BUY AMERICAN (avoid that made in China)

[Coronita]

[quote=UCGal]You have to be careful about “slave labor” even on goods labeled “made in USA”. The Northern Marianas Islands have had some pretty bad sweatshop situations. That’s a US Territory and it products manufactured there can be labeled “made in the USA”. But employers there have held employees as indentured slaves while they work off their rent – even forcing abortions so that workers could stay productive. (google marianas sweatshop for more details.) This is a situation that elected officials from both parties kept hushed up.

From an environomental perspective – it makes sense to buy local – not just the same country, but the same region. The impact of shipping goods from distant locations is something to consider. (If you care about that stuff. Not everyone does.)

I will say – as a parent trying to find toys that aren’t made in China is HARD.

[/quote]

I didn’t know that.

Actually, it’s getting harder to find books printed in america. The ink on some of the print is concerning me.

Most of my kid’s toys are/were my toys…back when they actually made toys to last from here. So my kid gets to play with my toys (I don’t like the modern toys anyway that beeps and bops)…my parents saved them up…all 6 boxes worth.

There is a list made in usa toys here that I found useful when sending gifts (unless parents explicitly tell me no more gifts).

http://www.toysofusa.com/

USA Toys A-E

http://www.fatbraintoys.com/specials/made_in_america.cfm

Every toy goes through my lead paint test kit, regardless of origin.

Check your and your kid’s toothpaste too. If you ever noticed why some of the big brands (Crest and Colgate) have two products one that is cheaper ($1.5-$2) and the other like $2.5-$3.5 it’s because the former is no longer made here.

Oakley makes a toddler’s sunglasses for $60, which though considerably more expensive than your toddler sunglasses from Gymboree or Target (8x) is also higher quality. Something like this:

http://www.sunglassesgiant.com/oakidsu.html

The optometry store in Ranch 99 in Clairemont stocks them and you get a discount if you also do your vision there.

[scaredyclassic]

we should keep buying stuff from China as long as they keep buying our debt. How can we lose?

[scaredyclassic]

we should keep buying stuff from China as long as they keep buying our debt. How can we lose?

[scaredyclassic]

we should keep buying stuff from China as long as they keep buying our debt. How can we lose?

[scaredyclassic]

we should keep buying stuff from China as long as they keep buying our debt. How can we lose?

[scaredyclassic]

we should keep buying stuff from China as long as they keep buying our debt. How can we lose?

[patientrenter]

jpnpb, you have contributed so much good sense to this board that I hesitate to go against your statements on this issue, but I must.

Why don’t we stop buying goods from people with slanty eyes, or non-Christian religious beliefs, or black skin?

I think a certain small amount of loyalty to one’s one tribe is OK, but more than a small amount and our world can get really ugly really fast.

Even if we thought it was just fine to favor trading with people based on how close they were to us geographically or linguistically or racially or religiously, rather than the value of what they provided to us, does that help us? I don’t think so. I prefer some of my goods made by German firms; others, by French; others by American… It’s based on what I think they do best and selfish maximization of my own value, and not incidental characteristics of the people involved.

[patientrenter]

jpnpb, you have contributed so much good sense to this board that I hesitate to go against your statements on this issue, but I must.

Why don’t we stop buying goods from people with slanty eyes, or non-Christian religious beliefs, or black skin?

I think a certain small amount of loyalty to one’s one tribe is OK, but more than a small amount and our world can get really ugly really fast.

Even if we thought it was just fine to favor trading with people based on how close they were to us geographically or linguistically or racially or religiously, rather than the value of what they provided to us, does that help us? I don’t think so. I prefer some of my goods made by German firms; others, by French; others by American… It’s based on what I think they do best and selfish maximization of my own value, and not incidental characteristics of the people involved.

[patientrenter]

jpnpb, you have contributed so much good sense to this board that I hesitate to go against your statements on this issue, but I must.

Why don’t we stop buying goods from people with slanty eyes, or non-Christian religious beliefs, or black skin?

I think a certain small amount of loyalty to one’s one tribe is OK, but more than a small amount and our world can get really ugly really fast.

Even if we thought it was just fine to favor trading with people based on how close they were to us geographically or linguistically or racially or religiously, rather than the value of what they provided to us, does that help us? I don’t think so. I prefer some of my goods made by German firms; others, by French; others by American… It’s based on what I think they do best and selfish maximization of my own value, and not incidental characteristics of the people involved.

[patientrenter]

jpnpb, you have contributed so much good sense to this board that I hesitate to go against your statements on this issue, but I must.

Why don’t we stop buying goods from people with slanty eyes, or non-Christian religious beliefs, or black skin?

I think a certain small amount of loyalty to one’s one tribe is OK, but more than a small amount and our world can get really ugly really fast.

Even if we thought it was just fine to favor trading with people based on how close they were to us geographically or linguistically or racially or religiously, rather than the value of what they provided to us, does that help us? I don’t think so. I prefer some of my goods made by German firms; others, by French; others by American… It’s based on what I think they do best and selfish maximization of my own value, and not incidental characteristics of the people involved.

[patientrenter]

jpnpb, you have contributed so much good sense to this board that I hesitate to go against your statements on this issue, but I must.

Why don’t we stop buying goods from people with slanty eyes, or non-Christian religious beliefs, or black skin?

I think a certain small amount of loyalty to one’s one tribe is OK, but more than a small amount and our world can get really ugly really fast.

Even if we thought it was just fine to favor trading with people based on how close they were to us geographically or linguistically or racially or religiously, rather than the value of what they provided to us, does that help us? I don’t think so. I prefer some of my goods made by German firms; others, by French; others by American… It’s based on what I think they do best and selfish maximization of my own value, and not incidental characteristics of the people involved.

[CA renter]

Thanks for posting this, jp. Couldn’t agree more.

As others have said, it’s VERY difficult to find things made in the USA. We’ve been trying to do this for years, and sometimes you literally don’t have a viable option.

We do most of our shopping at Jimbo’s because of health reasons, and because we want to support our local growers and businesses.

We also got rid of our foreign-made dishware and bought these:

http://www.macys.com/catalog/index.ognc?CategoryID=28954&PageID=28954&cm_guid=1-_-100000000000233684335-_-3639592728&cm_mmc=Google_Home_Main-_-Dinnerware+-+Fiesta_Fiesta-_-3639592728_Exact-_-fiesta+ware%7C-%7C100000000000233684335

Made in the USA, guaranteed lead-free, and my MIL has some that have lasted many, many decades without so much as a chip in them. Macy’s often has them on sale where you can get them for a very affordable price. Unfortunately, their flatware is NOT made in the USA, and it’s obvious — the handles sometimes become loose, etc.
————————–

And for those who think we will suffer if we start buying American-made products, we’ve been a net importer for some time now. It doesn’t matter if US companies make money overseas because it’s not returned here **to the workers.** Any profits are either reinvested there, or come back in the form of executive compensation or investment returns. Most, if not all of this money, will simply be reinvested where it’s expected to earn a return.

The most important form of money is wages, because when people spend it, there is no debt/return-offset. It is literally released into the economy, free of any encumberances, to be used for buying goods/services or for debt-free investing.

[CA renter]

Thanks for posting this, jp. Couldn’t agree more.

As others have said, it’s VERY difficult to find things made in the USA. We’ve been trying to do this for years, and sometimes you literally don’t have a viable option.

We do most of our shopping at Jimbo’s because of health reasons, and because we want to support our local growers and businesses.

We also got rid of our foreign-made dishware and bought these:

http://www.macys.com/catalog/index.ognc?CategoryID=28954&PageID=28954&cm_guid=1-_-100000000000233684335-_-3639592728&cm_mmc=Google_Home_Main-_-Dinnerware+-+Fiesta_Fiesta-_-3639592728_Exact-_-fiesta+ware%7C-%7C100000000000233684335

Made in the USA, guaranteed lead-free, and my MIL has some that have lasted many, many decades without so much as a chip in them. Macy’s often has them on sale where you can get them for a very affordable price. Unfortunately, their flatware is NOT made in the USA, and it’s obvious — the handles sometimes become loose, etc.
————————–

And for those who think we will suffer if we start buying American-made products, we’ve been a net importer for some time now. It doesn’t matter if US companies make money overseas because it’s not returned here **to the workers.** Any profits are either reinvested there, or come back in the form of executive compensation or investment returns. Most, if not all of this money, will simply be reinvested where it’s expected to earn a return.

The most important form of money is wages, because when people spend it, there is no debt/return-offset. It is literally released into the economy, free of any encumberances, to be used for buying goods/services or for debt-free investing.

[CA renter]

Thanks for posting this, jp. Couldn’t agree more.

As others have said, it’s VERY difficult to find things made in the USA. We’ve been trying to do this for years, and sometimes you literally don’t have a viable option.

We do most of our shopping at Jimbo’s because of health reasons, and because we want to support our local growers and businesses.

We also got rid of our foreign-made dishware and bought these:

http://www.macys.com/catalog/index.ognc?CategoryID=28954&PageID=28954&cm_guid=1-_-100000000000233684335-_-3639592728&cm_mmc=Google_Home_Main-_-Dinnerware+-+Fiesta_Fiesta-_-3639592728_Exact-_-fiesta+ware%7C-%7C100000000000233684335

Made in the USA, guaranteed lead-free, and my MIL has some that have lasted many, many decades without so much as a chip in them. Macy’s often has them on sale where you can get them for a very affordable price. Unfortunately, their flatware is NOT made in the USA, and it’s obvious — the handles sometimes become loose, etc.
————————–

And for those who think we will suffer if we start buying American-made products, we’ve been a net importer for some time now. It doesn’t matter if US companies make money overseas because it’s not returned here **to the workers.** Any profits are either reinvested there, or come back in the form of executive compensation or investment returns. Most, if not all of this money, will simply be reinvested where it’s expected to earn a return.

The most important form of money is wages, because when people spend it, there is no debt/return-offset. It is literally released into the economy, free of any encumberances, to be used for buying goods/services or for debt-free investing.

[CA renter]

Thanks for posting this, jp. Couldn’t agree more.

As others have said, it’s VERY difficult to find things made in the USA. We’ve been trying to do this for years, and sometimes you literally don’t have a viable option.

We do most of our shopping at Jimbo’s because of health reasons, and because we want to support our local growers and businesses.

We also got rid of our foreign-made dishware and bought these:

http://www.macys.com/catalog/index.ognc?CategoryID=28954&PageID=28954&cm_guid=1-_-100000000000233684335-_-3639592728&cm_mmc=Google_Home_Main-_-Dinnerware+-+Fiesta_Fiesta-_-3639592728_Exact-_-fiesta+ware%7C-%7C100000000000233684335

Made in the USA, guaranteed lead-free, and my MIL has some that have lasted many, many decades without so much as a chip in them. Macy’s often has them on sale where you can get them for a very affordable price. Unfortunately, their flatware is NOT made in the USA, and it’s obvious — the handles sometimes become loose, etc.
————————–

And for those who think we will suffer if we start buying American-made products, we’ve been a net importer for some time now. It doesn’t matter if US companies make money overseas because it’s not returned here **to the workers.** Any profits are either reinvested there, or come back in the form of executive compensation or investment returns. Most, if not all of this money, will simply be reinvested where it’s expected to earn a return.

The most important form of money is wages, because when people spend it, there is no debt/return-offset. It is literally released into the economy, free of any encumberances, to be used for buying goods/services or for debt-free investing.

[Author]

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