Are you planning to learn Mandarin Chinese?

[theMadArtist]

I'm beginning to think it's the only way to survive!

[tfike]

If we keep borrowing money from them everyone will have to learn it eventually.

[theMadArtist]

They are sucking the art industry dry here in the U.S, as they have many other industries who now R.I.P...
I wonder if the average American will EVER realize what's happening- until too late.....

[Frog]

They are sucking the art industry dry here in the U.S, as they have many other industries who now R.I.P...
I wonder if the average American will EVER realize what's happening- until too late.....

Unfortunately, in actual buying dollars, the average American has been making less and less each decade since the '60's, so, it's only natural to try to spread that earning power as much as possible with the cheaper imported goods.
Of course, the folks with bucks who deal large scale with this junk have seen their incomes rise in the same time period.

Although the sentiment is wonderful, it's not as simple as "buy American", because the 1% is not willing to "pay American"

Mad (and interested others), if this discussion continues in this direction, it will get moved to our "opt-in" section, The Controversy Cage, and a PM to me will get you in.

[mk162]

i was going to be a jerk and post something that would instantly take it in a direction to the cage, but i won't.

Frog is correct, as americans are earning less than they were 20 years ago, cheaper good become more in demand.

The bright side is some manufacturing here is taking off, like cars. 

[theMadArtist]

It was in the 90s- NAFTA and GATT- that caused this downturn......

[Command-Z]

Don't worry about that. The Chinese are learning English.

[brandon]

Interesting for me that this topic came up. I saw this coming many years ago. My wife and I are having a baby girl soon and we already getting her enrolled in a school where she will be learning Spanish, English, and French (this is New Orleans after all) and as an elective Mandarin. I have a friend who speaks and actually writes about 70% of the characters and it is a very cool language. The whole syntax is so different from ours. She is a Caucasian and when she travels there with work it gets her much, much further than you can imagine. So yeah, my girl can take over my company when I retire and print and for all the metal bands in China that tour the States haha. But in my opinion we did this to our ourselves in the name of money.

[theMadArtist]

Sound conclusion, Brandon- and having our kids learn Chinese will get them ready for the New Master (the U.S. is her female dog......)!

[Rockers]

Interesting for me that this topic came up. I saw this coming many years ago. My wife and I are having a baby girl soon and we already getting her enrolled in a school where she will be learning Spanish, English, and French (this is New Orleans after all) and as an elective Mandarin. I have a friend who speaks and actually writes about 70% of the characters and it is a very cool language. The whole syntax is so different from ours. She is a Caucasian and when she travels there with work it gets her much, much further than you can imagine. So yeah, my girl can take over my company when I retire and print and for all the metal bands in China that tour the States haha. But in my opinion we did this to our ourselves in the name of money.

Right on the money Brandon.
By the way in terms of what country holds the most US dept, Japan is ranked #1 these days. It owns a measly $1.2244 trillion worth of U.S. government securities.

[Screened Gear]

Interesting for me that this topic came up. I saw this coming many years ago. My wife and I are having a baby girl soon and we already getting her enrolled in a school where she will be learning Spanish, English, and French (this is New Orleans after all) and as an elective Mandarin. I have a friend who speaks and actually writes about 70% of the characters and it is a very cool language. The whole syntax is so different from ours. She is a Caucasian and when she travels there with work it gets her much, much further than you can imagine. So yeah, my girl can take over my company when I retire and print and for all the metal bands in China that tour the States haha. But in my opinion we did this to our ourselves in the name of money.

Brandon your suppose to want better for your kids. She will do much better then running  screen printing shop.

[theMadArtist]

Interesting for me that this topic came up. I saw this coming many years ago. My wife and I are having a baby girl soon and we already getting her enrolled in a school where she will be learning Spanish, English, and French (this is New Orleans after all) and as an elective Mandarin. I have a friend who speaks and actually writes about 70% of the characters and it is a very cool language. The whole syntax is so different from ours. She is a Caucasian and when she travels there with work it gets her much, much further than you can imagine. So yeah, my girl can take over my company when I retire and print and for all the metal bands in China that tour the States haha. But in my opinion we did this to our ourselves in the name of money.

Brandon your suppose to want better for your kids. She will do much better then running  screen printing shop.

OUCH!

[brandon]

Interesting for me that this topic came up. I saw this coming many years ago. My wife and I are having a baby girl soon and we already getting her enrolled in a school where she will be learning Spanish, English, and French (this is New Orleans after all) and as an elective Mandarin. I have a friend who speaks and actually writes about 70% of the characters and it is a very cool language. The whole syntax is so different from ours. She is a Caucasian and when she travels there with work it gets her much, much further than you can imagine. So yeah, my girl can take over my company when I retire and print and for all the metal bands in China that tour the States haha. But in my opinion we did this to our ourselves in the name of money.

Brandon your suppose to want better for your kids. She will do much better then running  screen printing shop.

OUCH!

Well, it is running a print shop or playing lead guitar and singing in her own Heavy Metal band. Her name will be Winter so I joke that her band will be called "Nuclear Winter" haha! 

[Screened Gear]

Interesting for me that this topic came up. I saw this coming many years ago. My wife and I are having a baby girl soon and we already getting her enrolled in a school where she will be learning Spanish, English, and French (this is New Orleans after all) and as an elective Mandarin. I have a friend who speaks and actually writes about 70% of the characters and it is a very cool language. The whole syntax is so different from ours. She is a Caucasian and when she travels there with work it gets her much, much further than you can imagine. So yeah, my girl can take over my company when I retire and print and for all the metal bands in China that tour the States haha. But in my opinion we did this to our ourselves in the name of money.

Brandon your suppose to want better for your kids. She will do much better then running  screen printing shop.

OUCH!

Well, it is running a print shop or playing lead guitar and singing in her own Heavy Metal band. Her name will be Winter so I joke that her band will be called "Nuclear Winter" haha! 

Thanks great. If we could only pick want our kids grow up and do. Hows business down there. I need to call you sometime and talk shop..

[theMadArtist]

Having a business already up and running to step into is a wonderful heritage for her; maybe she'll do both, and print her own promotional products!