Bush-Market Kabul

[Treesuit]

One thing I remember back from my deployment was the fact that cases of MRE's and other stuff was thrown in dumpsters by the GI's. Often because the supply people didn't want them back,"too much trouble" some poeple said. To me it was plain laziness. I do remmeber many of the civilian contractors would on a daily basis collect stuff from dumpsters and the locals who were contracted by them, they too scavenged the FOB for GI stuff.

Me personally I did the same thing but more often than not I would find ammo, pyro, body amor, etc left in the most obvious places. That I tried to turn to supply or get to an amnesty box so the locals couldn't get them. No telling how many locals got there hands on stuff like that.

But somebody mentioned that the bacl market has always had a place in the Middle East, so why stop it, you could slow it down, that would be better.

As for China, well...someday we'll go at them head on but right now we seemed to be slowly being bought out thanks in part of the Obama administration.

[housil]

they'll just make everything cheaper and in greater quantity

...and flood the rest of the world with their (mostly) copied crap

As "Made in Germany" was a lable you can buy allways, "Made in China" is a lable to warn you not to buy. Buying cheap means buying twice...

[rationtin440]

Yes indeed housil! I recall the movie "Battle of the Bulge" where after being shown models of new tanks and other wonder weapons, Robert Shaw's character Colonel Hessler responds "so it just proves that Germans are the best toy makers." Well I would take German craftsmanship over any Chinese and even much American stuff any day, especially the German HK series of main battle rifles and infantry support weapons. You guys seem to favor quality over quantity and the result is much more robust and weather resistant stuff----I mean try getting even a little dirt in the M-16 rifle and then try to fire it without stripping it down to clean!

[Bypah]

When it comes to China and the "takeover " of U.S markets is not new. I easy to blame Obama for everything but if we look this has been happening for a while since the 1990's or earlier. The big corporations in their love for money started outsourcing and looking for ways to get cheaper manufacturing in order to make a profit. An example?? WALMART a.k.a "China mart"...
Plus the US goverment in order to save the $ dollar have been borrowing from the chinese.....

[Cracker]

It's easy..

Chinese labour costs - $$ ?? Nah.
Western labour costs - Beaucoupe bucks to many.

Chinese enviromental rules - Please don't dump in local areas...
Western eviromental rules - You can produce 12 grams of co² each year, should hug 3 polar bears for every made product and you have to do the pinguin dance twice.

Chinese workers - Work 20 hours straight, for $1.. without complaining
Western workers - "Sorry.. I'm sick today.. but make sure to pay my salary in time, or I'll sue you"

(dramatic view on reality)