What you thought was made in the USA

[Nana2two]

One Light Bulb at a Time A physics teacher in high school, once told the students that while one grasshopper on the railroad tracks wouldn't slow a train very much, a billion of them would. With that thought in mind, read the following, obviously written by a good American .. Good idea .. .

one light bulb at a time . . . .

Check this out . I can verify this because I was in Lowes the other day for some reason and just for the heck of it I was looking at the hose attachments . They were all made in China . The next day I was in Ace Hardware and just for the heck of it I checked the hose attachments there. They were made in USA . Start looking .. In our current economic situation, every little thing we buy or do affects someone else - even their job . So, after reading this email, I think this lady is on the right track . Let's get behind her!

My grandson likes Hershey's candy . I noticed, though, that it is marked made in Mexico now.. I do not buy it any more.My favorite toothpaste Colgate is made in Mexico ... now I have switched to Crest. You have to read the labels on everything .. This past weekend I was at Kroger. I needed 60 W light bulbs and Bounce dryer sheets . I was in the light bulb aisle, and right next to the GE brand I normally buy was an off-brand labeled, "Everyday Value . " I picked up both types of bulbs and compared the stats - they were the same except for the price .. The GE bulbs were more money than the Everyday Value brand but the thing that surprised me the most was the fact that GE was made in MEXICO and the Everyday Value brand was made in - get ready for this - the USA in a company in Cleveland , Ohio . So throw out the myth that you cannot find products you use every day that are made right here .. So on to another aisle - Bounce Dryer Sheets . .. . yep, you guessed it, bounce cost more money and is made in Canada . The Everyday Value brand was less money and MADE IN THE USA ! I did laundry yesterday and the dryer sheets performed just like the Bounce Free I have been using for years and at almost half the price! My challenge to you is to start reading the labels when you shop for everyday things and see what you can find that is made in the USA - the job you save may be your own or your neighbors! If you accept the challenge, pass this on to others in your address book so we can all start buying American, one light bulb at a time! Stop buying from overseas companies! (We should have awakened a decade ago .. . .. . . . ) Let's get with the program . . . .. help our fellow Americans keep their jobs and create more jobs here in the U . S . A .. I Passed this on ......... will you ???????

[Russ]

good post Nana.
to add to it... http://www.howtobuyamerican.com/index.php

[Lady_V]

Interesting reads... thank you both

[NikoSan999]

good post Nana.
to add to it... http://www.howtobuyamerican.com/index.php

Started reading and finally just marked in favorites to go back to. Definitely worth reading people. Really good information.
thanks russ

[NikoSan999]

good post Nana.
to add to it... http://www.howtobuyamerican.com/index.php

Started reading and found it interesting enough to mark in favorites to explore more. Good informative reading everyone. Definitely worth a look.
Thanks Russ

[Nada.Leona]

Be sure that you look into things carefully. A lot of things that say "made on America" (or Canada, if you're me) actually mean "parts were built and designed overseas, but product was ASSEMBLED in America".

[AnW819]

Why does it matter where things are from? I am not sure I understand this...

[Nana2two]

Why does it matter where things are from? I am not sure I understand this...

Because America is losing alot of our jobs to overseas. So much is being made in China,Japan ect. We need to keep our jobs here, and when you buy Non American items, you take away from Our men and women who need the support here. It goes for everything, clothes,food,household items ect. Sometimes there is just no getting around it. But when and if you can always buy American.

[monkeywrangler71]

Economics is a little more complicated than this. You don't just buy from other countries, you also sell to other countries. When you put a big push on buying American, the rest of the world pushes back. Stop buying Canadian bounce sheets, then maybe Canada stops buying American oranges. It goes back and forth and back and forth, next thing you know, you've destroyed far more jobs than you've saved.

Protectionism might feel good in the short term, but it causes long term problems and severely prolongs economic downturns. Movements like this are one of the leading reasons that the great depression lasted as long as it did.

[Nana2two]

Be sure that you look into things carefully. A lot of things that say "made on America" (or Canada, if you're me) actually mean "parts were built and designed overseas, but product was ASSEMBLED in America".

Very true LADYNADA

[AnW819]

I never look @ these things, but is it wrong if I do not buy all american because I think people over seas need jobs to.

[Russ]

Economics is a little more complicated than this. You don't just buy from other countries, you also sell to other countries. When you put a big push on buying American, the rest of the world pushes back. Stop buying Canadian bounce sheets, then maybe Canada stops buying American oranges. It goes back and forth and back and forth, next thing you know, you've destroyed far more jobs than you've saved.

Protectionism might feel good in the short term, but it causes long term problems and severely prolongs economic downturns. Movements like this are one of the leading reasons that the great depression lasted as long as it did.

In the extreme, I would agree. But, considering how far the gap is between imports and exports in the US, we would have to take "buy American" a LONG LONG way to even come close to be considered a protectionist country.

[Nada.Leona]

I think the best Movement is one that is going on in our city. It's a program called "Buy Local" and it's main driving force is the free city newspaper, the Coast. (http://www.thecoast.ca). Every year, they put out a small booklet with lists upon lists of local stores, salons, cages, artists, handcrafters, bakers, etc and encourage you to buy local.

Our city has several farmers markets, and at least two locally owned grocery stores. There is very little you'd gave to seek out that can't be purchased at a locally owned business.

The importance of buying locally owned products is immence. For starters, you are of course supporting your friends and neighbors, not to mention your city's economy. But even more important, you're making a stand and telling the super chain stores that they aren't necessary in this community. Locally owned shops often cost more, but the majority of the products are made better and are of higher quality than something you buy in a box at "Everyday Low Prices".

Two points of interest are often brought up.

1. Items that are carried by the locally owned stores aren't always made locally. Some stores act as middlemen between the consumer and the product maker, and here isms where the rubber meets the road. Some things you can't get around. For example, with the amount of safety regulations afforded to baby products, it'd be very difficult to find a baby car seat handmade by some local artisan. So you would be better off going to find one that is made by a corporation who
meets (or in this case, exceeds) the minimal standards for such an item. In this case though, it would be cheaper to go to a big box store and get one there. But if you look close enough, you will find a locally owned store that sells the exact same thing for minimal increase in price.

2. The usual arguement made about big box stores is that "they provide jobs to a lot of people". And it's true. I worked at a big box store for over a year and indeed they do hire a lot of people... At first. But they're sneaky about it too. They will hire twenty people, the majority of them young people who are just there to make money while they're in school. As those hired people quit or drop off, however, they don't replace them right away, and try to see if their other employees can shoulder the burden. So now you've got 12 people doing the work of 20. And the wages are next to nothing. I was a manager at the time of the biggest floor space department. Turned out I was the youngest and the lowest paid. Their insurance was minimal and they fired anyone who mentioned unionizing the store (in fact one that did become unionized in Quebec was indeed completely closed for no valid reason).

So the importance of buying nationally made products is indeed high, but consider keeping your dollars closer to home and buying local as much as possible. When you look around, you will be delightfully surprised at the amount of product you can indeed purchase that is "made in America -- by John, just down the street!"

[Palooka]

It's so hard to buy some things made in America since it seems China runs the show.

[NewLeaf]

We used to look at every label, and then we got lazy. Also, at the time, things made in China or Mexico or wherever were alot cheaper. But we have changed our ways and are back to buying locally and buying American.