Patriotism or pool?

TheThaiger

TheThaiger

Banned
What's with the constant "buy American" refrain? Is see it all the time; implicitly as well as explicitly. I don't care where a product is made, I just want the best product going. As far as I'm concerned this site is for pool and pool alone. The 'buy American' brigade are devaluing the game and doing a disservice to pool fans the world over IMO.

So, are you a patriot or a pool fan? Both is NOT an option.
 
TheThaiger said:
What's with the constant "buy American" refrain? Is see it all the time; implicitly as well as explicitly. I don't care where a product is made, I just want the best product going. As far as I'm concerned this site is for pool and pool alone. The 'buy American' brigade are devaluing the game and doing a disservice to pool fans the world over IMO.

So, are you a patriot or a pool fan? Both is NOT an option.
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But many of the best cues in the world are made in the US. Probably the only thing you may argue about is balls and tips (let the jokes commence).

Does Brunswick make their stuff in the US? Centenials and GC is nothing to be scoffed at.

I can't think of any top tips made in the US to compete with the prestege and probably quality of the Moori, Kamui, etc... Maybe there is some guy in his garage pressing ultra quality tips out of home-grown leather in Kansas?

I do have to say, for now at least, I'm away from US made cars. And half of those are made on a European designed world platform anyway. Oh, and KIAs, never ever buy a KIA, they must have gotten the 3rd rate engineeres that failed school in Japan and stole a spec sheet from Toyota, but the product comes out like a fake iPhone that works half the time and works like crap the other half.
 
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American cuemakers who produce quality cues that sell for four- and five figures can't seem to earn a decent income selling exclusively to American consumers, and where they are able to make the majority of their profits is by going overseas to the Asian regions of the world. They gobble up American-made custom cues like candy. Ask Black Boar, as one example.

Here in America, cheaper is better, and the majority of American pool players go for the production cues manufactured overseas in the Asian regions of the world. They don't want to pay the price tag for high-quality, custom-made cues that are made in the USA.

Oh, the irony of it all. :grin-square:
 
JAM said:
But have you driven a Ford lately?

I have owned five Volvo cars, love Volvos, but my next vehicle will be a Ford.:cool:
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I owned 2 Fords.

Had a Windstar minivan, thing ate up the transmission at 85k. Got it fixed for over $1,000, a month later, that is also dead. Lights went on randomly on the interrior, door locks sometimes did not work or would just open up on their own.

Had a brand new Ford Escort. Was great for about the same 85k, then 3rd gear went (5speed), then the AC died.

Got a Mitsu Galant, ran 225k with only wearable parts that needed fixing (suspention for one). I now own a Toyota Matrix, 85k miles, 0 issues.



If you are talking about the new fords, they are european cars brought over for the US market like I said in my post. Very few true US market cars last. Heck even Buick is only here because the Chinese of all people view it like it's a Rolls.
 
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hang-the-9 said:
I owned 2 Fords.

Had a Windstar minivan, thing ate up the transmission at 85k. Got it fixed for over $1,000, a month later, that is also dead. Lights went on randomly on the interrior, door locks sometimes did not work or would just open up on their own.

Had a brand new Ford Escort. Was great for about the same 85k, then 3rd gear went (5speed), then the AC died.

Got a Mitsu Galant, ran 225k with only wearable parts that needed fixing (suspention for one).

If you are talking about the new fords, they are european cars brought over for the US market like I said in my post. Very few true US market cars last. Heck even Buick is only here because the Chinese of all people view it like it's a Rolls.
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Well, I did say "lately," and believe it or not, some Fords are indeed made in the USA and not imported from Europe.

My brother bought a 2009 Taurus, and that car rocks. I like it much better than my Volvo. It has all the amenities I like, seat warmers, comfort, smooth ride, et cetera. My next car will be a Ford.

In fact, I'm looking at a Fusion hybrid or the Flex.
 
I am an American that loves pool and supports pool no matter where it is played. I buy whatever product I feel is best for me.
 
TheThaiger said:
What's with the constant "buy American" refrain? Is see it all the time; implicitly as well as explicitly. I don't care where a product is made, I just want the best product going. As far as I'm concerned this site is for pool and pool alone. The 'buy American' brigade are devaluing the game and doing a disservice to pool fans the world over IMO.

So, are you a patriot or a pool fan? Both is NOT an option.
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If you want me to choose between being a patriot of a freakin' game of pool?
USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA
Pool can got take a flying leap.

American 100% and screw the socialist Obama.
USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA

Oh, by the way...I'm both a patriot and a pool fan and both is an option. Don't try to censor me. That's un American.
 
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X2 I'm both as well. Long time pool player and long time supporter of American business. We're the only country that does nothing to protect it's companies from unfair trade practices. Back in the day Japan used to sell steel to the US at a loss. Our gov't never stepped in to help and we lost 90% of our steel mills. Once our mills were gone, Japan began selling for profit. If we want jobs in America, we need to buy the products those companies sell.
If you never look to see where products are made and shop at Wal-Fare you are THE problem.
 
Buy American! . . . or from wherever you are

It is smarter for anyone to support their local economy. Over forty years ago I adopted a policy of buying as locally as reasonably possible. That means buying in my small town if I could, second choice a nearby city, third choice my state, fourth my region, fifth my country. Not blasting other countries or anti any but a choice few but why complain about the poor economy while not doing anything to change it?

When it comes to pool cues it is smarter to buy one built in a similar climate and in conditions it will be played with. All cues breath to some degree. When we buy a cue and subject it to totally different conditions than it was built under we are far more likely to see warpage, popped inlays and rings, various problems with construction that might have been perfectly fine without radical changes in environment. Edwin Reyes recognized this problem and stored the materials to build his sticks for export in a special climate controlled room. Another real issue, long flights in nonclimate controlled aircraft holds. Radical and rapid temperature changes from ground level to 30,000 feet can cause damage that may be seen immediately or not for years. Quality cases serve as insulation and somewhat protect from this especially when the cue is in a case and a travel bag but shipping containers often offer far less insulation value.

It makes good sense to buy from a fairly local quality cue maker. Support your local economy and avoid the real risks of issues with cues made somewhere else and shipped into an alien environment. This is true if you are based in the US, Europe, Asia, anywhere.

Another thing, that new cue that you had flown halfway around the world should be stored unopened in it's original packaging for a few weeks or months to let it normalize before opening. Who is going to follow that advice? :D

Hu
 
I'm American by choice, not because I was born here. I love this country & the values it was built on. It's the place I want my children to inherit, and I want to make it good place for them. It's a gift i'd like to give them. Americans buying American is a way to support our future, our families, our home.

I have nothing against international trade. In fact I believe it's beneficial to the world. However, there's a line where something good becomes something bad, and we have crossed it. If we don't turn it around now then by the time our children take the reigns, the cancer will be terminal. Pool halls in America are rapidly closing. They can't afford to stay open. American cue manufacturers are closing because they cannot compete with foreign manufacturers. American table manufacturers are closing because there are no rooms to buy them. If you are an American who loves pool, you'd better damned well become patriotic real quick or else you soon won't have anywhere to play or equipment to play with. Unfortunately it's not as simple as pool. The epidemic is ravaging the entire national economy.

Pool or patriotism? The fact that somebody actually asked that & made it an ultimatum is appalling, ignorant, insensitive, offensive, & blatantly disrespectful.
 
qbilder said:
I'm American by choice, not because I was born here. I love this country & the values it was built on. It's the place I want my children to inherit, and I want to make it good place for them. It's a gift i'd like to give them. Americans buying American is a way to support our future, our families, our home.

I have nothing against international trade. In fact I believe it's beneficial to the world. However, there's a line where something good becomes something bad, and we have crossed it. If we don't turn it around now then by the time our children take the reigns, the cancer will be terminal. Pool halls in America are rapidly closing. They can't afford to stay open. American cue manufacturers are closing because they cannot compete with foreign manufacturers. American table manufacturers are closing because there are no rooms to buy them. If you are an American who loves pool, you'd better damned well become patriotic real quick or else you soon won't have anywhere to play or equipment to play with. Unfortunately it's not as simple as pool. The epidemic is ravaging the entire national economy.

Pool or patriotism? The fact that somebody actually asked that & made it an ultimatum is appalling, ignorant, insensitive, offensive, & blatantly disrespectful.
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Although it may not be PC but the problem with Americans is they are greedy. They will go on strike for their $35 an hour job while at the same time walk in the local pool room and complain about the prices begrudging the owner even making a living. You can't have it both ways. We want everything cheap but want to be paid a ridiculous amount of money for practically unskilled jobs such as picking up trash in a park working for the city. The American worker drove companies over seas.
 
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How is it that Dale Perry stay in business selling cues (1/1) for $200 or less, and Viking had to closed shop? I believe bad management is a big factor. I see complaints about workers paid a living wage, but nothing about executives who make bad decisions and walk away with millions.

Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling and Enron comes to mind. Richard Grasso was awarded $140 million as 1 year's compensation for being the chairman of the New York Stock Exchange. NYSE is a free market, what did he do that was so special and above the performance of the previous executives that ran the exchange for 200 years?

Carly Fiorina walked away from Hewlett Packard with a $20 golden parachute. Her lasting legacy at HP was the HP Compaq merger, which did nothing for the company, and $29 ink cartridges for consumers. A liter of HP ink is priced more than some vintage bottles of Dom Perignon.

Henry Ford's contribution wasn't just mass producing the automobile. He paid his workers $5 a day, and they became the consumers who could afford to buy his cars.
 
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JolietJames said:
... If we want jobs in America, we need to buy the products those companies sell. If you never look to see where products are made and shop at Wal-Fare you are THE problem.
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Agree.
And to think WallyWorlds corporate message during the Sam Walton days in the 80's was Buy American.
 
qbilder said:
I'm American by choice, not because I was born here. I love this country & the values it was built on. It's the place I want my children to inherit, and I want to make it good place for them. It's a gift i'd like to give them. Americans buying American is a way to support our future, our families, our home.

I have nothing against international trade. In fact I believe it's beneficial to the world. However, there's a line where something good becomes something bad, and we have crossed it. If we don't turn it around now then by the time our children take the reigns, the cancer will be terminal. Pool halls in America are rapidly closing. They can't afford to stay open. American cue manufacturers are closing because they cannot compete with foreign manufacturers. American table manufacturers are closing because there are no rooms to buy them. If you are an American who loves pool, you'd better damned well become patriotic real quick or else you soon won't have anywhere to play or equipment to play with. Unfortunately it's not as simple as pool. The epidemic is ravaging the entire national economy.

Pool or patriotism? The fact that somebody actually asked that & made it an ultimatum is appalling, ignorant, insensitive, offensive, & blatantly disrespectful.
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Awww diddums! Such hyperbole!

OF COURSE the question should be an ultimatum - if this forum is for pool players, make it about the best pool equipment money can buy. If it's about supporting the American economy...then I'll go elsewhere.

Your blinkered mindset is precisely why pool in America is suffering. Compete, do not protect.
 
macguy said:
Although it may not be PC but the problem with Americans is they are greedy. They will go on strike for their $35 an hour job while at the same time walk in the local pool room and complain about the prices begrudging the owner even making a living. You can't have it both ways. We want everything cheap but want to be paid a ridiculous amount of money for practically unskilled jobs such as picking up trash in a park working for the city. The American worker drove companies over seas.
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I don't disagree about greed but I wouldn't blame American workers. They want to make enough money to pay their mortgage & feed their kids. Capitalism drove industry overseas, and is where greed first took roots. Fact is, there's not enough revenue generated within America to support America.
 
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