Re: Got American Parts?
I bought Cooper tires for my Audi last year, thinking they were made in Dayton OH. Nope -- made in Great Britain.
The content of US assembled cars, whether the old " big 3" or the transnationals (Toyota, Honda, Kia, etc down south) is steadily going down as the OEMs force their suppliers to provide cheaper parts and the only way they can get there is to offshore manufacturing to Mexico, China, Thailand, eastern Europe, etc. The bottom line is that a living wage of $15-25/hr + benefits paid for manufacturing jobs in the US is too expensive compared to $10-20/day and no benefits (and little environmental controls) in the 3rd world. So manufacturing continues to bleed away as we shop for imported goods at Walmart and demand price cuts on durable goods like cars, appliances, etc.
It's easy to point at an Audi or M-B and blame the driver for not supporting America. But look at most items, other than food, that you buy in a discount store or even a big box hardware (Lowe's, Home Depot) and you'll see where it is really manufactured or the coy "assembled in the US from imported parts", which tries to give the idea that it is made in the US. If you can find something made in the USA, compare it's price to the imported alternate and you'll see why we're in trouble.
Heaven help us when the FDA is gutted and we have to suffer with imported, el cheapo drugs. At least the US drug industry is heavily regulated for safety and efficacy unlike what goes on in the 3rd world.