The Economic Truth about Solar Panels No One is Talking About
Here is the truth about the solar panel tariffs.
The one no one is talking about because most are frankly ignorant about it. The reason Chinese panels are cheaper than American made is NOT cheap Chinese labor. The factories are so automated that labor is a tiny component of them.
This factor will continue to grow with all goods, everywhere.
See that picture it is an actual Chinese solar factory in operation. Notice how few people are thereworking! The three people in the back are likely managers trying to figure out how to eliminate the last person actually working on the line.
No, the cheap cost is cheap Chinese EVERYTHING, specifically the lack of almost any regulations, environmental, safety, workers rights, almost NOTHING in the way of regulations. Translation: Those Chinese made solar panels you Green Weenies are suddenly so afraid will go up in price are DIRTY DIRTY FILTHY PANELS.
They represent abuse of the earth and abuse of people, something leftists claim to be concerned about.
Conversely, in the United States, our manufactures are burdened by *huge levels of regulation and associated huge costs. *
So in this case these tariffs are the federal government attempting to balance scales that are currently tipped in favor of China. Regulators have inflated the cost of US goods with excessive regulation and instead of removing the excessive regulations to compete with China, they are now increasing the cost of foreign goods with a tariff.
Oh, the same thing with washing machines but none of you seemed concerned about those.
So what will it mean to you in your personal life and what are you going to do about it?
ABSOLUTELY F*CKING NOTHING!
If you doubt me put it in your journal and get back to me in about 8 weeks.
Oh and what will China do? They will combine the panels with some components and call them kits of something like that. They will then spend a few billion with lobbyists and get congress to reclassify them as something other than panels. the few billion will save them hundreds of billions, so it is a good investment for them.
This is exactly what Japan did in the 80s-90s getting Congress to reclassify their trucks as cars during importation but then reclassify them back to trucks after they were though importation. Bet you never heard about that right?
Source: A Duck Farmer from Texas who you should follow more often!
Capitalism breaths through Loopholes
The best, simplest four words I've ever heard to describe it. lol.
....and I hope you don't mind if I use it somewhere down the line on some blog.
Sure thing. I think I picked it being around https://mises.org
It's pretty much a Stand Alone Complex:https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Stand%20Alone%20Complex
Saw it here on Mises. Specifically attributed to Ludwig von Mises via Gotttfried Haberler. Thanks!
What you are saying is true. This is exactly what happened a few years ago, China had the main component made in Hong Kong to get out of levies for dumping charges leveled against them, this way it made it seem like they were made in Hong Kong. When the government found out they levied some more stuff on them and China just turned around and raised the price on the materials for the panels they were importing from the US. It's a never ending circle of cat and mouse game.
This past summer I bought a air conditioner for the first time in my life. I couldn't believe the incredible low cost of a energy efficient air conditioner. I didn't notice made in China on the box, not that I was looking for it I gave that up years ago when shopping for clothes I found myself spending more time looking for labels then trying on the clothes and doing all the rest of my shopping combined. (Though that is getting better now, most American manufacturers have gone to placing pricing on cards with a made in USA logo) I sat there thinking about a article I read this past summer about how Chinese workers are treated. Most live in dormitories on the companies property, most in just rooms with bunk beds that can be stacked as high as fifteen to a room. They work sixteen hour days or more, and room, board and utility costs are deducted from their checks. I was having a hard time comprehending that someone else could be living under those conditions to make my life more comfortable at a cheaper cost. I really felt frustrated with myself for just grabbing at something off a shelf then trying to justify it by comparison to what it'd be like looking for clothes but the fact was I didn't even try and I should have, I shouldn't have forgotten what it must be like for them. Because you see this wasn't about justifying giving up looking for increasingly vanishing clothes labels in a bid to support my countries fellow citizens....this time it was because of the way that people are treated and we shouldn't be letting any manufacturer get away with profiting that way.
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Solar will be future
USA is an island.