Buy American
By gewcew23
@gewcew23 (8007)
United States
July 31, 2009 12:40pm CST
We hear this slogan and I am sure you get a patriotic felling down in the pit of your stomach. If you buy American you are helping your fellow American. By doing so all of your money stays in the USA. Yet what is American. When we think about automobiles we think of Ford, GMC, and Chrysler, yet Toyota, Nissan, and BMW are just as American. True they do not have that American name, but what is in a name anyways? Barack H. Obama does not strike me as an American name yet he is.
When we think about about the Ipod this little device is as American as apple pie yet almost nothing about the Ipod is actually American. Yet still buying an Ipod, like Obama did for the Queen, is buying American. The Ipod is an American idea. Because of an American name Steve Jobs, Obama was able to present the Queen with such a gift.
Everything bought in America is buying American. If you venture into a Walmart you might notice almost everything is made in another country. As long as you purchase is made in America you bought American.
1 person likes this
6 responses
@BlueGoblin (1829)
• United States
1 Aug 09
This is why Americans should criticize capitalism and the free market. Capitalism doesn't care whether it's consumers are brown, green, American, Chinese or what. Capitalism doesn't have any ties to nationalism. I know the word nationalism is a bad word but when anyone says buy American they are pretty much supporting nationalist ideas. Capitalism just doesn't care if the products they sell are made in America. I'm not supporting socialism or anything like that. That's another leftist system that has failed. Liberalism/capitalism has had some better success than socialism but now we're reaping it's downfall. This is what everyone said would happen. Capitalism must be checked--it must be checked by patriotic or nationalist politicians-- or it will just grow into the monster it is today.
1 person likes this
@tarachand (3895)
• India
1 Aug 09
Every country has had a crisis post the crisis in the US. It is the US based ratings agencies or the agencies that had roots in the US that screwed up - the ratings agencies over rated a lot of assets and this resulted in a greater financial mess than was controllable when payback time came.
The mess has got more to do with human greed rather than the country per se. It is just that the US has been a leader and hence what happens there effects most of the world. There have been a lot of job losses in Asia, the markets plummeted awhile ago, when the US markets did.
Everything is connected and the human race should look for solutions that positively effect humanity and not just a nation alone.
Capitalism is a reality-without the motive for personal profit, progress across all fronts could be retarded.
@tarachand (3895)
• India
1 Aug 09
I personally think that one must buy what is best from a particular geography. If the world started thinking on the so called 'patriotic lines', international trade would be hit hard and each nations economy would suffer.
Today, this is a flat connected world. What effects economies of one nation, definitely effect the economies of another country, many other countries maybe.
We are all humans and consuming humans at that. The money that companies from outside a country bring in or raise by way of investments help create jobs in the place where they set up their businesses, and hence bring life and vitality to the economy of that area.
At heart personal profit is the biggest motivator for doing anything, even setting up companies and manufacturing plants. The risk is taken by the promoters of the institution directly or indirectly. I agree that most companies leverage the benefits offered by authority, but then that is a part of capitalism.
1 person likes this
@tarachand (3895)
• India
1 Aug 09
No offense intended to anyone, just sharing an outsiders perspective.
@tdemex (3540)
• United States
31 Jul 09
I normally disagree with your posts but this is one I do agree! I install assembly lines for the auto industry ( unfortunately I'm laid off for a while) and have been in a number of countries doing this! Everything is so global now it's to late to turn back the clock, this has been going on for way over ten years! GM had a Buick plant in Chins ten years ago! One thing that really bothers me is Toyota and other similar Asian companies have a policy when in other countries that when they need parts or tools for some reason or another, they have a large book like a phone book and they make you buy from that book! You guessed it the book lists all Asian companies that are in that area, regardless of the cost! This is a fact, I believe if the Americans were to do this all Hell would break loose! Just a little food for thought I wanted to toss in the mix! 
tdemex
tdemex1 person likes this
@thegreatdebater (7316)
• United States
31 Jul 09
Gew, I think that American's should by more products made in American, but more corporations are moving their factories overseas. The Buy American slogan actually came from Sam Walton, ironicly the company he built is the reason that more and more American Corporations are moving to China. Former Wal-Mart CEO told the American people that his company has told their suppliers to move to China so they can lower their cost, and so Wal-Mart can make even more money. Even many cars made in the US have parts manufactured in other countries. So even if you wanted to buy American you really can't.
1 person likes this
@abenitez (501)
• United States
1 Aug 09
Just because you buy it in America does not mean that you are buying American. The truth is that most of the money will go back to foreign owned companies. The reason many of these things are produced in America by foreign owned companies is to avoid tariffs and be able to meet all the guidelines.
1 person likes this
@OzarkLiveWire (21)
•
1 Aug 09
I agree with buying American, problem is so many corporate firms, because of downright greed have outsourced alot of business. We hardly make anything anymore. Going into Walmart is like shopping in China.
