Buy local

"Just Jeepin'" (macintux) 04/06/2020 at 08:55 • Filed to: coronavirus

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Interesting cautionary tale about medical masks, offshoring manufacturing, and the fickleness of decision-makers.

It might just be time to rethink letting the almighty dollar dictate how we live.

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Nibby > Just Jeepin' 04/06/2020 at 09:04

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you know why people are hoarding toilet paper? cause everyone’s fucking full of shit.

Ash78, voting early and often > Just Jeepin' 04/06/2020 at 09:18

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Perfect case of something slipping through the cracks due to wide-open economic policies. Yes, if it goes too far in the other direction, it can be protectionism and lead to laziness, low quality, and high prices. But there is a happy medium and it’s large.

Meanwhile Trump has spent the past couple years deporting Chinese medical researchers in the US on speculation they’re sharing trade secrets and not just research for the common good. That’s a national security issue, apparently.

Weird how misguided our policies can be sometimes...

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Just Jeepin' 04/06/2020 at 09:26

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Snuze: Needs another Swede > Just Jeepin' 04/06/2020 at 09:28

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I work with a guy who’s family owns a medical production company, they make blood storage bags , and their big problem is EPA regulations. There are certain chemicals required to produce the sterile bags and the stabilizers that go in them and it’s very, very difficult to get exemptions. They survive on a few gov’t contracts that require buying American, even over cheaper imports. Meanwhile China has very little in the way of environmental regulations so they can crank ‘em out.

I’m not saying we need to reverse course on environmental policy or anything, but we certainly need to think long and hard about what we can and should manufacture here, as well as how we craft policy. 

Snuze: Needs another Swede > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 04/06/2020 at 09:29

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Why not both?

66P1800inpieces > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 04/06/2020 at 09:55

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I enjoy capitalism too, but even that type of economy accepts that there are certain things the government should to benefit the people that would not otherwise be completed by the corporations. In this case it is clear that we could have been better prepared, however if the government needs something like these masks right now , and the government has imposed certain acts that allow them to do things, why is the government not setting up temporary tents outside firms like this and assisting with an  exponential increase in manufacturing capabilities?  I understand some of the machinery is specialized but even so, there have to be ways to get this going faster smoother better.

Chariotoflove > Just Jeepin' 04/06/2020 at 11:31

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There are certain industries that can be  justifiably modified from pure capitalism in their regulation in the interests of national security.  This is one of them.  I suspect there will be bills introduced in Congress, but it will be interesting to see if they can ride a wave to acceptance or if they will fade away and be forgotten.  This is a chance for our Texas delegation, among others, to make an impact in the wake of this crisis.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Snuze: Needs another Swede 04/06/2020 at 12:37

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IMO buying a product that was produced in a foreign country in an absence of environmental regulations is no different than producing it domestically without environmental regulations. It would be prudent to require purchases to be made from a supplier who complies with environmental regulations, be that an American supplier or Chinese.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 04/06/2020 at 12:40

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I agree.  

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 04/06/2020 at 12:45

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All economic systems are flawed and give up something. The US system is supposed to err on the side of individual autonomy, so slow and cumbersome government responses are pretty much in the name, though not excusing some sheer buffoonery of officials being apathetic fools. The governor of Georgia recently discovered that the virus is contagious before symptoms show. Did you know that?

fintail > Ash78, voting early and often 04/06/2020 at 12:53

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I find it funny how 45 has whined about China, yet son of a conman son in law of a conman beneficiary of corruption and nepotism Jared was hawking pay to play US residency (gotta keep up massive amounts of west coast real estate sales being to offshore cash buyers) to Chinese embezzlers/keptocrats/”entrepreneurs” not long ago. More of the cognitive dissonance that defines this darkest dumbest timeline.

fintail > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 04/06/2020 at 12:55

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Even numerous western greenies seem to have no problem exporting pollution.  NIMBY!

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 04/06/2020 at 13:00

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Individual autonomy would require all “deciders” to have absolute perfect knowledge of outcomes, correct? To me, that is the crux of Capitalism. 

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 04/06/2020 at 13:15

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Exactly! In a Capitalistic society, the consumer’s imperfect (sometimes very imperfect) knowledge is problematic for aspirations of reducing the income gap and really most other social and economic problems . Even if they have the same opportunities (egalitarian) , many of them will be too stupid to know it or use them to their benefit. And this benefits the rich who can afford to educate themselves, giving them a major advantage. I like living in a society where there are rewards for success and advancement, but the government’s job is to minimize abuses to the system, which historically it has not done a good job of.

Thisismydisplayname > Chariotoflove 04/06/2020 at 13:49

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It seems a simple federal contract would solve this issue.  Run the plant balls out and then when the demand commercially dries up, the government picks up the tab and starts a stockpile.  

Chariotoflove > Thisismydisplayname 04/06/2020 at 15:13

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A long term government contract would make more sense, not to stockpile, but to use normally.  The VA, for instance, needs PPE at countless locations, and making money has never been at the top of their agenda.