Ballast was blown but got it exchanged with no hassles just like advertised. The new ballast is also made in China. Nothing against ballasts made there, I was just under the impression that Quantum was manufactured in the U.S. I still hear more positive feedback about Quantums than any other ballast.
I'm no expert, but I think you're right Kid T. As for outsourcing, as long as these ballasts aren't being made by children at the crack of a whip, I don't mind. I've spent enough time overseas to realize that the little money we spend on outsourced labor can equate to good wages over there. This allows us to buy larger quantities and sell them at a lower price, which mean more profit in the long run. But these profits are really only shared by the businesses big enough to outsource. If they're making all the money from the consumers in this country, the only real new money comes through inflation. Its also widening the divide between the rich and the poor. Good for business in the short term, bad for the country in the long term.
Or is outsourcing slowing down the process of inflation because there is less money in circulation?
At the same time, we can't afford to pay American wages to manufacture all the material possessions we own or want to own in this country, and if we did, the individual would have to spend a lot more for those items.
What we really need to do is make it in China and then sell it in Europe