Would it help American employment if we bought fewer foreign products?

[JDPriestly]

And just how can we do that?

I don't buy much at all, but I try to buy American, local produce. It's hard when it comes to things like shoes. Even children's books are made in China.

What can we do about this?

It would be nice to have one internet site where only American-made products would be sold.

[valerief]

1. Pretty soon we won't have any jobs to make any money to any products. nt

[Recursion]

4. We still manufacture more than any other country (nt)

[rhett o rick]

5. So what's your point? It sure isnt helping. nm

[RC]

11. Manufacturing what?

War toys and things that go boom when brown people get too close?

[valerief]

12. We make war. That's about it. And fake money for really, really rich people. nt

[pampango]

22. While that is true, employment in manufacturing is declining everywhere.

[valerief]

24. Even in China and the Marianas? nt

[midnight]

2. I'm sure it would... I'm also sure that allowing foreign workers into this country, and

outsourcing other jobs should be curtailed until this countries jobless is remedied...

[pampango]

23. Reich: "Xenophobia and isolationism are spreading in America; legitimize us-vs.-them thinking

http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Robert-Reich-s-Blog/2010/1011/Xenophobia-and-the-economy

Deep economic crises are fodder for demagogues who channel economic fear into a politics of resentment against “them.” In the 1930s it was foreign traders (mainly Europeans), immigrants, and Jews. Now it’s foreign traders (mainly the Chinese), immigrants, and Muslims. How do you explain the surging animosity toward foreign trade, particularly toward China? Candidates for midterm elections are running tens of millions of dollars of ads attacking their opponents for being too sympathetic to China.

How do you explain the surging animosity toward foreign trade, particularly toward China? ... Republicans have a long history of turning fears into resentments that animate voters. (Remember Willy Horton? Senator Joe McCarthy?) For years, Fox News, yell radio, and other outlets of the Republican right have built followings on hatefulness.

Yet Democrats are entering the same terrain when they blame China. ... Democrats must know high unemployment in America has little or nothing to do with China. ...If Democrats (or Republicans, for that matter) want to blame something, blame America’s record level of inequality – an almost unprecedented concentration of income and wealth at the top, and a smaller proportion for the vast middle.

The evidence is all around us. It’s no mere coincidence that 1928 and 2007 marked historical high-water points for shares of national income going to the top 1 percent. ... Are the Democrats so dependent on the campaign contributions from the wealthy they dare not speak of this? Or worried about being labeled “class warriors?” China bashing doesn’t educate the public about what’s truly at stake and what must be done in the years ahead. Worse: It reinforces the politics of resentment, and further legitimizes other forms of isolationism and xenophobia.

[bettyellen]

3. americans need to realize cheap prices cause this job loss.

we are on a downward spiral because we are competing w/ third world salaries

[JDPriestly]

18. You are right, bettyellen.

The problem is that the lower our wages get, the less we can afford to pay for things. It is a vicious circle.

The only answer is to change our trade policy. But how do we do that? One way is to buy used stuff, not new and to use what we have rather than buy new.

[spin]

6. Many years ago I read some books that said America needed to become an information society ...

and ship all manufacturing jobs overseas.

At the time I thought it was a stupid idea. My opinion never changed. I was told that I was behind the times and outsourcing was the wave of the future.

I've had other stupid ideas. For example I believed in paying off my mortgage, car and credit card at the end of every month. Own everything, owe nothing. I was told that I was a fool. People said I should use the equity in my home and take out a second mortgage. It took a while but I finally succeeded in paying everything off.

I've far from rich but at least the bank can't foreclose on my home or repossess my car. I retired just before I turned 60 which was five years ago. I always thought that I would be bored without a job, but I was definitely wrong about that. I'm happy being a nonproductive member of our society.

[rhett o rick]

7. I believe in buying American, buying union, but it isnt fair to blame the consumer.

We need tariffs that help our workers. All the other f'in major countries do it. But our Congress are invested in overseas and could care less about us Americans. Blame Congress.

[AndyTiedye]

9. Just Repealing the TAX CREDIT That Corps Get for Shipping American Jobs Overseas Would be Good Start

Kerry called for this when he was running for President in 2004.
Congress tried to do it in 2009, but the Repigs filibustered.

We are probably the only country in the world that has a tax policy that FAVORS outsourcing.

[rhett o rick]

10. Bingo. nm

[JDPriestly]

16. I agree. We should have tariffs. The best way to do it is to have a value

added tax. That way other countries can't complain that we are discriminating against imports from them because we are also taxing our domestically produced goods. We should shift taxes from income taxes (just a small amount) on the working poor and middle classes to the value added tax. That's how Europeans have kept their exports up.

[Brickbat]

8. All of my shoes are made in the USA. What are you looking for?

[JDPriestly]

17. women's low-heeled nice looking shoes, not work shoes or sports shoes.

[Brickbat]

19. I love these because they are a hell of a lot cuter than Crocs and are made in the USA. They are

recyclable and affordable, and super comfortable. I wore the second example (the Sienna) to work when I was working in an office.

http://www.shoesthatloveyou.com/Heels-Women-Products/b/2740802011?searchSize=36

http://www.okabashi.com/Okabashi-Sienna/dp/B0049H4ZB0?ie=UTF8&id=Okabashi%20Sienna&field_product_site_launch_date_utc=-1y&field_availability=-1&field_browse=2359392011&searchSize=12&searchNodeID=2359392011&searchPage=1&refinementHistory=subjectbin%2Ccolor_map%2Csize_name&searchRank=salesrank

http://www.okabashi.com/Okabashi-Paris/dp/B0049H2ZVC?ie=UTF8&id=Okabashi%20Paris&field_product_site_launch_date_utc=-1y&field_availability=-1&field_browse=2359392011&searchSize=12&searchNodeID=2359392011&searchPage=1&refinementHistory=subjectbin%2Ccolor_map%2Csize_name&searchRank=salesrank

[dkf]

25. Hey those are really cute!

Thanks.

[lbrtbell]

13. You just have to look carefully at the labels

Even Wal-Mart and dollar stores have a lot of goods made in the USA. You can also buy gifts on sites like Etsy, which are made by (usually) American crafters and artists.

[AndyTiedye]

14. There Are a Few Websites That Carry American-Made Stuff Exclusively

I have ordered from http://www.theunionshop.org/ once for some t-shirts and they were shipped quickly and are of good quality. I would order from them again.

[NNN0LHI]

15. Not just unemployment

Think about who contributes to our social programs like Medicare/Medicaid and Social Security? American workers do. Workers who make our imported stuff don't.

That should be enough right there to convince any thinking person.

Don

[xchrom]

20. +1

[madokie]

21. Lots of products still made here in the good ol usa

No linkie for you but I've seen and have bookmarked several that were posted here but due to my constantly changing my operating system as a new Ubuntu comes out I don't have any at present. sorry

I try my best to only buy made in the usa, Canada or south America when I can find them. I feel the whole north and south American continents are in this with us together.