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What to buy - activism - Yamaha - Honda - etc.
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| Mark Finkenstaedt |
Posted on 08/29/10 - 8:10 PM
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These past two week we had the delight of "Whaling" with the Delaware dolphins. Every time we went out there they were frolicking, feeding and bringing great joy to watch.
On the other hand - tonight I have been watching "The Cove" an oscar winning movie about the yearly wholesale slaughter of around 23,000 dolphins in Japan. That's each year!
Maybe as a small group - "Whaler Fans" - and to a large extent boaters - we might affect some small change and influence by once again not buying Japanese out-broads (central theme here) and also their cars and what have you. (Even if they are manufactured here in the U.S.) Some may scoff but then again others don't eat meat, buy German products, eat battery farm eggs (Billions recalled recently) and what have you in the way of activism.
Buying American should be a theme we remember everyday for the sake of our manufacturing base. (Have you seen American cars recently - outstanding!)
I don't buy Japanese products for many reasons but I'll add the dolphins to my list as my friends look at me like I'm crazy when I discourage them from buying foreign.
Comments?
Oh- yes- Watch The Cove and it's complimentary programs on Animal Planet - very enlightening.
Edited by Mark Finkenstaedt on 08/29/10 - 8:14 PM
2001 18' Dauntless - 150HP 2010 E-TEC |
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| themclos |
Posted on 08/30/10 - 10:19 AM
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Mark,
OK, I will bite.
My first question will be, "If you feel so strongly about buying American, why didn't you put a Mercury Outboard on your boat when you repowered last year?" The Optimax and the Verado are both excellent products, and your boat could handle the weight of either.
Perhaps that is not a fair question, since the focus of your initial posting is not buying Japanese manufactured products. However, you then stated "Buying American should be a theme we remember everyday for the sake of our manufacturing base. (Have you seen American cars recently - outstanding!)". Given this line, I don't think my question is off base.
Full disclosure - we own a Toyota Sienna minivan and a Dodge Durango. This is the 3rd Toyota Sienna we have owned. It is far and away superior in every way to any American made minivan IMO. Each time we have looked for a new minivan, we have started by evaluating American brands. Each time we have come back to the Sienna, which has far superior fit and finish, features and reliability (as compared with friends who have purchased other brands). We put well over 100,000 miles on each our 2 previous minivans, and I expect we will do the same with this one. Other than basic maintenance, we have never had a problem.
I would love to buy an American made minivan, but I would never subject my family to an inferior product because of ideaology. At this point, I expect this will be the last minivan we will own (hooray) and we will not have to go through this exercise again. There are plenty of well made American cars to choose from.
I think the number of Boston Whaler owners is too small to make a difference to Brunswick. Remember, too, that those of us with older, classic boats are constrained by the weight of modern outboards. There is only 1 American made 2 stroke outboard, and it appears that many classic owners feel as strongly about Mercury as they do about Japanese manufacturers.
Dan
1986 22 Outrage Cuddy, 2002 225HP Optimax |
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| John Fyke |
Posted on 08/30/10 - 10:39 AM
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I fly my American colors on my arms everyday with two tattoos. I also buy American made products but I will agree with Dan on some points. German and Japanese vehicles are well made. I have owned American trucks for years now and would never consider buying any foreign brand. I think the U.S. make decent trucks but the cars are a diffent story. Just my 2 cents.
John Fyke
Re-Fit or Reef It
1979 15' Sport with Super Sport conversion and 70hp mercury. |
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| thegage |
Posted on 08/30/10 - 10:54 AM
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Yes, the Japanese slaughter of dolphins (and whales) is shameful.
"Buy American" as a solution/protest is a nice bumper sticker slogan but woefully ignorant of a multitude of facts and ignorant of the way business is conducted in the modern day.
"l'll take that all-American Chrysler van over that furrenn Toyota!" But wait: That Chrysler has about 82% domestic content, while the Toyota has about 85%.
Well, OK, you say, but the profits are American on the Chrysler, while the Toyota's go to Japan, right? Wrong, the Chrysler profits actually end up in Germany.
Ford is the best bet for "keeping it domestic" (as much as possible with today's global sourcing) with some GMC models up there too, but that doesn't give you much of a choice, and I always thought freedom to choose was an American value.
http://www.automotiveaddicts.com/inthenews/07-10-06.html
John K.
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| themclos |
Posted on 08/30/10 - 11:31 AM
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Good points all.
I have a question. What brand of television do you own? I own Sony televisions. Again, I have nothing but phenominal experience with Sony consumer electronics products.
We use a Nikon Digital SLR camera.
Mark, you are a photographer, and make your living with a camera. I have taken a look at your website and your work is beautiful. What brand of camera do you use?
The point of my questions is not to single anybody out, especially Mark. I am attempting to show how difficult it can be to "buy American". In many instances, there is no American manufacturer competing in that space.
It can be hard to tell when sitting behind the keyboard when you have crossed the line, so I will offer an apology in advance if you feel I have done so. This is why I try not to have provocative "discussions" online.
Dan
1986 22 Outrage Cuddy, 2002 225HP Optimax |
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| John Fyke |
Posted on 08/30/10 - 11:52 AM
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It's a tough issue. The market for buying American made products with all the imported products from the oversees countries. The U.S. market gets smaller every day.
John Fyke
Re-Fit or Reef It
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| JohnnyCW |
Posted on 08/30/10 - 1:13 PM
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Mark Finkenstaedt wrote:On the other hand - tonight I have been watching "The Cove" an oscar winning movie about the yearly wholesale slaughter of around 23,000 dolphins in Japan.
Where did you see The Cove?
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| Barryg |
Posted on 08/30/10 - 1:31 PM
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In 2001 I purchased a Evinrude 70 four stroke. Later found out it was a Suzuki . Had real good luck with it so that is why when it came to repower I went with a Suzuki. BG
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| DWinter |
Posted on 08/30/10 - 4:19 PM
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Johnny, The Cove was on Animal Planet last evening. Interesting and enlightening show to say the least.
Duane G Winter
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| CES |
Posted on 08/30/10 - 5:45 PM
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I saw "The Cove" last night, real sad. Also I drive a Ford truck and wouldn't consider any other Truck brand either.
I always try to buy American but in reality, is there much of anything that is truly 100% American made nowadays.
We are in tough times right now.
Anyway, I can only hope that the international community steps in and tries to persuade Japan against their cruel tactics of killing these beautiful animals.
Edited by CES on 08/30/10 - 5:46 PM
Cliff
1966 13' Sport with a 1993 40hp Yamaha 2 Smoker |
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| JohnnyCW |
Posted on 08/30/10 - 5:53 PM
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DWinter wrote:
Johnny, The Cove was on Animal Planet last evening. Interesting and enlightening show to say the least.
That is the series Blood Dolphins isn't it? It stars Ric O'Barry who is in The Cove but I wasn't aware the actual documentary filmed had aired. Everyone seems to mix the documentary film up with the Animal Planet series on the same subject.
Edited by JohnnyCW on 08/30/10 - 5:56 PM |
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| John Fyke |
Posted on 08/30/10 - 5:55 PM
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I also don't believe in killing dolphins or any animal for prophit. What a shame.
John Fyke
Re-Fit or Reef It
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| CES |
Posted on 08/30/10 - 6:43 PM
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Ya JohnnyCW, I meant to say "Blood Dolphins". My bad.
Cliff
1966 13' Sport with a 1993 40hp Yamaha 2 Smoker |
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| JohnnyCW |
Posted on 08/30/10 - 6:45 PM
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CES wrote:
Ya JohnnyCW, I meant to say "Blood Dolphins". My bad.
I see Planet Green has the actual documentary on tonight right now.
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| Fishmore |
Posted on 08/30/10 - 7:09 PM
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The Japanese are small time compared to the number of fish killed by Americans just as by catch to water pumping facilities.
You may have read or know a little about the California Aqueduct system that brings water from Northern California to the Central Valley and Southern California. Bet you did not know that the pumps used to suck the water from the Delta in to the aqueduct would seem to kill many more fish then 23,000 annually. (I wish that we only killed 23,000). There are multiple pumping facilities in the Delta region. Here is a chart showing just one of those facilities and the number of fish trapped over a 3 year average and the percentage of those fish that were salvaged or saved over a 3 year period.
http://www.usbr.gov/pmts/tech_service...ecies.html
What is not documented is after those salvaged fish were saved very few of them go on to live productive lives. After the trauma of being trapped and transferred to a different water supply many die in transit or when they can't re-acclimate to the new waters. Keep in mind that this chart is representative of the years 2000 through 2003 and pumping has increased 35% or more since that time. Increased pumping causes even higher death rates among fish.
Take a look at the number of Striped Bass that got caught in those years 771,000/year and only 11.8% get saved. But remember not all saved fish make it and this is in only one of the multiple pump facilities. We used to get some really large runs of big Striped Bass here. They are a lot harder to find now.
How about Chinook Salmon once the pride of the California fishery and now just a shadow of it's former glory. 31,900/year trapped and only .488% get saved. These fish used to have runs so big it looked like you could walk across their backs as they moved up the rivers. Now we get lucky if we can find them.
By the way only two pump facilities have the capability to trap fish. The other facilities just chew them all up.
Pretty sad state of affairs and the farmers keep asking to increase the pumping even more. As a matter of fact one of their advertisements asks that all the water in the Delta should be diverted in to the pumps so that none of the water gets wasted going to the ocean thereby killing off all migrating fish species.
Before we complain about the Japanese fisheries and their practices we need to get our own backyard in order.
Edited by Fishmore on 08/30/10 - 7:17 PM |
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| John Fyke |
Posted on 08/30/10 - 7:25 PM
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Fishmore wrote:
The Japanese are small time compared to the number of fish killed by Americans just as by catch to water pumping facilities.
You may have read or know a little about the California Aqueduct system that brings water from Northern California to the Central Valley and Southern California. Bet you did not know that the pumps used to suck the water from the Delta in to the aqueduct would seem to kill many more fish then 23,000 annually. (I wish that we only killed 23,000). There are multiple pumping facilities in the Delta region. Here is a chart showing just one of those facilities and the number of fish trapped over a 3 year average and the percentage of those fish that were salvaged or saved over a 3 year period.
http://www.usbr.gov/pmts/tech_service...ecies.html
What is not documented is after those salvaged fish were saved very few of them go on to live productive lives. After the trauma of being trapped and transferred to a different water supply many die in transit or when they can't re-acclimate to the new waters. Keep in mind that this chart is representative of the years 2000 through 2003 and pumping has increased 35% or more since that time. Increased pumping causes even higher death rates among fish.
Take a look at the number of Striped Bass that got caught in those years 771,000/year and only 11.8% get saved. But remember not all saved fish make it and this is in only one of the multiple pump facilities. We used to get some really large runs of big Striped Bass here. They are a lot harder to find now.
How about Chinook Salmon once the pride of the California fishery and now just a shadow of it's former glory. 31,900/year trapped and only .488% get saved. These fish used to have runs so big it looked like you could walk across their backs as they moved up the rivers. Now we get lucky if we can find them.
By the way only two pump facilities have the capability to trap fish. The other facilities just chew them all up.
Pretty sad state of affairs and the farmers keep asking to increase the pumping even more. As a matter of fact one of their advertisements asks that all the water in the Delta should be diverted in to the pumps so that none of the water gets wasted going to the ocean thereby killing off all migrating fish species.
Before we complain about the Japanese fisheries and their practices we need to get our own backyard in order.
I think the poster is more concerned about the dolphin species than recreatonal fishing.
John Fyke
Re-Fit or Reef It
1979 15' Sport with Super Sport conversion and 70hp mercury. |
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| Derwd24 |
Posted on 08/30/10 - 7:56 PM
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Great to know though, I had no idea...
Dave - 1983 Outrage 22 |
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| Finnegan |
Posted on 08/30/10 - 8:28 PM
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As a response to the original post, let's make a simple assumption: In the US and Canada, tomorrow morning people stopped buying, and refused to buy, a Yamaha, Suzuki or Honda outboard. No more Japanese outboards purcahsed here.
All the buying and boat building traffic would immediately go to Mercury and Evinrude, both made in Wisconsin.
Mercury and Evinrude would immediately have to ramp up production to meet demand, and hire several thousand workers between them, to say nothing of all the new parts suppiy workers needed. This would be good for us, reducing the huge cost and losses from people unemployed. More taxes would be paid to our governments. But Yamaha, Honda and Suzuki would have to lay off this same amount of workers, which would be bad for Japanese workers. Less tax money for the Japanese governments.
So you decide which is best for you personally and the US economy. Most will make the wrong decision, or simply not care about what happens in Wisconsin or Japan.
But don't worry, Japanese engine lovers. It's not going to happen, since basically Americans are one of the most economically ignorant nations in the World. Most voters have no clue why our economy has crashed. What in the world is the EFFECT of a Trade deficit? What's that? Hey, if someone wants to loan me money I could never pay back, I'll take it. They never look in the mirror. It's much easier to simply and fashionably blame someone else, beginning with the President, or Congress, or greedy Corporations, Wall Street and Unions. As we have now learned, for some reason none of these folks have solved the problem. Why? It's really not because they are incompetent, although that's what we want to think. Vote the bums out for the solution? Because it begins with the spending, borrowing, lifestyle, and purchasing habits of all of us, as Nation, and it's much easier to blame it on someone else. So things will not get better soon, and may get a lot worse as interest bills come due and taxation at all levels skyrockets to pay them, and pay the loans back.
We need to design and make things in this Country that people want to buy, or will buy, even if considered inferior, and until we do that, the Germans, Japanese, Chinese, Koreans and oil producing countries will continue to be breaking our backs. It may already be too late to fully recover. Can we ever pay back the Trillions ($13,000,000,000,000.) they have loaned to us, from profits mostly made FROM us? Not likely. Once they get it, they don't give it back, except as a loan. Anybody that thinks unemployment will shrink, housing values will come back up, and taxes will go down, is pipe dreaming. Not until Mercury and Evinrude get all of the outboard business! Good luck on that one.
Edited by Finnegan on 08/30/10 - 8:31 PM |
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| thegage |
Posted on 08/30/10 - 10:09 PM
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My E-TEC states on it "Assembled in China." Many of Mercury's engines are made in China, Japan or Mexico. A quick search leads me to believe that only the MerCruiser I/Os are made in Wisconsin.
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| CES |
Posted on 08/31/10 - 6:08 AM
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thegage wrote:
My E-TEC states on it "Assembled in China." Many of Mercury's engines are made in China, Japan or Mexico. A quick search leads me to believe that only the MerCruiser I/Os are made in Wisconsin.
Like I mentioned earlier in my post, there isn't much that is Made in America anymore. It's a sad situation and until us, as Americans, ramp up manufacturing and engineering, we will continue to be in the situation we are in now.
The news reports everyday paint a gloomier picture of our economy.
This seems to be part of the "Wealth re-distribution" that our President so often talks about however it's not wealth redistribution to other Americans; it's wealth redistribution to the rest of the world. Of course the wealth re-distribution wheel started turning way before our current administration took office; it's just that it started moving full force once they were sworn in.
Anyway, back to Whalers and Dolphins.
While watching "Blood Dolphins" the other night, I saw a few clips of the TV show "Flipper" and saw a few shots of the mighty 13' that started the Boston Whaler legacy. I wonder who now owns that or those 13's now or where they are located?
Cliff
1966 13' Sport with a 1993 40hp Yamaha 2 Smoker |
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