Originally Posted by
Mimzy
http:///forum/post/2901119
i like to buy local. i'll go to the farmer's market b4 i go to the grocery store...i'll even time my shopping around the wacky farmer's market hours. if i can't do that, then i go to the supermarkets i know for a FACT stock stuff from local farmers.
as far as non food items, if i find something that says "made in the USA" on it, i'll buy that - but how often does one come by such things?? not very.
the ugly truth of it is not much stuff is MADE here anymore. I try to buy handmade gifts & decor via sites like
www.Etsy.com & as I said I patronize the local farmers like mad, but there is only so much stuff you CAN make in America... we just don't HAVE that many factories anymore! We've crippled ourselves somehow... It's kinda scary!
That is a bit different, there is a clear cut difference between fresh produce, and stuff from a store. Than the concept of buy american.
Personally, I don't think it helps all that much, plus the reality is, if I go down and buy a dell (a texas company) I'll get tech support from Bangkok, the computer is assembled in indonesia, the software installed in vietnam, and pay a guy in the USA. Most companies are truely multi-national. And I have no problem with that at all. And that is just a reality, because there is no markup in computers at all, and to differentiate themselves, they must do it only on price. And it is cheaper.
Second I don't have the money to pay a premium to buy an item that costs more simply because it is made in America.
Third, it does promote complacency, if a company does enjoy differentiation solely because they are made in America, it will create a degree of inefficiency.
Fourth,
Why? I have yet to see a dip in national unemployment that can be attributed to outsourcing, if it was truly an issue, then why over the past 20 years has out unemployment been under 5 or 6% and the lowest in our nations history.
During this time period technology has bloomed to make outsourcing a viable option for companies over this time, major barriers have been removed, yet we've experienced the lowest unemployment in our history.
Plus if you truly want to end world poverty what better way then a self sustaining way of getting 3rd world countries industry. vs say what we do in africa which is basically fund dictators with "humanitarian aid"
Now craftsmanship type items is another story.