Today there is an article in the Dispatch about Chinese-made clothing found in New Zealand containing 900 time the amount of formaldehyde that will make you sick! CNN is reporting that Toy-R-US is removing Chinese-made baby bibs from it’s shelves because of high lead content.
If nothing else these unhealthy products have us thinking about where a product comes from. How did we ever get to the point where such a high percentage of our goods come from China? The answer is NOT free-trade. The answer is US. We have become a society of instant gratification and short-sightedness. We will buy the flashy Chinese gizmo that is cheap. We fail to look beyond that point. The fact that by buying that item you are employing a person in China rather than an American no longer enters the equation. The fact that you will have to replace that Chinese product in six months is not considered.
We complain about lack of employment as we drive to Walmart to buy out Chinese gizmos. No, Walmart is not the enemy. Walmart is simply providing what you are demanding. If the attitude were to change and America started buying American-made goods Walmart would quickly adjust to the market. Isn’t it time we stop looking to the government to fix the problems of employment, trade deficit, and unsafe imports and start helping ourselves?
It is time for a “Buy American” campaign.
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