Is "Buy American" a concept that is compatible with core Democratic principles?

[Stinky The Clown]

Pretty simple and straightforward.

What do you think?

[pscot]

1. Let's try a syllogism

I am a core Democrat.
Buy American is compatible with my principles.
Therefore "Buy American" is compatible with core Democratic principles.

That wasn't hard at all.

[lumberjack_jeff]

2. I'd argue that it's inseparable.

The challenge is finding products which support our fellow workers.

[yorkiemommie1]

5. J C Penney's American Living Collection

is making its debut so I emailed them to ask whether the line was made in America. Their answer was that the items are 'manufactured globally'; of course I expected that response but I thought I'd maybe make a point w/ them by asking.

[thoughtanarchist]

8. Not a challenge when you know where to look

That is why I keep this sig...

[lumberjack_jeff]

9. Most of my clothes are Carhartt

Unfortunately, the tags say "made in mexico of us components"

http://www.carhartt.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10101&storeId=10051&productId=32063&langId=-1&categoryId=10935

[Kittycat]

3. Of course. I think it's just american.

I run a small business from home, and do my best to find products made in the USA. It's hard for the toys (but we do have some new brands coming on board soon) - but at least we're able to keep more than 50% of our products as such. I also buy from several work at home moms/dads/hobbyists, for our personal things & gifts. It just seems like the right thing to do, to me.

[FogerRox]

7. Kittycat has it right

I also buy from several work at home moms/dads/hobbyists, for our personal things & gifts. It just seems like the right thing to do, to me.

Yes, its the right thing to do, right on Kitty.



My Kitty cat can read...

[Cogito ergo doleo]

4. It necessarily follows. When whole towns in America are Ghost

towns, and labor laws are practically nonexistent in the countries that do manufacture, buying American is about all we have left (besides a little bread to sop up the pinto beans).

[stillcool]

6. Manufacture American is.

[hay rick]

10. si

I suppose we're talking about manufactured goods. Free trade is devouring the middle class. Free trade should be constrained by strict environmental and labor side accords.

In other areas, we have little choice.

1. Oil. We import 55% of our oil. Domestic production is falling and will continue to fall- we're on the downslope of the peak oil Bell curve. Our rational choices are conservation, mass transit (actually another kind of conservation), and alternative energy sources.

2. Capital. The government is running huge deficits with promises of much larger deficits to come as boomer entitlements come due. Household debt is at all time highs. We are heading into a recession where stimulus (spending) is called for. Funding McCain's 100 year war would be the cherry on top.

3. Labor. We're importing labor, illegally in many cases, for demographic reasons as much as anything else. The demographics are going to get worse before they get better.

[The Straight Story]

11. Naw, we should buy foreign from sweat shops and underpaid workers

American workers and jobs should be secondary to the needs of people who don't live here....

Of course, if I was a conservative I would say let the market (global) decide, even if it means people here are forced into poverty so that folks could save a few bucks on a pokemon toy or some such thing.

:)

[Historic NY]

12. I try to give my business to those small barely surviving...

business in my state or locale before spreading outward. The quality from overseas is now becoming questionable. I bet many people don't even know that those discount lobsters and shrimp come in from overseas in such quantities that inspections are rarely done. When local business close up we all then say oh thats too bad. Be American buy American, screw NAFTA.

Oh an I don't buy foreign or foreign made vehicles, never have never will. Yeah so parts are made elswhere, I know. If your going to mention quality I've had a few problems with GMC's in the last 24 yrs perhaps 5-6 that were fixed.

[frazzled]

13. We live in different times (or: this is not the 1980s)

I scoffed somewhat at the "Buy American" slogans of the 1980s: American often meant poorer design (clothing, cars) or poorer quality (as compared to Japanese or European cars). It seemed a misguided, lapel-pin type chauvinistic symbol for patriotism.

Things have changed a bit, not only because better American design and quality can be had (at least if we're not millionnaires buying Mercedes or Sonia Rykiel), but because:

(a) American workers need the jobs
(b) We don't want to support poor labor and environmental standards overseas
(c) Poor government regulation makes us feel some (cheap) foreign products may be unsafe
(d) We had fewer cheap foreign products flooding megastores like Walmart.
(c) We need to support American ingenuity (that was always true; I just wasn't seeing much of it back then).

My main rule of thumb these days is that I won't eat anything, or off of anything, made in China ... until proven safe. I try to buy as much local food as possible. I drive a Japanese car made in the US. I will buy goods made in Europe. If there is a good American product available I will buy that first.

[Boojatta]

14. .

If you spend your money on American-made goods, then Americans will receive your money and face the burden of deciding how to spend it. Should they buy American? They could be risking violation of core democratic principles.

If you buy only non-American, then Americans do not face the terrible burden of deciding whether or not they can, with clear consciences, buy American. If you buy only non-American, then Americans receive a wonderful opportunity to beg, borrow, or steal.

:sarcasm: