Reading through the Sundowner thread and Gabz talks about buying American dirt, I wonder if the current economy has started anyone to thinking about buying American whenever possible. I have been doing it forever, I realize that with some items is hard to purchase made in America items, but do you even look to see if their is an option for you? In tough economic times the best thing we can do is spend our money here at home, it is those companies that are the employers that are creating the jobs here. Here are a couple of sites that I use to help me with purchasing decisions.

http://www.madeinusa.org/nav.cgi

http://www.madeinusa.com/

   I have the most difficult time trying to buy DECENT tools and equipment. I can't find US made much of anything. I don't care if the item cost more. I'm so sick of the crappy junk in the stores, yet I want to support local trades... 

So.. what I do is write as frequently as I can to my congress people. I tell them how unhappy I am about the lack of US made products. I tell them that anytime a trade agreement comes before them, to PLEASE consider what they are doing. The US has SO become a service supplier. It's sickening. That's why aerospace, ship building, & automotive manufacturing are so critical to our longevity. Even appliances are mfg overseas.!! 

  I avoid shopping at internet catalogs (and WalMart) that only offer chinese manufactured items. I'm so sick of JUNK. If a catalog offers REALLY cheap stuff... guess where it comes from? Those water buckets, lead ropes, halters, etc. etc. 

The Horse World is one of the few suppliers of tangible US Made items. Trucks to haul trailers that are built in the US. Horses grown and trained (service) in the US. Fencing, farm equipment, feed, etc.  - speaking of feed...

I'm sure some of you know this, but the reason we suffer shortages of some feed products - for instance, this year, it's beet pulp - is because the US Gov't has made commitments to EXPORT IT which means that if there is a bad harvest in a given year, there is LESS for US customers to buy. Yup.  Same with corn, oats, wheat, etc.  SUCKS BIG TIME.  So... let your government KNOW that it sucks.

While many of you are off work over the holidays, perhaps you can google on your state government websites and discover the email and snail mail addresses of your local and federal government representatives. Make a collection of their emails... and be prepared to CHANGE those email addresses after the newly elected reps go into office next year.

There are states that continually flux between identifying horses as livestock and pets. They MUST MUST MUST remain as livestock - otherwise, they will have absolutely ZERO VALUE - just like an abandoned dog or cat - something we are so close to right now, it's scary. All of us MUST make our voices heard against those who will take away this "made in America" product.

If someone in Europe or Japan wants to eat horsemeat. YEAH. Let's EXPORT some of the horses that can't be supported in the suburban OR wild areas of the country. Stop taking away a source of income. But by all means, let's find a way to process this product locally and put in methods to regulate it.  Hellp - let's just set up an entire Marketing Paradigm around corraling and exporting horses.

Phew. sorry.  Where's that Political Gab forum Dave was gonna give us?     (now you know why my username is gabz... ha ha ha)

I do look at the tags to see where an item was made.  Recently I have tried to put down items made out side the US unless it was something I really really needed and could not find a US made item.  At least as far as food is concerned, I do buy locally whenever possible and at local farms. 

 Gabz   Me too.  I have been watching for the politics forum....would like to see it here.....when you get a chance Dave.    ps I love the Robert Duval photos

Yep, I also try to buy US products. Did go into one of the links you posted. Saw Justin boots listed BUT NOT ALL Justin boots are made in the US. Looked at a pair this Spring but put them back when I saw that they were made in China. Sent an E-mail to Justin told them that I had purchased Justin boots since the mid 60's  but that I would no longer do so. Know that they must run the business so they do make a profit but still I have a real hard time buying Chinese.

Later, found out that they still make boots in the US as well as China so I may rethink my position. Check out the Justin web site. 

It's up to us to start dealing in our own national self interest.

If America could rebuild Western Europe after World War II, we ought to be able to rebuild our own country today.

Unless we act fast, our industrial heartland is going to turn into an industrial wasteland. Bail-out the Big 3, you bet, these are the people that made it possible for us to win WWII. Our industrial base is very important to the country. 

Is it too late for America? I don't know. I hope not.

KCW
  kcwalker@mail.com
We can not compete against low wage goods, if they can live on 3 pieces of rice and a nickel a day that's OK, but we can't do that and survive in America.
Free trade my A _ _ , We need to Level the Playing Field!

Have any of you noticed how many foreign food items are appearing on our grocery store shelves. Just go out and try to buy american grown pineapple in cans. I cannot locate one. Dole is canning from the phillipines and most apple juice is coming from CHINA!!! Next time you buy that jug of orange juice, look to see where it is made... most likely from some far off south american country. When was the last time you heard the Jingle "C&H sugar from Hawaii"? Well you won't, it's not made here anylonger.

I have even noticed the regular ground beef packages now state a product of Mexico/Canada/USA. Hellooo!!! I live in the heartland where steers/cows out number people. Why do we need Mexican or Candanian beef??? I told the meat market manager that I will no longer be buying any meat from his store. Went and bought from my local meat processor. Yes it cost more, but I know the meat was locally raised and butchered.

It is an awful shame that in this country of bountiful food that we cannot get american made food products on our shelves.

I know we ty to buy US made products as often as possible.

My wife makes cowhide/leather bedspreads, purses and home accessories by hand, by herself. She gets copied and people buy the foreign "knockoffs" all day long. Cheaper price, cheaper quality and somewhat the same look. Its tough.

On the beef side, my inlaws are partners in a cattle sale barn and ranch full time. Lets just say that we don't buy our meat from any grocery store chain. We fully support the "mom and pop" shops. The meat prices when we buy a "loin" (about 80lbs-90lbs) are around $2.90lb and the meat is sooooo much better.

Just my two cents......

I just found a new item that I'm going to use on my BBQ grill.  The item makes you able to prepare pancakes, eggs, omelets and bacon and other food.  It is from Sterling Heights, MI.  It is a little pricey but it should last as long as the BBQ.  Thanks for the websites.        

Well don't tell us about it with out telling us what it is!!!!!

I work part time at a retail store and I stopped looking at where stuff was made.  It was so depressing. 

Peach trees originated in China... but believe it or not, it's cheaper for the companies to buy & process peaches, etc. in China and Thailand and then ship them to the US. How can that be?

That's because of labor costs. 

95% of garlic is from China. I wouldn't mind except I worry about the melamine additives that seem to be pervasive in their food manufacturing plants.

I broke another cheap (made in China) kitchen utensil the other day. grrrrr

Know that feeling.A few years ago,they were IMPORTING rice (mostly exotic varieties,but,still!) into a country where American rice farmers were going out of business and unable to give their crops away.Same for soybeans.(!!) Hundreds of soy based products with soy from Brazil crops.Jeeze.Thanks a lot.

all the imports are because of the trade agreements they send food stuff we send money, toy are the same thing some toy have lead in them from china, candy imported also. we have become a country of importer, some body told e that cartoon are also imported WOW I got my turkey from a local farmer support your state and local farmer now 

While free trade is necessary... I don't SEE anything other then foreign made tools and kitchen utensils in local stores.

So far as your vehicle made in another country. The labor costs that you mentioned are low-income jobs - not middle class. Additionally, the engineering and testing of the vehicle paid employees in another country. The parts will STILL come from a foreign country and the profits will return to that foreign country.

I'm not for blocking imports. I am against the crap that we DO import. Part of is is because the American public wants to spend as little as possible; however, when I go into a store and can find ONLY Imported TVs, or ONLY imported tools, when my groceries are imported when the very same commodity is grown and produced here, then I get fed up. That's due to the government ALLOWING that to happen.

When I can't buy beet pulp because it's being EXPORTED so that we can import more junk toys and more junk tools, and even foreign DESIGNED and MANUFACTURED vehicles, then I get fed up.  And, when Chinese investors own 51% of previously US companies... then I get sick.

So what if that money goes back to Korea? You do think it stays there? Of course not, when people in Korea make money, they buy other stuff they cannot grow or make themselves. They might buy somthing from THIS country which employs people which in turn allows people in this country the ability to buy stuff they want to buy.

The problem is the basic ignorance of ecomonics. Its never taught properly in schools and the assumptions being made here by Gabz is reenforced by polticans and the media who are also equally ignorant. Its a shame really.

Here is some good reading to help those who just cannot understand ecomonics

A MINORITY VIEW

BY WALTER E. WILLIAMS

RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2008, AND THEREAFTER

Trade versus Protectionism

            There's a growing anti-trade sentiment in our country. Much of the dialogue is grossly misinformed. Let's try to untangle it a bit with a few questions and observations. First, does the U.S. trade with Japan and England? Put another way, is it members of the U.S. Congress trading with their counterparts in the Japanese Diet or the English Parliament? An affirmative answer is pure nonsense. When I purchased my Lexus, I had nothing to do with either the Japanese Diet or the U.S. Congress. Through an intermediary, a Lexus dealer, I dealt with Toyota Motor Corporation.

            While it might be convenient to speak of one country trading with another, such aggregation can conceal a lot of evil, particularly when people call for trade barriers. For example, what would be a moral case for third-party interference, by either the Japanese Diet or the U.S. Congress, with an exchange between me and Toyota Motor Corporation? Some might reason that since Japan places restrictions on U.S. products entering their country, an appropriate retaliatory measure is not to allow Japanese products to freely enter the U.S. By the way, Japanese protectionist restrictions on rice imports force Japanese consumers to pay three or four times the world price for rice. How much sense does it make for Congress to retaliate against Japan by imposing restrictions on their products thereby forcing American consumers, say Lexus buyers, to pay higher prices? Should our rule be: If one country screws its citizens we should retaliate by screwing our citizens?

            Since there is no moral argument for preventing one person from trading with another, anti-traders shift their argument to a patriotic appeal such as suggesting that we're losing our manufacturing sector. That doesn't square with the facts. According to a report given by Dr. William Strauss, senior economist for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, titled "Is U.S. Losing Its Manufacturing Base?" (http://www.edcchicago.org/ecom/2008/edc062508.htm) the answer is no. In each of the past 60 years, U.S. manufacturing output growth has averaged 4 percent and productivity growth has averaged 3 percent. Manufacturing is going through the same process as agriculture. In 1900, 41 percent of American workers were employed in agriculture; today, only 2 percent are and agricultural output is greater. In 1940, 35 percent of workers were employed in manufacturing jobs; today, it's about 10 percent. Again, because of huge productivity gains, manufacturing output is greater.

            The decline in manufacturing employment is not limited to the U.S. Since 2000, China has lost over 4.5 million manufacturing jobs. In fact, nine of the top 10 manufacturing countries, which produce 75 percent of the world's manufacturing output (the U.S., Japan, Germany, China, Britain, France, Italy, Korea, Canada, and Mexico), have lost manufacturing jobs but their manufacturing output has risen.

            Despite the pretense of being a free trade nation, the U.S. has significant barriers to trade that come in the form of tariffs, quotas and steep regulatory barriers. Our restrictions are just not as onerous as many other countries but there's a push to make them so. It's simple politics. The people who face foreign competition, say management and workers in the auto industry, are well organized, have narrowly shared interests and the resources to have considerable clout in Washington to get Congress to enact trade barriers. Restricting foreign competition means higher prices for their products, and hence higher profits and fuller employment in their industry. The people who are benefited by foreign competition, say auto consumers, have widely dispersed interests; they are not organized at all and have little clout in Washington. You never see consumers descending on Washington complaining about cheap prices for foreign products; it's always domestic producers who do the complaining.

            The relationship between prosperity and economic freedom, including free trade, is a no-brainer. But if you need hard evidence, check out the Heritage Foundation's "Index of Economic Freedom" (http://www.heritage.org/Index). You'll find that nations having the greatest measure of economic freedom are the most prosperous and peaceful.

Walter E. Williams is a professor of economics at George Mason University. To find out more about Walter E. Williams and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

Since the US hardly manufactures anything anymore, pray tell, what do the people in Korea buy from us? Rice? Beet Pulp? Do they buy trailers or farm tractors? no. Do they buy shoes, shampoo, toothpaste, or clothing from the US? no.  Do they buy raw materials from the US? perhaps, but probably not much and raw materials are certainly not consumer items.

The "people" of Korea don't buy much of anything. The large commercial enterprises buy technology and then build the manufacturing infrastructure themselves.  (Simplified version)

I understand about free trade; however, in order to keep exports/imports in balance and since US-manufactured goods are typically more expensive, we have to import MORE junk to equal the high-tech / service dollars being exported.

Economics. My background is a little old since I went to college back in the late 1980s when I was "older". In fact, it was after I had worked in various retail establishments for many years; after I had been in the Army and employed by the Department of Defense. (Back when I was entitled to full GI bill college benefits for having served my country only to have Congress slash my benefits in order to support some other out-of-country contrivance.)

As stated previously, we helped the Germans and Japan to rebuild after global wars. We showed them how to become manufacturers of real goods. Now we will help China to become a manufacturing giant and people can flock to Walmart and buy the goods that they SHOULD have been employed making.

It's a complex system .... and since the world decided to base it's economy on the US Dollar instead of gold - it's gotten even more complex.

I believe quality in manufacturing is a problem across the board!  If you want high-end kitchen utensils, shop at a high-end kitchen store. 

I don't think US-made goods are of a higher quality across the board.  I drive a Japanese car and tow my horse trailer with a US-made truck, but only because Nissan, Honda, or Toyota do not make a one ton.   I'd go out and buy a Japanese-built one ton in a heartbeat if they become available. 

We have a global economy whether we like it or not.  The catalyst of change will be our quality and efficiency of manufacturing at home.   I'm sure this will cause me to be flamed, but costs would decrease and quality would increase if the manufacturing unions could be reined in.   I'm tired of the sense of entitlement the unions seem to have.  Unions are completely out of touch with patriotism and doing what is right for the country.  They are only looking out for themselves and look where it has gotten us as a country. 

Case in point:  I live in the Seattle area, and one of the Boeing unions went on strike recently, holding out for wage, health insurance, and retirement benefit INCREASES.  A second union thought they would follow suit but came to a contract agreement prior to striking.   Really, is this the time to hold a manufacturing company, their clients, and all their subcontractors and suppliers hostage because of the bully power of your union?  I think not.

HOLY CRAP...  NO wonder it's a minority view...  my comments in RED...

Okay. I googled for this device and nothing came up other than games.

Is there a website that demonstrates this item? How can someone purchase this item if they wanted to? 

Why is that? Because they are cheaper? or because they have features and benefits that US-made trucks do not have? 

I had this conversation with my boss this morning. It's not just about buying US to save a job or being patriotic. It's about buying what vehicle has the features and benefits at the $$ I am willing to pay.  Again, it's about having a choice of well-made goods.

We have a global economy whether we like it or not.  The catalyst of change will be our quality and efficiency of manufacturing at home.   I'm sure this will cause me to be flamed, but costs would decrease and quality would increase if the manufacturing unions could be reined in.   I'm tired of the sense of entitlement the unions seem to have.  Unions are completely out of touch with patriotism and doing what is right for the country.  They are only looking out for themselves and look where it has gotten us as a country. 

Again, I agree.  I am NOT pro-union, pro-US Made to the blind sight of anything else. I am only encouraging folks to take an active role in what their concerns are. I hear too much grumbling amongst ourselves and not enough people who are willing to take the time to find out WHO their government representatives are and where to write to them.

And... at this point in time, in the US. we've made our bed. If we let too much of it to fall, it will have a greater impact then we may be able to dig ourselves out of.   SO far as the "Big 3" "bailout".  First, it should only be for Ford and GM... since Chrysler is a privately owned company once Daimler bailed out. 

next, it's not about handing over 25 million dollars. It's about loans, with interest to be paid back. and YES, YES, YES, they MUST present a plan. 

Since you live in the PNW - If you can imagine what it would be like if the 10s of thousands of Boeing employees suddenly being out of work if the plants closed because neither US or other countries were buying aircraft because there was no credit. Houses foreclosed and simply abandoned!!; loss of property tax in the school districts and local government - yet the same amount of roads, etc. to maintain. Loss of consumers for local services and products. loss of corporate property tax and corporate support in the community.  Once houses are foreclosed or sold below loan value, then everyone else's homes become devalued. Then, if the people who hold houses that are "upside-down" in credit WANT to move, they cannot find a buyer since so many houses are for sale through foreclosure. If they sell, it's less than what the mortgage is for which means they have to come up with $20,000, $40,000, even $100,000 to pay the bank/ mortgage company to get out of the home. Now, these same people can find work elsewhere but have zero dollars for a down payment.

yup. it is.

Yup. for the most part I agree. I owned 3 VWs; 3 Datsuns (Nisson now); then a European-built Ford. When I moved to the Detroit area, I started buying Ford because I could get a huge discount through a relative. I can get steep discounts on any of the Big 3... but I stick with Ford. I do own a subcompact Chevy though.

So for me, they are cheap enough to dispose of every 2 or 3 years LOL... before the ashtray gets full!! ha ha ha... very old joke.  

* sigh* if you have been working for the government then of course you don't understand ecomonics............

anyway- buy whatever you want..thats the great thing about free trade- allow the market place to determine what should sell and what shouldn't......

I beg your pardon? Did you miss a smiley face or LOL?  I certainly hope that was an attempt at humor.

Did you ever promise to lay down your life for the good of your country? 

After I was honorably discharged with, among other things, a Commendation Medal, I worked for the DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. With Military People - those underpaid folks who frequently have to sign up for Food stamps and other aid.

Get Off it. Just because someone works for the government doesn't make them blind to a side of an argument. I'm voicing MY opinion, my freedom of speech. YOU are making this personal.

P.S.  I haven't held a "government" job for more than 20 years. 

Well if your going out of business affected as many people as will be affected by GM and/or Chrysler going into Chapter 11...then I would say you need a bailout...it is all a matter of scale...

Technically it's not a buy out or a bail out. It's making money available in loans.

A different $25 billion in loans is through the Energy Department and was set aside so that the automakers could retool for more fuel efficient vehicles. However, if a company applies for those monies, they have to prove themselves credit-worthy - which is why GM is getting beat up so badly.

While I'm not strongly for or against advancing the money to automakers, I AM quite perturbed that the FDIC handed over more than $700 BILLION dollars to financial institutions without all the questions and finger-pointing that automakers and UAW president are facing.

I'm sorry I didn't catch every last detail, but as a for instance... Citigroup, after being bailed out, went ahead with a $400 or $500 million ad campaign which included either buying a sports/ball field or buying a sign for said sports/ball field. When questioned about it, Citigroup said that advertising was very important. What the fruitbat is THAT about? And, are the financial companies requiring their CEOs, presidents, CFOs, etc. to take $1 annual salaries? grrrrrr.

I know right after AIG and other financials were "bailed" (given guarenteed loans), there was a multitude of news items about rip off situations in the companies being bailed. So it's not just auto makers that are not looking ahead. 

I still say Chrysler needs to dealt with differently than Ford & GM since it's a privately held company and not publicly traded.

If the credit market would stabilize and confidence would come back, then people can buy cars (and houses and horse trailers) and the automakers and other manufacturing can begin to stabilize. Heck. People were spending their grocery money on gas this past summer and had nothing to spend on anything else. And then for horse people, add in hay & feed at 2x the amount 2 years ago... it's a huge complex issue. 

Ford was down 33% in sales and Toyota was down 31%. I didn't compare any others. But that shows you that it's not just US manufacturers that have lost sales and therefore, lost revenue to cover operating costs. I know that the trailer manufacturers and dealers are all feeling the same belt tightening. They are paying $$$ on warehouse, factories, property, employee taxes & wages, with nothing coming in.

But... as the OP started this... watching out for our behinds... if that's protectionism... well maybe the US needs just a tiny bit more of it by way of keeping manufacturing in the US instead of importing products manufactured elsewhere. And to do that, it means employees have to accept less pay in return for steady income.  Mortgage holders will have to tighten their belts and accept lower interest and longer payback periods so that people don't lose their homes. Slash salaries there too.

edited to correct where the money is from/for.

Yes. Second time for Chrysler; however, Lee Iacocca DID make that company profitable...  he had to. He took little or no salary but DID take incentives... so he would only make any money if the company did.

I remember "back then" when Detroit was failing like it is now... and then it was because of imports, because those were the only cars worth buying.  The automakers DID learn, but then...  the $$$ took over, once again.

"back then (1979-1981 or so)... workers left Michigan for Texas. I was in Texas and headed TO Michigan.