Of that I'm not so sure. It's true, the flashlight/laser-pointer that I carry on my keychain cost just under $1.50US including the postage from China, which is less than what I would have had to pay for the batteries contained in it. However, I bought two of them so that my wife could carry one on her keychain as well. Mine works just fine, after three months, while hers fell apart after three or four days. I don't know what one can conclude about quality, but the way in which the threads were rolled into the thin sheet-metal housing clearly has a problem. I know how my wife handles her keychain, and it does not suffer extreme abuse. Since the light came with a key ring on it, it's clear that it was intended for exactly that application.


I've owned a number of power drills, none of which were of purportedly "top-drawer" quality, yet the ones I bought back in the '70's still work just as well as ever, while the battery-operated ones I purchased more recently have broken down, in only one case because of the batteries.


The problem has found its way into "professional" equipment. The quality issue is more burdensome for professional users than it is for home users. I have two stepsons who use such tools every day, and, though they buy the very best quality available, they do it several times a year.


That's actually a symptom of my complaint. I've had a number of rechargeable-battery-powered screwdrivers. The one I bought in the late '80s is still useful, though I've had to replace the batteries from time to time. Just as one example, the one, from the same manufacturer, that I bought a couple of years ago when I couldn't find the old one because things were in a disarray while I was moving, is already on its last legs. The batteries in it can't be replaced. The newer one cost 50% more than the old one, yet the old one is still useful. People buy this stuff anyway. I, in the meantime, have purchased a more costly version, not from a mainstream U.S. manufacturer, simply because the U.S. manufacturers won't produce a good-quality item at all. They simply have 'em made elsewhere. That's true of cars, large appliances, and, of course, high-tech equipment.


Now, there's another problem. Those developing countries seem to be supplying high-tech workers to the U.S. either in their nation of origin or here in the U.S. If the U.S. employers are willing to accept the education standards of developing nations, why, then, don't U.S. students wise up and get their educations in those countries where the education is inexpensive?


The U.S. patent office has been very lax, essentially failing to examine the innovation and claims in patents they issue. They would probably issue a patent on the wheel if someone were foolish enough to file for it.


That's not the way I hear it from my acquaintances in the manufacturing industry. The overall cost picture is unfavorable for local employees because they can't easily be fired for incompetence or poor attendance/work habits. The cost of firing and hiring replacements is burdensome. People come to work to collect a paycheck and don't care about the long-term survival of their employer. Over time, of course, the relationship has deteriorated to one in which the employee is employed only so long as he produces profit. OTOH, the employee leaves with whatever he's learned if he gets a slightly "better" wage offer. I guess both employer and employee get what they deserve.



One thing to keep in mind is that "high-tech" stuff is always non-essential. If you have nothing at all, aside from a bit of money, and you're starting out, what's important? Is it a refrigerator, a stove, a dishwasher, or a TV, fancy phone, or a computer?

I recently bought a new stove for my kitchen. I couldn't find a good one from a mainstream U.S. manufacturer, so I bought a very expensive one made in Sweden, at about four times the cost of a typical mainstream U.S. brand. I didn't like the price, but I know I'd have disliked the lower quality much more.

RE