MM Ownership - 2021 Encore GX (initial and ongoing updates)
09-20-21 | 05:25 PM
#316
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 58,290
Likes: 2,790
From: Maryland
There are not “official” age ranges for any generation, but there’s a generally understood and agreed upon range.
As for Wal Mart, it’s off topic here but Wal Mart has extremely un-employee friendly and non competition friendly business practices. They destroy small businesses…there’s a lot.
As for tools built in America, Google it.
https://allamericanreviews.com/tool-brands/
https://www.usalovelist.com/american-made-tools/
May not be easy, but if you want to do it you can.
As for Wal Mart, it’s off topic here but Wal Mart has extremely un-employee friendly and non competition friendly business practices. They destroy small businesses…there’s a lot.
As for tools built in America, Google it.
https://allamericanreviews.com/tool-brands/
https://www.usalovelist.com/american-made-tools/
May not be easy, but if you want to do it you can.
09-20-21 | 06:18 PM
#317
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 12,274
Likes: 296
From: ------
There are not “official” age ranges for any generation, but there’s a generally understood and agreed upon range.
As for Wal Mart, it’s off topic here but Wal Mart has extremely un-employee friendly and non competition friendly business practices. They destroy small businesses…there’s a lot.
As for tools built in America, Google it.
https://allamericanreviews.com/tool-brands/
https://www.usalovelist.com/american-made-tools/
May not be easy, but if you want to do it you can.
As for Wal Mart, it’s off topic here but Wal Mart has extremely un-employee friendly and non competition friendly business practices. They destroy small businesses…there’s a lot.
As for tools built in America, Google it.
https://allamericanreviews.com/tool-brands/
https://www.usalovelist.com/american-made-tools/
May not be easy, but if you want to do it you can.
09-20-21 | 07:33 PM
#318
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 31,717
Likes: 73
From: ON/NY
I have bought 2 cars made in the US, they were Japanese branded but made in the US with US labor. Again I don't really care much about buying a Japanese or German made car, Chinese made though I will not give them that kind of money or trust it.
It is not easy at all to avoid products made in China aside from electronics, just about everything from staplers, pens, tools, etc is made in China. I wanted to buy US made tools several years ago, every brand that I thought was made in the US was made in China, that goes for power tools too, I had no real choice at the common stores.
I never bought clothes from Wal Mart, most of the clothes I buy are not made in China, one of the few exceptions. Not made in the US but not made in China. Not sure what is so wrong with Wal Mart though compared to most brick and mortar stores, not like the other places carry mostly non China stuff or pay their employees any more.
I have paid more money to get US or Japanese/German made products over Chinese but that has to do with quality too, it is hard to even find Japanese branded products made in Japan.
Different sources have different age ranges for Millenials, there is no official age range or definition. I remember when Kanye West said he was a millennial at some MTV thing and then people were making fun of him saying he was too old to be a millennial but others were saying he was too young to be Gen X so he is more or less a Millennial or maybe in between. I remember in the early to mid 90's I was told I was too young to be Gen X, Gen X generation was people a good deal older then me/you but then as the years went by the definition/range seemed change, some consider our age group Gen X. The grunge bands, NIN, Dr. Dre, etc were considered Gen X bands, the voice of Gen X yet most of them are at least in their mid 50's now, some late 50's, the movie "Reality Bites" was labeled a/the Gen X film, same with "Singles" yet most of the actors/director of those films are in their mid to late 50's so how does Gen X span such a wide age range and millennials seems to span a shorter age range. I don't really identify or care about those age group labels even though they get brought up all the time, kind of don't want to identify or consider myself a millennial because I think it is mostly negative but never really thought I was Gen X either, it is all kind of dumb.
It is not easy at all to avoid products made in China aside from electronics, just about everything from staplers, pens, tools, etc is made in China. I wanted to buy US made tools several years ago, every brand that I thought was made in the US was made in China, that goes for power tools too, I had no real choice at the common stores.
I never bought clothes from Wal Mart, most of the clothes I buy are not made in China, one of the few exceptions. Not made in the US but not made in China. Not sure what is so wrong with Wal Mart though compared to most brick and mortar stores, not like the other places carry mostly non China stuff or pay their employees any more.
I have paid more money to get US or Japanese/German made products over Chinese but that has to do with quality too, it is hard to even find Japanese branded products made in Japan.
Different sources have different age ranges for Millenials, there is no official age range or definition. I remember when Kanye West said he was a millennial at some MTV thing and then people were making fun of him saying he was too old to be a millennial but others were saying he was too young to be Gen X so he is more or less a Millennial or maybe in between. I remember in the early to mid 90's I was told I was too young to be Gen X, Gen X generation was people a good deal older then me/you but then as the years went by the definition/range seemed change, some consider our age group Gen X. The grunge bands, NIN, Dr. Dre, etc were considered Gen X bands, the voice of Gen X yet most of them are at least in their mid 50's now, some late 50's, the movie "Reality Bites" was labeled a/the Gen X film, same with "Singles" yet most of the actors/director of those films are in their mid to late 50's so how does Gen X span such a wide age range and millennials seems to span a shorter age range. I don't really identify or care about those age group labels even though they get brought up all the time, kind of don't want to identify or consider myself a millennial because I think it is mostly negative but never really thought I was Gen X either, it is all kind of dumb.
09-20-21 | 07:52 PM
#319
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 58,290
Likes: 2,790
From: Maryland
I don't think there is a agreed age range, it varies which is why I do not know why those labels are used so much. As for Wal Mart, Amazon treats it's employees like crap too and has done more damage to small businesses, stores, retail Jobs then Wal Mart so Bezos can hoard billions upon billions, same with several places like Target, Best Buy, etc.
Amazon is not great either but they treat employees exponentially better than WalMart. I have a client that has spent his career (he’s an employment attorney) representing people in suits against WalMart. Their practices are on another level from any other employer.
Wal Mart actively works within the government both on a national level and locally in small rural towns that they go into in an effort to stack things against local business owners. They systematically put local business owners out of business by selling products below cost and attracting their workers and then once they reach a certain % of local residents employed they dump their pay while raising prices and then use their status as a prominent indispensable local employer to negotiate even more favorable business arrangements for themselves. Just a despicable company.
09-20-21 | 07:54 PM
#320
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 58,290
Likes: 2,790
From: Maryland
Its the easiest thing to buy American. The content and point of origin and and construction are right on the sticker.
09-20-21 | 07:56 PM
#321
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 31,717
Likes: 73
From: ON/NY
Wal Mart actively works within the government both on a national level and locally in small rural towns that they go into in an effort to stack things against local business owners. They systematically put local business owners out of business by selling products below cost and attracting their workers and then once they reach a certain % of local residents employed they dump their pay while raising prices and then use their status as a prominent indispensable local employer to negotiate even more favorable business arrangements for themselves. Just a despicable company.
Last edited by Toys4RJill; 09-20-21 at 08:10 PM.
09-20-21 | 08:52 PM
#322
Thread Starter
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 91,699
Likes: 89
From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
In some cases, I'm open to buying something made in the U.S. without UAW labor...particularly if the company treats their employees well. I owned a Lafayette, IN-built Subaru Outback for six years. That plant, to my knowledge, is not UAW....or, at least, was not at the time.
I just can't stomach the idea of supporting the (virtual) slave-labor system in China, that's all....and, IMO, it is a stain on the Buick nameplate for having both the 1Gen and 2Gen Envision built there. And, there are apparently a number of other Americans who feel the same way. Neither-generation has been a very good seller in the U.S, despite a vast improvement in the interior/exterior styling of the 2Gen, except for the awkward transmission push/pull buttons. In fairness, though, the pandemic may also be affecting the sales of the 2Gen.
Last edited by mmarshall; 09-20-21 at 08:57 PM.
09-21-21 | 04:40 AM
#323
Lexus Champion
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 10,163
Likes: 10
From: Southeastern PA
As others also sometimes do, you have mischaracterized what I've been saying. First, I've owned several non-sedans in the past....Plymouth Barracuda (pony car), Subaru Outback (AWD wagon), Chrysler Newport 2-door coupe, Buick Electra 4-door hardtop (non-sedan), and Toyota Celica sport-coupe. Also (briefly) had a Saturn SC-2 coupe. Second, I never said MUST be made in the U.S....I'd prefer UAW manufacture at home, but, if that's not the case, IMO Korean Union-manufacture (like with my Encore GX) is far preferable to Chinese manufacture.
09-21-21 | 04:42 AM
#324
Lexus Champion
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 10,163
Likes: 10
From: Southeastern PA
09-21-21 | 06:04 AM
#325
Lexus Champion
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 11,334
Likes: 142
From: Illinois
This is absolutely correct. Walmart has extensive leverage with vendors and they know how to use it. Putting vendors thru the ringer is an accurate way to describe it.
09-21-21 | 07:50 AM
#326
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 58,290
Likes: 2,790
From: Maryland
I just can't stomach the idea of supporting the (virtual) slave-labor system in China, that's all....and, IMO, it is a stain on the Buick nameplate for having both the 1Gen and 2Gen Envision built there. And, there are apparently a number of other Americans who feel the same way. Neither-generation has been a very good seller in the U.S, despite a vast improvement in the interior/exterior styling of the 2Gen, except for the awkward transmission push/pull buttons. In fairness, though, the pandemic may also be affecting the sales of the 2Gen.
The fact that you refuse to accept that is dishonest, you're being dishonest with yourself if you don't actually see that or dishonest with us when you say you are taking a stand against that.
09-21-21 | 07:53 AM
#327
Thread Starter
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 91,699
Likes: 89
From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
I'm assuming that most people who purchase vehicles can read past first-grade level.
09-21-21 | 08:07 AM
#328
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 58,290
Likes: 2,790
From: Maryland
People look at the brand and assume its built here, when in reality if anything foreign carmakers like Toyota and Honda support US labor way more than domestic carmakers today.
09-21-21 | 08:18 AM
#329
Thread Starter
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 91,699
Likes: 89
From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
if anything foreign carmakers like Toyota and Honda support US labor way more than domestic carmakers today.
09-21-21 | 08:24 AM
#330
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 58,290
Likes: 2,790
From: Maryland
Yes, true to an extent, although they are usually non-UAW plants. Toyota and Honda also have different management styles than GM and Ford.....who are usually only concerned with short-term profits. I may like the way that many GM products drive and feel.....but, outside of Bob Lutz, I have never thought much of their management. Lutz was a car-guy, not just an accountant.