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Comment by olalonde | Hacker News Reader

> Apple makes and builds high-end products and has the fat margins that goes along with it - instead of outsourcing all manufacturing to China, it could choose to build everything in the US, employ the locals and use that as a selling point.

Why do you assume Americans are more deserving of Apple's manufacturing jobs than the Chinese?

> If I pay premium dollar for quality and durability, I would rather that support local manufacturing and local economies, than have that sitting in Apple's vaults.

Unfortunately, the Chinese also pay premium dollar and would also rather support local manufacturing and local economies. As China is deemed to become Apple's largest market, it makes sense for Apple to support the Chinese economy rather than the US one.[1]

[1] http://blogs.computerworld.com/18517/apple_crazy_china_will_...

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> Why do you assume Americans are more deserving of Apple's manufacturing jobs than the Chinese?

Because the consumers of every nation on earth, deep-down, are superficially patriotic. We don't want to recognize that the global economy is post-nation state. We want to pretend that when we buy an American company's products it is, American. Just as if we decide to buy an Italian sports car we want it to be Italian. Companies prey on these emotional ties to our identities in all manner of ways. In the parent thread's example, Apple does that by labeling their products' packaging, "Designed by Apple in California."

I don't agree with the 'superficially patriotic' remark, at least in regards to Americans. I believe that after seeing the effect of all these manufacturing jobs being closed down, many would opt to pay a higher price knowing that it would save jobs.

I don't necessarily blame companies for these emotional ties. There was a time when those ties really meant something.

In this case "many" means a minority. The majority have voted with their dollars over the past several decades and overwhelmingly chosen products that are manufactured wherever is cheapest.

It really is only four decades and I meant for today's American consumer in retrospect. Today's consumer doesn't have a choice. It is rare to find a product that hasn't been outsourced for labor.

I do think that Americans are more deserving of products being produced here. I've always felt (maybe others do not) that you give back something to where you grew up or the society you are apart of. I see it no different in this case. Sony has done the same in Japan and I respect them more for it.

There are great benefits to the US market and many, such as Apple, have taken advantage of it. They also take advantage of the system and keep their money overseas so it won't get taxed.

Wait, what? Sony has mostly abandoned their Japanese production of Televisions. They are made in China. Maybe you're thinking of Sharp?

Sony still keeps a majority of their factories in Japan.

You are right, Sony manufactures a lot of things in Japan. But it also manufactures many things (including high end televisions and some of its game consoles) in China. They are quite coy about disclosing what percentage, so I don't know where you have read the majority come from Japan.

I don't know about you as you grew up in the US but I didn't (I have never been there) but I feel closer to it than I do about my own country.

But when I really look at it, I don't feel connected to any country as much as to history and the ideals of Silicon Valley.

So to me it seems to weird to hold the place I was born as anything special.

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