Made is China woe...

[Momma J]

I am not actually upset or even dismayed. I made an impulse buy based on past history and bought garbage.

It is the same story that is played out over and over. We have sold out another company to China and now receive inferior products. This time was a minor purchase. I have a Swingline can opener that is older than me. (very old) It still works like a knife thru butter. I can honestly open a can with this opener faster than either of our electric openers.

I wanted a second opener so that I have one at the country house in case power goes out. Much to my dismay, Swingline can openers are now made in China. I had no idea because I have not had a need to replace the one that I have. The newly purchased opener has to be begged, coaxed, threatened... to get half way around the can. I then get out pliers and bend the lid back and forth until I can open it enough to retrieve the product inside. I would be better off opening the can with my buck knife.

It is getting tougher to find Made in America products.

Anyone else want to add to the list? This should be easy as most of our "stuff" comes from China.

Which leads me to another China question.... What proof do we have that China does not use lead based paints in items such as Stoneware dishes? What would happen if they did and people warmed up food on said dishes in the microwave? (Food or chemical for thought in my random data base)

[Niemand]

It's a combination of good old cynical capitalist built in obsolescence, and typically shoddy Communist manufacturing methods.

The PRC is the worst features of capitalism and communism combined and that model is being exported to the world, complete with social credit, facial recognition CCTV everywhere etc.

Best part is that you think this is an American problem. It's most of the developed world.

Things are made to fall apart. It keeps the market going - see here.

[David13]

It was first recognized and publicized back in the 1950s or 60s. It was then called planned obsolescence.

But as to can openers, yes, those are a pain. They try to make them cheap as possible. Some quality would be nice.
dc


But there has always been another factor to consider when considering planned obsolescence. That is, that nothing lasts forever. No matter how good the car, and I have a Honda car, so I know what good is, tho' I'm far from what some others get out of them, it gets old at some point. And worn out. And ready, ripe, and necessary for replacement.

It's old, it doesn't have all the "new" features, etc. And it needs too many wear parts replaced to make it worth it.

With my Honda car, I'm not there yet.

And they say Honda is not as great as it used to be.

Nor is Toyota.

And there may well be old Fords out there, Model A or T, still running.

But, it's probably a bad idea to take your old Model A or T out on the freeway, what with the lunatics and the 80 mph speed limit. Dangerous.

So what can one do. Get new things from time to time.
dc