Actually they're lucky I don't have alot of ambition. Also don't really have the connections either but the way I see it, to get the government(s) to force better quality electronics as well as support for repairs it would probably be best to take the environmental approach.

Unless it's Rand Paul, I think we can expect a democrat administration, or Sanders who is pretty close. Such an administration along with close enough to control of congress, could possibly foment some sort of legislation. I do believe California had some law to do with parts for electronic equipment. So many years if it cost over a hundred bucks or something like that. I am not going to ask what happened to that law, I already know, lobbyists took care of that law.

Really, the impact of this junk with no parts is not just hurting the repair industry, it is emptying our banks and filling our landfills. Hell, the repair industry is dead. The last TV repair I did was on my Mother's Toshibe 32" CRT. The tube is still strong so it is not going to be replaced unless it becomes unrepairable. Last one was Sony 36XBR400 that needed one of the MCZ driver ICs. Ran that until the tube died and actually traded off the chassis to where I used to work because the other guy FUBARed up the two sided board.

Personally, I do not feed the gadgetry industry because I simply don't need much. I got a cheap twenty buck phone, my laptop is getting really old, think I bought it in 2008. It runs fine. My "server" runs XP. Neither one of these are getting a software upgrade except maybe to Linux. And stereo equipment ? I am getting to the point with "older is better" that I might switch to tubes. not really though, I don't consider "tube sound" any better. the last tube amps I had seemed like they tried to sound solid state. They reproduced turntable rumble really nice... I never expected that.

Thing with the economy is that the money is going to the wrong people. The US does not produce anything mass market except wheat. Meantime we import a hell of alot of food. We mainly export wheat, try living on heat. Hell, we can't even get a decent deal on sugar because of the **** they pulled in South and Central America.

So since all this money is leaving the country, let's have it leave a little slower. If we cannot build it, actually, maybe we just do not need it. I know my vintage Pioneer wasn't built here, but that money is long gone. I will eventually put another battery in my 2.4 GHz phone. My pistol was made in 1911.

And cars ? I really do not drive much ad don't have a car. My eyesight is not good but if I got back into the thick I might consider a car. I just wouldn't drive alot, like at night, in the rain and like that. (it also hinders me at work) But if I hit the lottery whatever car I buy might well have ignition points. The problem is those types of cars are targets for theft, bigtime because they're all classics now. It certainly will NOT be running any version of Windows. I guess I would have to buy something new, an anti-theft system. And protecting those old cars is not trivial.

Bottom line, e really need to start fighting back. If the government won't help like they're supposed to, then we cripple the wallet. Everyone get the $20 phone and surf at home on an old ass PC. Drive the same car until it will not drive anymore and then buy used. Slow the economy and make it known WHY.

The problem with that plan is that in this country there is not solidarity. We will never be able to boycott anything and that means the landfills get bigger and the pile of money gets smaller. But fear not, eventually all the money will be gone and what needs to happen will need no planning, there simply won't be any money. Sure, what will be laughingly called the middle class will be about 10 % of the population.

That is not much of a market.