Japanese Earthquake Leading to Shortages of iPod Batteries

[0098386]

If Apple moved to America then I'd have to stop buying their products. They're already quite expensive now. If that price jumped up then I'd just buy a competitors product instead.

Infact one has to wonder if there are more US nationalists than people who like cheap products. Somehow I don't think it'd involve a narrow margin.

Right now Apple products are priced well and their production quality is very high. Why would we need to change that?

 

[fxtech]

WOW... what a perfect specimen you are not

Got your sarcasm blinders on?

 

[jouster]

I'd pay a premium for products manufactured in the US.

Products might be more expensive, but there would be more Americans employed. As much are there is a downside to producing here, there is also an upside.

Are you willing to pay significantly more?

 

[SactoGuy18]

I think a major concern for Apple right now is the possibility they may have NO products to sell by July 2011 for many of their product lines due to the lack of parts coming from Japan. I wouldn't be surprised that Apple may have to aim for a November 2011 simultaneous launch of the iPhone 5, 5G iPod touch and 7G iPod nano so they can assure themselves of supplies of the right parts from manufacturers in South Korea and China for Foxconn.

 

[japanime]

Saying happy employees are good employees is an idiom, like a penny saved is a penny earned.

Thank you for the English lesson. If I ever find myself in Arizona, I will be sure to enroll in your class.

 

[nastebu]

Saying happy employees are good employees is an idiom, like a penny saved is a penny earned.

Thank you for the English lesson. If I ever find myself in Arizona, I will be sure to enroll in your class.

It's even funnier since "a penny saved is a penny earned" isn't an idiom at all. An "idiom," in this sense, is a group of words that has a meaning as a whole other than the literal sense of the words. "Raining cats and dogs" is an idiom. "A penny saved is a penny earned" is a proverb, or possibly a cliche.

 

[nastebu]

So the factory is fine but the loading dock is damaged? And they had to shut down the factory because they can't figure out another way to bring in the supplies?

Sounds like we are not getting the whole story...

Iwaki is about 50 km south of the plant, which is well outside the radiation evacuation zones. But it is also only a few kilometers from the coast, and even if the plant is not damaged, that means that the roads and rail connections surely are.

 

[Gasu E.]

You complain about "imposing beliefs", but asking people to "say a prayer" on the forum is certainly pushing one's beliefs on others.

Aiden,

In America, we've got "Freedom of Speech." And, we also have "Freedom of Religion". (We've also got "Separation of Church and State", but as far as I can tell, the respondant represents neither government, nor is he trying to use government to promote his views.) So, it seems to me the respondant is merely exercising his two aforementioned "Freedoms" simultaneously.

Additionally, you conflate "asking" people to do something with "pushing". Sorry, but I get "asked" to do things all day, in normal communication, via advertising, in speeches and presentations, etc. I don't see any problem with this as long as coercion is not involved. I am free to play or not, as I choose. Human interaction just plain involves a lot of this "asking" stuff.

BTW, I'm a complete atheist. I think "asking to pray" is totally cornball. But I don't see a problem with it-- whatever gets you through the day is fine by me.

 

[JAT]

I'm sorry but that my friend is bull $#hit. Not every migrant worker lives on the border. Here in Michigan our economy thrives on legals and illegals from Mexico picking blueberries and it's not by the hour. You get paid based on how much you pick. I did it when I was a kid for extra money and I'm a white American. You can make good money if you're fast but if you're lazy and slow you're not going to make much. It's not slave wages. The harder you work the more you make. A lot of those immagrants drive sport cars. I see a lot of people out there sitting on their A$$ getting their "check" from unemployment when they could be out there getting their hands dirty and making some money.
You should watch the movie "A day without a Mexican".
The fact is that if every migrant worker was deported our economy would completely collapse overnight because a lot of it depends on agriculture.
Another fact is that you see a lot of whites working at American Eagle and Abercrombie but how many work out in the fields? At least a few days a week while they look for another job??

Reading fail. Your first sentence says bs, but then you go on to agree with everything you quoted, and give better examples.

 

[JAT]

Aiden,

In America, we've got "Freedom of Speech." And, we also have "Freedom of Religion". (We've also got "Separation of Church and State", but as far as I can tell, the respondant represents neither government, nor is he trying to use government to promote his views.) So, it seems to me the respondant is merely exercising his two aforementioned "Freedoms" simultaneously.

Additionally, you conflate "asking" people to do something with "pushing". Sorry, but I get "asked" to do things all day, in normal communication, via advertising, in speeches and presentations, etc. I don't see any problem with this as long as coercion is not involved. I am free to play or not, as I choose. Human interaction just plain involves a lot of this "asking" stuff.

BTW, I'm a complete atheist. I think "asking to pray" is totally cornball. But I don't see a problem with it-- whatever gets you through the day is fine by me.

The most dogmatic persons I have ever conversed with are evolutionists and atheists. Their decrying of religion is hilarious in view of the beliefs they present themselves. Faith. Credulity. Different words, often confused, often misapplied.

 

[satcomer]

I am starting to think that this is report maybe rooted in Stock manipulation of AAPL, in the future Apple quarterly report April 20th. Think about it, why hasn't any other electronic devices named it might affect also?

 

[jouster]

It's even funnier since "a penny saved is a penny earned" isn't an idiom at all. An "idiom," in this sense, is a group of words that has a meaning as a whole other than the literal sense of the words. "Raining cats and dogs" is an idiom. "A penny saved is a penny earned" is a proverb, or possibly a cliche.

Glad we got that sorted out.

 

[kingtj]

I just had this discussion on Facebook yesterday....

I have to admit, it was an odd stance for me to take, too. (I'm pretty much a libertarian, yet I found myself arguing with a conservative Republican who was completely against the idea of tariffs ever being of any value.)

My point to him was, although I find tariffs to be evil, *sometimes*, I think they're a necessary evil, because we don't really have any other effective tools to use to prevent another nation from dumping products on us at below cost, in an effort to put one of our own industries under. IMO, China is essentially doing this with things like computers and electronics because they're selling the products to us without incorporating all of the *true* costs of their manufacture. (EG. They're destroying complete cities and rivers over there with pollution, rather than incurring the cost to properly dispose of/handle the byproducts of the production.)

I'm all for a free market, but I think the playing field has to be somewhat level too, for it to function properly. We've reached a point now where the United States says it respects certain basic human rights and freedoms, (including providing workers with a safe working environment) - yet we want our companies to compete directly with goods we're bringing in from other countries who don't share any of those values. At some point, that becomes impossible.

Historically, we used to pay FAR more for a computer in the 80's than we do today, *even* if inflation isn't even factored in! For example, the very popular Radio Shack TRS-80 Model III computer? They wanted $2,495 for it with 32K of RAM and dual floppy drives, back in 1980!

I like to get a good value as much as the next guy, but honestly - we've collectively been paying too low a price for our computer gear in recent years. It's reached a point where it's causing a lot of long-term damage at the expense of the initial good of getting a great price. (Have you seen all the consolidation happening with hard drive manufacturers, recently? Great companies have died off and had to merge with other ones because the margins have gotten so low. Remember Maxtor, or Micropolis before them, anyone?)

Are you willing to pay more for your Mac gadgets so they can be made here?

 

[CQd44]

Aiden, I really like reading your posts. Please don't be rude when the poster was just asking and not forcing. I mean, you wouldn't act the same way if a child were to ask you for your prayers, why treat an adult with a different amount of respect?

 

[hobo.hopkins]

The most dogmatic persons I have ever conversed with are evolutionists and atheists. Their decrying of religion is hilarious in view of the beliefs they present themselves. Faith. Credulity. Different words, often confused, often misapplied.

I think by definition religious individuals have to be considerably more dogmatic than atheists or evolutionists.

 

[hotrock3]

Anyone who needs to quote wikipedia shouldn't be allowed to contribute!

Now thats a FACT!

That seems quite rude. Wikipedia happens to have a wealth of base level knowledge. I understand that one should not cite it when doing in depth research but when looking for general knowledge it is a great source.

Many of my professors have realized this and told us that if we need a different explanation of something to look it up on Wikipedia because it tends to use more common language than out text books. The do not allow citing Wikipedia no matter how well the article is sourced.

Just like any book you look at using for research you must weigh the quality before choosing to use it.

That being said, any college level class in history that covers the Cold War will talk about Alfred Sauvy and his contribution to how we talk about the world during that time period.

 

[X2468]

That seems quite rude. Wikipedia happens to have a wealth of base level knowledge. I understand that one should not cite it when doing in depth research but when looking for general knowledge it is a great source.

Many of my professors have realized this and told us that if we need a different explanation of something to look it up on Wikipedia because it tends to use more common language than out text books. The do not allow citing Wikipedia no matter how well the article is sourced.

Just like any book you look at using for research you must weigh the quality before choosing to use it.

That being said, any college level class in history that covers the Cold War will talk about Alfred Sauvy and his contribution to how we talk about the world during that time period.

Kudos !

Well said, it's so refreshing to read an intelligent courteous response.

 

[482214]

That seems quite rude. Wikipedia happens to have a wealth of base level knowledge. I understand that one should not cite it when doing in depth research but when looking for general knowledge it is a great source.

Many of my professors have realized this and told us that if we need a different explanation of something to look it up on Wikipedia because it tends to use more common language than out text books. The do not allow citing Wikipedia no matter how well the article is sourced.

Just like any book you look at using for research you must weigh the quality before choosing to use it.

That being said, any college level class in history that covers the Cold War will talk about Alfred Sauvy and his contribution to how we talk about the world during that time period.

Thank you

 

[mnemonix]

I guarantee America has all the technology required to make components for a phone battery.

And yes, I'd pay more for EVERYTHING I buy if I knew that an American was making it here in America. That means more people working fair-wage jobs, paying taxes, and contributing to the economy by spending THEIR money in the economy as well.

The 'fair' wages and high standard of living the US enjoyed in the past came in large part from exports, ie participation in the global market. The same global market, driven by capitalism, that now demands a reverse in your fortunes because you can no longer compete... the rest of us have no interest in buying US products if they're not competitive, and without our markets your businesses, even those as successful as Apple, wouldn't survive or benefit the US economy as much as they do.

Globalisation isn't a race to the bottom, it's resulting in a fairer distribution of the wealth around the world, driven by nothing more than the free market; it was never a God given right that the US should enjoy a higher standard of living than anyone else.

Ironically I say this as a socialist who believes a better society can't be entirely created from the profit motive - but socialism is apparantly a dirty word in your country too. You're trapped between a rock and a hard place I'd say.

 

[kingtj]

re: socialism and globalization of the market

Well, first off? I don't think you have to be a socialist to agree that a better society can't be created completely on the profit motive? I've always held the belief that there's a constant need for charities and donations to good causes. Church groups and non-profit organizations provide much of the real assistance needed by people in need in the U.S. -- despite that happening in a non-socialist system. The less your government imposes taxes on you, the more disposable income you have to be able to freely make a choice to donate to the relief effort in Japan, or to "Habitat for Humanity", next time they build a house for someone in need, or ??

By contrast, a lot of our government mandated aid programs wind up causing people to develop a sense of entitlement. Obviously, they usually do a lot of good too -- but I question the efficiency. When charity is done at a local level (like someone's local church), the people involved in the program get to know the recipients personally. There's also the whole "guilt factor" involved, where some people are a little embarrassed to ask for a hand-out. They'll do it if they really need to, but it's also a motivator to do everything they can to try to better their situation so they're not stuck doing it perpetually. With federal govt. based programs, the money invisibly flows right into a checking account or onto a debit card - so it's "painless".

The 'fair' wages and high standard of living the US enjoyed in the past came in large part from exports, ie participation in the global market. The same global market, driven by capitalism, that now demands a reverse in your fortunes because you can no longer compete... the rest of us have no interest in buying US products if they're not competitive, and without our markets your businesses, even those as successful as Apple, wouldn't survive or benefit the US economy as much as they do.

Globalisation isn't a race to the bottom, it's resulting in a fairer distribution of the wealth around the world, driven by nothing more than the free market; it was never a God given right that the US should enjoy a higher standard of living than anyone else.

Ironically I say this as a socialist who believes a better society can't be entirely created from the profit motive - but socialism is apparantly a dirty word in your country too. You're trapped between a rock and a hard place I'd say.