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Post by redwolf on Nov 6, 2007 8:24:59 GMT -6
This morning when I got dressed for work I discovered the following: - My shirt and tie were made in Bangladesh
- My pants were made in Vietnam
- My underwear was made in India
- My shoes were made in China
I couldn't figure out where my socks came from, but I bet it wasn't America. Geez, I wonder why there aren't any more textile jobs in the USA?
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Post by unlawflcombatnt on Nov 6, 2007 14:10:12 GMT -6
I'm going to start a separate thread where everyone lists common consumer items that are made in the USA (or at least say "Made in USA", versus those made elsewhere. This should make it easier for everyone who's trying to buy American.
Here are my 1st contributions:
Made in USA
Equal (Sweetener-Aspartame) Necta Sweet (Sweetener: Saccharin) One-A-Day Multiple Vitamins
As members add new items to the list, I'll consolidate the additions into 1 list.
------- There are a few more anti-outsourcing ideas I'd like to advocate.
If a brand-name item does not state country of origin, buy the non-brand-name item if it is cheaper.
If the brand name item says "Distributed in" or "Distributed by" somewhere in the U.S., buy the cheaper non-brand name item. "Distributed by" is a deliberate attempt to deceive Americans into thinking they're buying an American-made product. "Distributed by" actually means "Foreign-made." Don't reward American outsourcers for their dishonesty and deception.
Also, if the more expensive brand-name item states "made in" foreign country X--buy the cheaper non-brand name item made in country X, Y, or Z.
A perfect example of the latter are clothes made by St. John's Bay. They make some of their most expensive items in foreign countries. For example, their hooded zip-up sweat shirts state "Made in Pakistan," and cost $20-$35. At the same time, non-brand-name equivalent states "Made in Honduras," and costs $11.
Buy the one made in Honduras. Don't reward St. John Bay for replacing American workers with Pakistani workers. Don't reward American companies for replacing American production and American workers with foreign workers. The next job they outsource may be your own.
There are 2 different job-killing policies here. And they are not equal. It kills some American jobs to buy products manufactured cheaply by foreign-owned, foreign-located companies.
But it kills far more jobs to buy from American-owned, foreign-located companies. It encourages American companies to move production facilities overseas, and replace more expensive American workers with cheaper foreign workers.
Also, imports from certain countries are less job-killing than others. Imports from Canada, Britain, Germany, or Japan are less job-killing than those from elsewhere. The reason is simple. Workers in those countries are paid the same, or nearly the same, as American workers. As a result, there is little incentive for American companies to move production facilities there--meaning little incentive to replace American workers with Canadian, British, German, or Japanese workers.
Though purchasing from those countries does reduce demand for American workers, it does not encourage American companies to replace American workers with foreign workers. It doesn't save American producers money to move their production facilities there, if the products are to be sold in the U.S. It's better for American workers to compete with $17/hour workers from Japan, Germany, or Canada, than to "compete" with 13-cent/hour North Korean slave-workers in the Gaesong Industrial Park in Korea, or 50-cent/hour Chinese workers.
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