Daily Archives2017 January 11

[ad_1]

Buying used auto parts is less expensive than buying brand-new parts, but the benefit of purchasing gently used auto parts exceeds the monetary paybacks. Motor vehicles are the most recycled consumer product in modern times, with 95% of retired vehicles reprocessed and given a second life. Auto recycling is a $25 billion-per-year industry, and a main component is the reuse of high-quality, undamaged parts. Why should you trust used parts as a viable car-repair solution?

Know What You Are Buying

When you go online to purchase a new or rebuilt auto part, you are putting a huge amount of trust in the retailer. You are paying shipping and handling, but you have no way of knowing if the part will be delivered as advertised, or if the part is actually from the original engine manufacturer. Manufacturer knockoffs are never the best choice when replacing vital car parts. Additionally, rebuilt parts are not always ideal, or as positive as they might sound. Many times, the part will be dismantled and the one component that was problematic replaced, but the other aged components are built back into the part, ready to fail and leave you with more car trouble in the near future.

When you purchase used parts from a local shop, you match up car VIN numbers and get true, authentic parts, guaranteed to be issued from the original engine manufacturer.

Preserve the Environment

According to the U.S. Council on Automotive Research, almost 80 percent of a car’s materials are recyclable. While you will save up to 50 percent of the price, you will also be supporting an industry that recycles 25 million tons of materials annually. The sheer breadth of that measure of recycling goes a long way toward keeping auto materials out of landfills and conserving the environment.

Expedite Your Vehicle Repair

You depend on your car for transportation to work and school. When your ride is out of commission, you can lose money missing work and fall behind in classes. You might be lucky to have generous friends with wheels, but they cannot be your chauffeurs forever. Waiting for an ordered part to arrive can add weeks to the process. Finding a local used part can speed up the time it takes to get your wheels back on the road.

Get Expert Advice

If you buy used parts from a local parts store, you get reliable information directly from the handlers who harvested the part. Chances are, if the owners run a successful parts store, they know their way around a car. They can help you find the right part, give you detailed guidance regarding your particular car and provide suggestions on installation.

When your vehicle needs an emergency repair and outside factors are working against you, save time, money and the environment and turn to your local used auto parts retailer. With so many reasons to buy used auto parts, there’s no reason you shouldn’t start your shopping now.

[ad_2]

Source by Jill Smith

[ad_1]

State of the Market

With 3 million+ used car sales, India’s used car market has outpaced the new car market which could only manage about 2.5 million units. This puts the new car to used car sales ratio at about 1:1.3. While this ratio seems fairly optimistic for the industry, it’s still way behind the Western levels of 1:3 in the UK and US, and around 1:2.2 in Germany and other Western European economies.

However, the market has been aggregating a compound annual growth rate of 15-18% in the last five years. The CAGR is expected to shoot up to around 22-25% by 2018. Experts have pegged the ratio of new cars to used cars sales to become 1:2 by 2017-18. Sales of used cars are, therefore, likely to more than double in the next 5 years.

A research by CRISIL found that between 2008 and 2013, sales of used cars doubled to 2.6 million units leading to a fourfold increase in the size of the market to Rs. 520 billion. The report further estimated the sales of used cars to reach around 8 million by 2018 which will put the valuation of the used car market at Rs. 1.5 trillion. Whereas the sales of new cars are expected to reach around 4.2 million units.

Business Model

The market is made up of competitors with three distinct business models. The transaction parties include franchised and independent dealers who take on the financial risk of buying and selling cars. The transaction facilitators – online sales platforms and online matchmakers – depend on fees from enabling sales transactions. The information providers offer insights into pricing trends and details of the condition of specific cars.

Used cars are sold to end customers via these three channels. A majority of the transactions are managed by the private sellers themselves. The second major channel of transaction includes franchised dealers. Independent dealers and other online sales platform make up for the rest of the total sales.

Though the market is still heavily dominated by the unorganized players, the share of organized players has been on the rise. Growing at a compound annual growth rate of 40%, organized segment now accounts for about 18% of the total market and is expected to rise to around 25% by 2017-18.

Key Market Trends:

• Changing Demand

A majority of the total automobile sales in India consist of 2 wheelers. Among this population, many people are looking to upgrade from a 2 wheeler to a 4 wheeler. Further there is a growing economic and social need among buyers in the age group 25-40 to own a car. These first time buyers and 2 wheeler owners looking to upgrade mainly make up for the demand in the used car market. With the increased availability in the number of used cars available and the increasing presence of organized players in the market, more buyers are likely to enter the market for used cars. Vehicle certification and car history reports, warranty and after sales support are going to bridge the earlier existing information asymmetry and are likely to be the key drivers behind the demand.

• Changing supply

Average replacement cycles are falling. According to a survey, in 2006-07, buyers held onto their new cars for as long as 54 months (4.5 years). This fell to 48 months (4 years) in 2011-12 and is expected to fall down to 42 months (3.5 years) in 2016-17. This increase in the frequency of replacement will allow for an increase in the supply of used cars as old as 3-4 years. Also, with improvements in the car quality (resulting in a longer life span), demand for used cars is poised to increase in the near future.

• More online transactions

Buyers of used cars are slowly but surely turning to the Internet to research and buy cars. Consumers are arriving at dealerships armed with more information about specific cars and a better understanding of market prices, and they are visiting fewer dealers before buying their chosen car. The rapidly increasing use of mobile devices is boosting this trend: More than 20 percent of all Web searches related to “used-cars” are now conducted on these devices. Traditional brick-and-mortar dealers will be forced to follow this audience online, perhaps offering used cars through online marketplaces that provide referrals to dealers with binding offers – a model already available in the United States.

• Increased transparency

The availability of information on the Internet has already increased the efficiency of the used car market significantly, providing greater transparency into prices and even the condition of specific used cars. Growing use of online transaction platforms will only boost market efficiency further; indeed, digital intermediaries have the opportunity to shape the structure of the industry as their influence grows, accentuating competitive pressures and revealing the disparity between the most efficient buyers and sellers and the laggards.

• Growing importance of convenience

With the advent of increased internet penetration and the continued distrust in the validity of claims of Independent dealers, more and more private sellers are looking for alternative- fast and hassle-free ways to sell their used cars. This trend will have a real impact on the used car market as private owners turn to newer online business models to sell their cars. Offering fast, guaranteed transactions, online buying platforms are particularly likely to benefit.

• Growing market penetration

The vehicle ownership rate in India stands 18 per thousand people. At 2 per 100 people, this is one of the worst in the world. With the increasing GDP per capita and an increase in the percentage of rich households, the ownership rate is likely to change for better. This presents an incredible opportunity for OEMs to expand their production in India. In US, ownership rates are as high as 95% and around 60-70% in Western Europe.

[ad_2]

Source by Anuj Kumar Dwivedi

[ad_1]

Buying a vehicle is a serious and expensive purchase, which is why you have to take your time and do an extensive research before you decide what car to buy. There are lots of things you have to take into consideration, including price, specifications, auto insurance, and payment methods. When looking to buy a car, a lot of people are faced with the dilemma of buying a used one versus a new one. Maybe a new car seems like the obvious choice, but there are some very significant benefits of buying a used car, related to price, maintenance and insurance, which should be taken into account by everyone who believes that new vehicles are the better option.

The main, and most obvious advantage of choosing a used car over a new one is the lower price tag. If you decide to buy a used one, you can get a pretty good model with great performances, at a very low price. For example, you could buy a used sports car that cost more than $80,000 a couple of years ago, when it was new, for as little as $40,000. This is because new cars lose much of their value the minute they leave the dealership.

Talking about depreciation, used cars are not affected by it as much as new ones are. New cars lose most of their value during the first two or three years. If you buy a used car, you don’t have to worry about it losing much of its value, since it already depreciated a lot when it was first sold as a new vehicle. This way, when you decide to sell the used car after a couple of years, you will be able to sell it at a price that will be pretty similar to the price you had bought it at.

Another reason why you should consider getting a used cars is the lower registration fee. DMV’s charge less for registering cars that are more than five years old, and you can save a couple of hundreds of dollars a year that way. Also, used cars are not subject to sales tax, which, for new cars, is as much as 7% of the purchase price.

Lastly, insurance for used cars is cheaper compared to new cars. This is because a new car is more expensive and has a higher value, and it costs more to replace parts and repair it in case it gets damaged in a collision.

In conclusion, owning a new car does have a lot of obvious benefits, but owning a used car has its own advantages, too, and you should consider this option before making your final decision.

[ad_2]

Source by Jordan Perch

[ad_1]

You have determined that you want a sea-worthy craft, and it is between a canoe and a kayak. Decisions, decisions. There are some pretty obvious aspects like what size is preferable, what transport constraints are there (if any), how many people are going to be in the same vessel, what shape and materials it should be, and of course, and most broadly, what is the intended function going to be? For purposes of this article, I will talk about the broader differences and similarities of canoes and kayaks, rather than each in depth, for brevity’s sake.

First things first, take in to account how you are going to store and transport your water-craft. Most canoes, palpably, are not going to mount onto a roof of a car or even fit into the bed of a truck. So if no trailer is available, a slim one or two person kayak mounted atop the car via either a secure foam-block or roof rack will do quite well. Furthermore, if even the roof is not a viable option, consider a one of the high-quality inflatable or collapsible kayaks or canoes. Storing a reasonably sized canoe is sometimes a more attractive thing than storing a kayak. While kayaks are generally smaller and narrower, they need to be stored in more controlled conditions – many need to be kept out of direct sunlight and in a cooler environment, due to the polyurethane-based plastics commonly used that will not withstand prolonged exposure. This is especially true of upper-end kayaks, whose frames and finishes need extra-caution when in transport and in being stored.

This is how things work when the boat is actually doing “its thing” for lack of a better expression! From a storage standpoint, it should be more than obvious that a canoe is going to offer more. Offer more storage for people, as well as fishing equipment and so forth. Also, standing up to perform a range of activities is going to be significantly easier in the canoe, which will be a lot more stable anyways considering its broader hull. On the other hand, kayaks are meant for a lot more for speed, agility, and ease of paddling. Most canoes are pretty susceptible to even mild winds, and in worse conditions, it would be a miracle to paddle 10 feet ahead in a semi-straight line. The slimmer, lighter and more suitably-constructed kayaks will take winds and waves like a champ, though.

Safety concerns with both canoe and kayak are also very much worth mentioning. If you are considering buying a kayak, if for anything besides extreme white water rafting, go for the one that does not “lock” you in via foot and thigh braces. Take it from me, you do not want to be upside down in a kayak and unable to get out of the cockpit! Of course, with a canoe, the advantage is obvious. Once you go shopping, if you go shopping with the canoe versus kayak debate, you will learn a great deal on the various models of each. In addition, you will get to see the vessel up close and personal, whereas pictures can only do them so much justice.

[ad_2]

Source by Chris DuToit

[ad_1]

If you are rebuilding your vehicle or restoring an old one like new, you might consider using the GM 700R4 transmission. There are many benefits to using this model. Many of the benefits include the performance, the overdrive, gas mileage, and increasing the value of your vehicle.

When you use a 700R4 transmission you will find you have total power. This unit is a monster and can be built to handle up to 650 horsepower. This high performance overdrive is top of the line and an excellent option for your rebuilt vehicle.

Rebuilding a car is a lot of fun. When you can use an affordable upgrade like the 700R4 transmission, you will also see that is has a low 3.06 ratio in the first gear. This is over 20% lower than more Chevrolet models you will find.

The overdrive for the 700R4 will give you an almost 40% improvement on gas mileage in comparison to a 3-speed automatic. For this reason, the 700R4 is the best option for anyone who wants to do an overdrive conversion for muscle car restorations because they can add the overdrive option. This model has a 30% overdrive. Better gas mileage is a really big deal when it comes to vehicle restorations. You want to get the most for your money, especially with the sporadic gas prices today.

Restoring your vehicle using the GM 700R4 transmission is the best option because you will find that the value of your car increases significantly. This is because it’s the best option today for restoring old muscle cars, trucks, or just converting an old 2-3 speed vehicle. You might not even be thinking about selling your car and just want a new gear. This is the best solution to increase performance and it will run like a completely new vehicle.

The best modification you can use for a restoration of a vehicle or an upgrade on an old car or truck is the drivetrain. This part will allow you to save money in gas, have more power, and you even can add the converter lock-up option. With a 3.06 ratio in the first gear, no other model can compare. This unit works second to none when it comes to total performance. In addition, you will find that your vehicle is worth more money than it was before with this type of upgrade.

[ad_2]

Source by Joseph Thomas I

[ad_1]

If you are in the market for a new car (or a used car) there is a lot that you need to consider. One important thing to keep in mind is the kind of drivetrain that you want your vehicle to have. Each has advantages and disadvantages and it’s important to understand each in order to make the right decision when purchasing a vehicle. The four different types of drivetrain are all wheel drive (AWD), front wheel drive (FWD), rear wheel drive (RWD), and 4WD (4 wheel drive).

Front wheel drive (FWD) means that the power coming from the engine is relayed to the front wheels of the car or truck. With FWD, the front wheels are pulling the car to create movement. The rear wheels are only following the front wheels and don’t receive any power on their own. The pros to a FWD vehicle is that it typically gets better fuel economy and emits less carbon dioxide. Since the weight of the engine is located over the driving wheels, a FWD vehicle can maintain better traction in the snow. However, car enthusiasts claim that FWD vehicles are less fun to drive.

Rear wheel drive (RWD) means that the power coming from the engine is relayed to the rear wheels. The rear wheels are responsible for pushing the car forward, much like a bicycle. The front wheels do not have a power source and are able to move and turn because of the power coming from the rear wheels. Because the weight of the drivetrain on a RWD vehicle is spread more evenly than a FWD vehicle, it has better balance. This is why most sports cars are RWD and RWD cars are considered to be more exciting to drive. The cons of an RWD vehicle are that they do not perform well in poor weather conditions like rain or snow because it is more prone to loss of traction on slick roads.

There are two different kinds of four wheel drive (4WD) systems. A part-time 4WD system lets the driver select if the power from the engine is relayed to only two wheels or to all four wheels. The default setting is typically rear wheel drive. A full time 4WD system permanently engages all 4 wheels.

All wheel drive is essentially the same thing as a 4WD drivetrain, but there is no option to relay power to only two wheels. Power is relayed to all four wheels at all times. The term AWD can be used for vehicles with more than 4 wheels in which all of the wheels are powered. The biggest advantage of an AWD vehicle is that it provides the best traction in all kinds of conditions. The cons of an AWD vehicle are that it is much heavier which hurts acceleration and uses more fuel. AWD is also the most expensive drivetrain option.

[ad_2]

Source by Dan Tole

[ad_1]

While many people think of motorcyclists as those who love to ride as a hobby or only in their spare-time, there are some individuals who are lucky enough to be able to use their motorcycle as part of their job. Just like a moving company has a truck, some people have motorcycles that are essential to their jobs. If you’ve ever considered using your bike as part of your career, here are a few job ideas to get you started!

Racing and Stunt Driving

Obviously, you can use your motorcycle to start a career as a stunt driver or motorcycle racer. This may require a top-of-the-line bike and some hefty health insurance coverage, but can definitely be worthwhile if you’ve got the skills to prove your worth! And if you’re feeling really risky, it may be time to hit road and pull your stunt skills full-time with a daredevil carnival act!

Police Office or Security Guard

If you have a security background or training and enjoy spending time on your bike, certain careers in the security industry may allow you to combine both work and play. As a security guard or police officer, you can help others and patrol grounds while doing it in style! Security guards and police officers oftentimes take advantage of a motorcycle’s mobility to work carnivals, parades, and other large events.

Test Driver

Motorcycle companies will lend out their bikes to test drivers to try out and write reviews for national magazines and online motorcyclist websites. If you’re knowledgeable about motorcycles and enjoy trying out bikes that haven’t even hit the market yet, this may be a great way to combine what you know and love into a fulfilling career!

Motorcycle Courier

While delivering pizzas on a bike may be difficult unless you have really wide saddlebags, there are things that you can deliver and transport on a motorcycle. Motorcycle couriers are individuals who deliver or transport things to and from locations. Time sensitive court documents and paperwork are some items delivered by motorcycle couriers who can navigate through busy cities and traffic better than larger vehicles.

Travel Writer and Photographer

What better way to hit the road than with a quality camera and some portable technology. For those with a traveling spirit and an eye for great landscape shots, motorcyclists who have the time and energy to travel the world may enjoy doing so from the seat of their bike! Travel to exotic and unknown places on your bike, snap some photos and write about the area. Sell your work as freelance or start up your own online blog or website to share your adventures with the world!

Mechanic

If you’re more the hands-on, “behind the scenes” type and enjoy the mechanics of a motorcycle, you could always consider a mechanic job focusing on improving and fixing motorcycles for others. Knowledge of how a bike works is required for this technical kind of position, but can be extremely rewarding and fun for those who like a challenge and don’t mind getting their hands dirty!

Motorcycle Sales

For those of you that love motorcycles and have a knack for selling, a motorcycle salesman may be the ultimate job. An added bonus about this career path is that you’re more likely to be successful if you’re genuinely enthusiastic about the items you are selling. Helping other motorcycle enthusiasts gear up with the right equipment is also another great job for those that can’t get motorcycling off the brain. Biker clothing and apparel is becoming a booming business with the growing number of men and women getting into motorcycling for the first time.

[ad_2]

Source by Kurt Laschuk

[ad_1]

A checklist is necessary when office furniture installations are taking place. It can be a daunting job to make sure that everything is organized properly. Besides the furnishings, there are also files to worry about, and the normal operations of the workplace to get back to as soon as possible. Assistants or whoever is given the responsibility of setting up the office should always have a checklist to work from. The checklist must document every pertinent piece of furniture. The individual who is assigned this job must know how to accurately use, as well as test, each item to ensure that it has been put together in the appropriate manner.

For your office furniture installations, you first must identify that the correct pieces have arrived at your place of business. Go through everything one by one and piece by piece as you do not want to miss a thing. If you have moved from one location to another, then an accurate checklist from the old place should be written up so it can be referred to. Check off each item on your list to make sure that it has arrived by either a delivery or courier company, or on the moving truck.

Every item that is being moved from one property to another should be labelled by either yourself or the moving personnel so that it can be cross-checked on the list that you have in your possession. If you are ordering new furniture, write up a separate list. Having two lists may slow you down but it will make things easier when the office furniture installations stage is reached. You need to stay on the right track in knowing what pieces have shown up and which ones are still to come.

Furniture placement in your new location is something that you need to be clear about before the relocation people show up. Some of your furniture may not need to be built within a particular room or area. For these elements, the movers can place them in the appropriate spot. For the office furniture installations that must be done in a certain way, do the work before moving the items into the appropriate rooms, such as the manager’s office, the conference room or the reception area. Start with the largest pieces. Put them together or take them apart and transport them before the small or medium sized furniture is dealt with.

You need to ensure that there is enough space to assemble tables, chairs, desks and cabinets. You also need to preside over the area where the jobs are being done as you want to see for yourself that the equipment and other pieces have been put together correctly. You do not want to have to move the items a second time. This would be needles work for yourself and the people you have hired.

[ad_2]

Source by Andrew Stratton

[ad_1]

Cardboard chairs and tables may be the answer for people who do not want to spend a lot of money on traditional furniture, whether because they move a lot or because they will outgrow it in a few years. Though it may be gaining popularity with the recent push for more environmentally-friendly living, the idea of cardboard furniture has been around for several decades. Designers are now using it to stylistically accentuate homes and more people are learning about its many uses.

Architect Frank Gehry is believed to have been the first to use cardboard while creating a line of furniture in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He is said to have wanted to take basic materials and use them to create items that are visually striking but also functional.

While many environmental groups have been touting cardboard furniture for its benefits to the planet by using recycled materials, the advantages of using cardboard furniture goes well beyond the “green” movement, especially when compared to normal furniture.

Traditional tables and chairs can be quite expensive, especially when considering the costs of transportation. This high cost often means once a set of furniture is picked out the new owners are forced to keep it even if they have new ideas on how to decorate their home. A change of mind can be an expensive proposition. For those who move frequently, transporting regular furniture can require either hiring a moving company or at least renting a large truck. Even for those doing it themselves, carrying normal furniture often means finding several friends willing to help.

Cardboard furniture, however, overcomes many of these obstacles while still providing an attractive option for decorating a living space. It is often cheaper to buy up front because it is made from a relatively inexpensive, and often recycled, material. Shipping is usually less expensive also because it can be transported in a flat shape and it does not weigh as much as traditional furniture.

Once in the home, cardboard furniture is easily assembled. Many pieces are designed to fold up when not in use, which makes them easier to store in small places. Despite this portability, cardboard tables and chairs are made to hold hundreds of pounds.

Cardboard furniture makes since for a variety of groups of people when compared to normal furniture. College students and their parents can take advantage of the low cost and ease of use of cardboard furniture. Students do not want to invest in an expensive set of furniture that they are only going to own for a couple of years. Cardboard furniture can solve this problem since it doesn’t cost as much. Buying a couple of chairs and a table that can be recycled at the end of four years makes more sense than purchasing furniture that will have to be sold or stored after graduation.

Since many students live near their college only during the school year, then move home for summer, transporting regular furniture can take a lot of work. Cardboard furniture, however, can be folded up, laid flat and then stored for the summer. It can be reassembled the next year.

Maintenance or repair of standard furniture can be expensive. The piece may even have to be sent somewhere for repairs. Fixing a cardboard chair or table can be cheaper because the material is readily available. Also, even replacing the unit completely can be a better option due to the low cost. For a student watching their money, this can be a considerable savings is something should happen to the furniture.

For many of the same reasons, members of the military may find cardboard furniture to be an advantage. With the possibility of being transferred from base to base at a moment’s notice, having traditional furniture can become almost a burden. Again, there are the high costs of having it transported from new home to new home. In addition, a single active member of the military who may be sent overseas on an extended tour of duty may not want to leave behind pieces of expensive furniture to sit unattended for several months in an empty home.

While many of the people in the groups above may move quite often or not have much spending money, cardboard furniture can also appeal to those who plan on living in the same place for the rest of their lives.

Families have long struggled with children outgrowing furniture, first cribs and then toddler beds. There are also high chairs that will only be used for about a year. Even if they are held on to in expectation of another child, storing a high chair or crib can be difficult. These items are also expensive.

Cardboard furniture aimed at young children can solve these problems. There are baby cribs available for under $100. As with cardboard tables and chairs, assembly of the cardboard children furniture is often a matter of fitting pieces of cardboard into fitted slots of other pieces. In addition, disposal of a cardboard crib or child’s chair is as easy as recycling.

The low cost also means a set of children’s cardboard chairs can be bought without much worry of whether they will last for several years. In fact, the cardboard furniture can serve two purposes for children: the usual role of tables and chairs, but the kids can also “decorate” the furniture on their own. Children love to draw and they can be encouraged to use their own creativity to draw or color cardboard furniture without parents worrying about the pieces losing their potential resale value.

Cardboard furniture can also be safer than traditional furniture. It is softer and doesn’t have sharp edges. Because of their easy portability, cardboard tables are often in demand for ecologically-friendly groups who work trade shows or other booths, or for community bake sales or other events where they will be set in place and later taken down. They are not as heavy to move around yet still will hold the materials for display.

When traditional furniture becomes outdated or worn out, if it cannot be resold often it must be thrown into a landfill. However, cardboard furniture is more environmentally friendly because when it has served its purpose, it can be recycled along with normal boxes or containers.

For someone living on a tight budget or moving often, cardboard furniture can be the answer to outfit a living space without breaking the bank or causing too much pain on moving day. It is less expensive than traditional furniture, can be easily assembled and disassembled for storage and transportation and is more environmentally friendly because it can be recycled after it is no longer wanted.

With so many benefits over its traditional counterpart, cardboard furniture deserves at least a second look for someone wanting an economical as well as ecological solution to home design.

[ad_2]

Source by Vincent Hirai

[ad_1]

America is the richest country in the world. I have no problem with people choosing to live in mobile homes, even in hurricane alley. But people should live with the consequences of their choices. Americans are richer than people in Hong Kong, yet there are no mobile homes in Hong Kong. Hong Kong is in the South China Sea, dead in the middle of “Typhoon Alley.” Almost every year typhoons hit Hong Kong. There are no flimsy houses or apartment buildings in Hong Kong because they would blow away. In order to have a safe and strong home, some poor people in Hong Kong must make many difficult sacrifices. They may not be able to afford a car, or afford to send their kids to school, or may not even be able to afford a pair of shoes for ten years while they save their money to buy a home. The poor people in Hong Kong may live without a home at all for years and work for years to save enough money to buy a home. Everybody has a choice. All people in the world’s richest country have many choices. The problem is that far too often they choose the path of least resistance because it is easy and if they fail there is a safety net.

There is a large disconnect between behavior and consequences in America. If you buy a mobile home in hurricane alley, you can expect relief if a disaster hits. Time and time again I see the aftermath interviews where the distraught victims of the storm vow to rebuild. Why? They love it there. Insurance (usually either government subsidized or mandated insurance) will pick up the tab. They will not rebuild to withstand hurricanes because construction costs would be too high. Also they would lose the natural beauty if their home looked like a bunker. If someone chooses to take the easy path so they can have what they want right now without suffering and sacrificing, then they should have to live with the consequences of their choices. In Hong Kong people realize that they will have to live with the consequences of their actions so they behave more responsibly and they make better choices when it comes to housing. Sometimes it takes them many years of saving, while four or five families live in a tiny cramped apartment with no privacy, but they must make the sacrifices so that they can have a safe home at some time in the future for the next generation. There is a big difference in character of people in America and Hong Kong.

The dearth of fire trucks in Asia.

I have never seen even one single fire truck in Hong Kong, Mainland China, or South Korea, yet few structures in these places burn down. Every town in America has a fire department and fire trucks. In spite of all the fire trucks and firefighters many buildings burn every year in America. Why the disparity? Wood is beautiful, natural, and easy to use in construction. Most Asians prefer construction materials that are less combustible than wood. Simply stated, Asian build using less combustible materials. Asians tend to be frugal and practical in most matters. They may spend a little more initially to use steel, rebar, concrete, and glass instead of wood but those materials go a long way in reducing fire hazards.

There are disastrous wildfires every year in America where many homes are burned. In the post disaster interviews, almost all the distraught victims of the wildfires pledge to rebuild, in the same location. Why not? Someone else will pick up the tab. It is beautiful there, and the price is right. In other words, it is easy. That sums it up. Americans like things easy.

If poor Asian nations can construct buildings that are not fire hazards, and will not blow away in storms, what can’t the richest nation on earth do it? The answer is that of course we can, but we do not want to. The fundamental difference is in the American character. Wood is beautiful, concrete and steel are ugly. Americans do not have to settle for ugly because we can afford what is beautiful, even if it is temporary. In addition to the beauty of wood, it is cheaper to build from wood and cheaper to live in a mobile home rather than a conventional home. Americans want things quickly. Where Chinese families may save to two or three generations to buy a home and make tremendous personal sacrifices to be able to afford a home, Americans do not like to make personal sacrifices.

Rewarding poor choices has become part of the American fabric and most Americans these days think it is a good thing. I disagree. If a person in America is a smart, hard working, honest tax-paying citizen, that person can expect little or no help from the government. If a person makes many bad choices in life, that person can expect substantial assistance from the government. Rewarding poor choices results in more people making poor choices. This results in changing the character of the people in time. Herbert Spencer put it more lucidly when he said:

“The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools.”– Herbert Spencer (English philosopher, 1820-1903)

Instead of heeding Spencer’s warnings, the new American motto seems to be: eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we may lose the gravy train.

Anybody should have the right to choose to buy a mobile home, or live in an easily combustible wooden house if they want to. However, the home owner should have to live with whatever consequences arise from that decision. If the home is blown away or burned down, that should serve as an example to others. What lesson did you learn from the Three Little Pigs fairy tale? I believe that everyone should have the right to build their houses from straw or sticks if they choose to do so. However, I do not believe that I should pick up the tab for them.

Americans have been shielded from the effects of folly for a couple of generations now. If you want to see what the future likely holds for us, see the Mike Judge film “Idiocracy.”

[ad_2]

Source by Arthur Wyss