Recently, John Stossel, an opinion newsman, said that buying American is “just plain stupid.” You can read his article here;http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/11/02/why-buy-american-is-dumb-idea/
  After giving some thought to his attempt at making sense of buying “cheap products” under the assumption that we will have extra money to buy other things, I was at a loss to understand his reasoning. After all, do we really want to always base our purchases on price and never the quality of the product? Should we always be looking for the cheap way out? Of course it is wise to shop for bargains, but that doesn’t mean “just being cheap.” Does quality mean nothing anymore? Isn’t it proven that quality products work better and cause less trouble, ie; quality ink and toners, TV’s, refrigerators, etc. Cheap can be an up an up-front savings, but does it always pay off in the long run? Isn’t being prudent in how we select our products the ‘wise way’ to shop?
  Last Christmas, when trying to find toys made in the USA, only a few could be found, just a few. One outlet store said, “oh ya, we have them over in the back corner of the store.” So there I went and to my dismay, there were some Lincoln Logs and about 5 other products stuck on some rather indistinct displays. Perhaps retail stores prefer to sell things made in China and elsewhere because they are cheaper. Cheap prices mean more sales and that is understandable. However, why hide the American made products in places where we cannot see them, or even worse yet, not stock them at all because the prices are a little higher then those foreign made products. It boggles my mind, but, hey…this is a free enterprise country. But I don’t want to buy products for my grandchildren that are made in countries that don’t have the oversight and safeguards that America has to protect our kids from dangerous paints and other chemicals that they might chew on or put in their mouths.
  So after reading Stossel’s article there was a need to counter his rationale that buying ‘cheap’ is a good thing. Buying wisely and shopping for bargains is just smart. Always looking for something cheap can cost you in the long run. So here are a few reasons to look around for Made in USA tags.
  * The lack of minimum wages, worker safety, or environmental pollution controls in many countries undermines the concept of “fair and free trade”. No Western nation can ultimately compete on price with a country willing to massively exploit and pollute its own people. When you buy only American-made products, you insist on a higher standard and if we are diligent and prudent in our efforts to buy quality at a good price then that is truly the asset of a smart shopper. Service that comes after the sale should also be considered when buying most products, ie; electronics, cars, televisions, etc.
American factories and their money are shifting to countries that are not always friendly to the USA and frown upon a free society and true democracy. When you avoid imported goods in favor of American-made items, you help ensure that the United States doesn’t find its access to vital goods impacted by political conflict. You insure that countries that only care about obtaining our dollars and not the quality of products that we are often forced to buy from their factories will not take our purchasing power for granted.
  And, as the U.S. manufacturing ability fades, future generations of American blue-collar workers will be unable to find relevant jobs, provide for their families and send their children to technical schools and universities. Quality products made in the USA can be your best buy…and if you look hard enough, I’ll bet you can save some hard earned money by spending that hard earned dollar on a product you can rely on day after day…Buying Quality at the lowest price is the prudent way to shop. Buy American when you can. Sometimes we can’t  buy American, and that’s okay, but Stossel has it wrong…going cheap is, and I quote him, “just plain stupid.”