trade programs like Nafta really hurt the average american. It allows manufacturing jobs and now high tech jobs to flow out of this country. Other countries tax and tarriff our products coming into there country but we don't do the same all in the name of free trade. Is this because its good for our country or because highly paid lobbyist influence our officials so big corporations can make more $? Do you know when you call Dell or American Express or some other companies customer service you are sometimes speaking with someone in India making $15 bucks a day? My friend is a corporate accountant and tells me some companies now farm out their returns to India? I am a sales rep for a sporting goods company based in California. Our components are now all from China and assembled in California. I feel its only a matter of time before they are assembled over there too so they don't have to pay more labor here.

Sorry about the long rant but this topic really pisses me off and I am more worried about our younger members and my kids if I decide to have some since it will affect you guys more than us old farts.