Originally Posted by
rpenmanparker
That is a very romantic view of business and one at odds with reality. It is quite enough that SOMEONE can be made or found to do a good job. That is exactly the goal of business.
The Campagnolo Italian mystique has always been and will always be horse puckey.
There are a lot of very high quality Campagnolo parts.
Also some good Shimano parts, and some pure JUNK bearing the Shimano name.
Look at the US tool industry. For years there were some very high quality American made tools. But often EXPENSIVE. So the importers came in and prices fell (or failed to go up). But so did quality. The response, the big American companies started importing their tools. Some things are better and cheaper. Some have chosen to go with bottom quality not good enough to use as paper weights.
So, if Campy manufactures to the same specs. Good steel. Quality machining. Heat treating. Polished cones and races. Then it probably doesn't make any difference where the parts are made. But, it is a slippery slope.
Plus, if companies stop employing locally, who's going to pay the workers enough to buy their products?