Recently there was a major discussion on some forum about most online shoppers preferring to buy cheaper stuff that's not made in your country. They further asserted that doing so cost local manufacturers, industries and so on money. That meant that they would have to lay off workers in order to stay in business. So fellas, ball is in your court, would you buy locally to show that you're patriotic and care about others by paying exorbitant prices for products you can obtain elsewhere cheaply?
Denis, did you see this documentary last night on PBS?Log In One family spends a month without products that were made in China. It was quite the eye opener for me. After the show I went around and looked a some of the things in my home....I would be living a very spartan life if I have to remove everything not made overseas.
That's the idea! The Chinese cost of production is lower and I presume that's why they can sell their products at cheaper prices. From time to time their [Chinese products] quality has been questioned but fact is they're not that inferior to what's produced here. For that reason therefore, there's no point in hollering, "be patriotic! Buy locally manufactured goods", etc., and the prices don't change. To encourage us to buy "local" then they should cut the prices a little. If nothing of the kind is done then, boy, I'll go for a cheaper alternative and as long as it fulfills the purpose for which it's obtained, my conscience won't be troubled.
It truly depends what it is. I know I've come to the point that I watch and pay attention to where my clothes come from because that is something I can easily control without going overboard price wise. It does mean I go with less clothing, but it also means I tend to end up with better quality clothing that will last longer. Some of the smaller items and household items are, thankfully, still made in the USA.
I spend as much of my money as I can in local shops and farms. I try to stay away from big box stores that have invaded our beautiful country and keep the dollars flowing within the stores owned by families and other people in the community. Everything is going downhill and spending everywhere else is making matters worse. Sometimes I have no choice but to hop online and find it elsewhere, but I'll always keep my eye out for replacements close to home.
I'd just opt to pay more in the name of quality. I don't generally have much qualms about where a product is made, for better or worse, just as long as the one making it manufactures their product with a sense of dignity and pride. It's not like I won't spend what I save on my own country anyway, I'm bound to give my money back to my country one way or another. If my local companies start making better quality products, then they will have my support.
I'm not seeing how buying locally made goods would cost abundantly more money. Sure, the Chinese can make stuff on the cheap, but we still have to ship it over, and that costs money that goes into the price people pay for those goods. The farther east in the United States you live, the more it costs to ship it from China. But yes, I would rather buy local. Not because I'm a "patriot", but I want to do my part to stimulate the American economy on the local level. It's not so much being a good American, it's just practicing good business.
