Sony calls it quits on US TV production
By Steven Kim 
posted Dec 15th 2008 5:28PM
posted Dec 15th 2008 5:28PM
[Image courtesy Westmoreland County, PA]
posted Dec 15th 2008 5:28PM
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Damn. This sucks. First we lose Thomson in nearby Lancaster, and now Sony. I can't believe that they can't use it for something else...maybe a new Blu-ray manufacturing facility to try to increase productions and drive disc prices down so that BD has a better adoption rate. Oh, well. :(
Pretty soon we will be manufacturing absolutely nothing in the United States. Howe sad is that?
Actually, manufacturing output in the US of A has roughly tripled since the 1970's. Just because the manufacturing sector has been losing jobs for over 40 years, does not mean manufacturing is going away. In most cases, technology is taking over the work that humans used to do... here's a pretty little graph that illustrates my point. http://www.coyoteblog.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/04/10/manufacturing.jpg
said that it's US plants but I bet they got tired of all the Sony hate in the US. That's got to be the reason for closing US plants in my opinion.
And who's fault is all the sony hate? Unfortunately, they are primarily responsible for there own demise in that respect, the arrogance with which they treat the consumer has bitten them hard, IMO deservedly so in most cases.
However, the loss of jobs and the resulting economic damage far out ways those issues, this is a horrible loss for all concerned.
Well at least we still have Pioneer.
From a Pioneer Electronics employee - the next gen Pioneer/Pioneer Elite televisions will be Made in Japan (main parts, assembly, testing, packing, etc.).
Its not a bad thing (better than somewhere in the third world), but not the USA. All of their receivers, BD players, etc. are Made in Malaysia.
Looks like the former VW plant (yep, they used to make cars in the US -- will again in the future, too) will be closing again.
One word solves all these import-export-trade deficit problems. Tariffs.
$700 billion a year more goes out than comes in. Put to the money multiplier, that's TRILLIONS in capital leaving the economy every year, never to return.
It's like having a bathtub with a hole in the bottom. The water keeps leaking out. No matter how many times you put more water in it (put more capital into it in the form of credit), it will eventually completely leak out.
We will never "compete" with wages at 30 cents an hour. Why the heck would we want to?
There is only one remedy: tariffs. Tariffs equal to the difference in labor. That way if they want to sell goods in the US, it costs just as much to make them here as there.
Tariffs... they're good for America. And for those who say they're bad for America, weren't you the Freidman lovers who said two months ago the economy was sound?
Tariffs are a double edged sword, sure it evens up the playing field in the short term, but long term it leads to competition dying off and we end up with poorly managed companies making poor products being protected by the tariffs. The potential is, lots of companies will end up like GM and Chrysler, scary stuff.
Can you tell me what corrupt businesses and government organizations have to do with tariffs ('Freidman lovers')?
Imposing tariffs will cause more harm than good, and just open us up to a whole new chapter of corruption, lies, and cheating.
It would be nice if there was a one word solution to our problems...but that just isn't the case.
"$700 billion a year more goes out than comes in."
Actually a large part comes back when that money is used to buy US treasury bonds that finance our government's deficit spending.
It's estimated that China buys about $15 billion a month in US treasury bonds. Right now China and Japan hold about $1.3 trillion of our debt. They buy our debt so that we can buy their products. Interesting relationship.
"$700 billion a year more goes out than comes in."
To add to what Jay said, its not like we are just sending shiploads of money all over the place and getting nothing in return. We actually get stuff back from other countries that has real value. $700 billion worth of value, to be exact. Clearly, their resources and products are worth more to us than our cash. This idea that we are just sending billions to the middle east and China with nothing in return is false.
Hearts go out from Engadget and the rest of the American press but brains continue to fail this situation....we are getting what we paid for all these years!!!! You dumb down education and stop rewarding people who do the right thing in a free market and this is what you get. Thanks a lot Time Warner....Q
Damn I have a few friends who work there. F'n economy!
This is really sad. Most of those amazing CRTs that Sony engineered were produced here in Pittsburgh.
I think Sony have shot themselves in the foot. You Americans need to teach Sony a lesson. Pull out the jobs from the USA, then don't expect your products to be allowed into the country. It's a simple measure that teaches them that at a time like the present you just don't add to the already bleak employment situation by exacerbating it in order to suit your own ends. Besides, you helped Japan through their self imposed depression by continuing to buy their goods, so you naturally expect some reciprocity.
This was not news to anyone that worked there! Sony got a 10 year tax break when they bought the place from the old owner (Volkswagen) and when those ran out...so is Sony. It is not about products or people, it is about money and profits!!