After reading the messages above, I felt compelled to throw my two cents in as well.
I see the whole domestic vs foreign argument like this: American's want to buy quality products at a cheap price. Many of us are totally willing and desire to purchase American made products, so long as we get what we pay for. Let's face it: Quality often requires a few more dollars. Unfortunately, we have the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and rich big-business owners to thank for the decline in American quality products, which come with higher price-tags (in many cases) than their often better-built and more affordable foreign competition. If you remember about 12 or 16 years ago, Ross Perot had his "NAFTA is bad" slogan. He warned us that exporting our labor to places like Mexico and China would destroy the US economy. Turns out he was right. The auto market is a case in point. In an attempt to line their pockets with even more $'s these big businesses (Everything from cars, to appliances, to the clothes we wear) have farmed out their labor and manufacturing to these out of country locations, such as Mexico, Canada, China, Indonesia, and Pakistan. The trade off for this cheaper labor is often a decline in the quality of the product. So, we as consumers are forced to make a decision: buy a cheaper, foreign-made product, which in the case of cars are usually better built, or support the US economy and buy "American", which often cost more yet aren't as well built.
Basically it all boils down to those rich corporate execs and the politicians that allow them to export all of their labor are destroying the US economy and making it impossible for you and I to get a quality product here at home. If those same execs would keep their plants here in the US, they could make a much better product using American employees with years of experience, while simulteaneously creating more jobs. That will never happen though, because to do so would cause them to lose a few million here and there.
I just think it's sad that a person has to make a concious and dedicated effort to shop around to find quality made American products. You can't go to a mall anymore and find American made clothes. They are all made in Pakistan or China...two countries which pose HUGE threats to us from a strategic AND economic stand-point. Almost ALL electronics are made in China now as are most of the clothes carried by all of those trendy fashion outlets like Gap, American Eagle Outfitters, Structure, etc.
True, many of the foreign manufacturers have US car "assembly plants", which create jobs for us, and provide great jobs for the communities around them. However, all that profit is still going to a foreign business which is slowly eroding the US economy. It also doesn't help that the US auto industry has stagnated on it's designs and can't produce a resonably priced car that comes with the same amount of features and economy as their Japanese counter-parts. How else do you think we let Daimler-Benz buy out Chrysler in the first place? The same thing isn't far from happening to GM, either. Ford is really the last bastion of hope for the US auto market.
I plan on buying a ST as soon as I get back to the states from my tour in Afghanistan. I realize the ST isn't the BEST truck in the world, as evidenced by the large amount of talk about the rear sway bar and suspension components. However it suits all of my needs and is still an "American" product. If someone feels they need to by a Japanese or German car, then so be it. Both make great cars and are worth the money you pay for them, in my opinion. I've owned a '91 BMW 520i for 5 years now and have driven it all over Europe. It is solid as a tank and can still run like a scalded-dog on the Italian auto-strada. I only hope my ST proves to be as reliable and dependable as my old BMW has been.
Support the troops, buy American!!!!<sc
