Buy China

After six years the rubber on the squeegee has deteriorated. Bought a new one today. Made in China.

The wiper blade I had bought earlier this season was Chinese made, and it was awful. However, I was conducting an experiment to see how the driver's side (China, $4.89) compared to the passenger's side (Bosch - Belgium, $11.89). The new one today was made in Belgium, and it works fantastic. It will [likely] last a lot longer than the Chinese made blade, but it also costs a lot more. That's the paradox-- good stuff costs more but we live in a nation that is after the "lowest price, always," so we accept products that suck.

I am happy that at least I had a choice here. In most cases I don't have that choice -- I usually cannot buy good shit because retailers refuse to carry it as it doesn't sell. Gotta move that low-cost merchandise at high volume -- that's the only business model that seems to work these days.

So my Buy China program still had a customer today with the squeegee. I'm up to about $55 in Chinese made garbage this year, trying to spend my social security "refund." Rubber won't last long regardless, so come 2017 I'll be doing it again. Maybe that year will see a 2% payroll tax reduction, too.

I don't suppose you were aware that while us Americans were given a 2% payroll tax reduction, we lost our "Making Work Pay" credit, which [mostly] offsets the gain in the tax reduction. The only difference is that we get the reduction over time, during 2011, instead of waiting until 2012. We really stuck it to The Man, didn't we...