Every time we have any of these... don't buy days we have to explain this

[nadinbrzezinski]

to folks.

So lets start.

Many folks complaint that things don't change and jobs are leaving for points east. Yet, many of those same folks
were today at the malls buying crap made at points east.. in appalling conditions.

There are a few American manufacturers and sadly we need to find them and use them. Buy American is a powerful tool and given how many Chinese crap has been recalled it is now just not a matter of pride but a matter of your child's safety, for example, or your pets.

Now as to the logic of these boycotts.

No I don't expect ONE of these to change a things, except patterns. And it is not feeling good about yourself, see I am better than you since I did this. No, not at all... it is about changing patterns of how we live our lives and not participating in this crazy consumerism, feels good world we now live in. And perhaps changing things enough where jobs will come back and the corporations will realize we ain't buying what they are selling any longer.

One of the things that we are running against is the ever so popular but I cannot change thing, so why should I try?

And you know what? You are right, as an individual, changes are, you will change nothing... social movements though rely on the individuals to unite and do something together. The force of a social movement is not in the individual but in the group acting together.

So what is in my view the next step of these don't buy anything days? A week of this where the only thing you buy are essentials. No, there is no way I can ask, or survive, without buying milk, and eggs and meat, but I can survive a week without getting any luxuries, such as coffee at the coffee shop, or a new book, or songs at itunes,

It is about letting manufacturers know that I will not buy their product since it is not made in the US... by buying US made... and yes I have found US Made socks at Target for example... not the place you expect it, but they do sell them, Go to the pharmacy and the socks they sell to diabetics are made in the US... and they are cotton, and they are a little more expensive. So what? And yes I thanked a manager that day.

You can also search for US Union made product on the web and order online... but, but, it is more expensive... yes... are you willing to pay more to keep people employed in GOOD conditions? Or do you want to keep buying product from factories that are virtual slave camps.

But, but if I don't buy today I will miss all them specials... BULLSHIT, except for the loss lead products designed to get you into the store, most of what you are buying is NOT deeply discounted. Them specials you saw in the paper are called loss lead for a reason, they lead you into the store, and you are primed to believe that the discounts are deep overall... when they are not. The scam works though and yes, it is a scam. .

But most importantly... it is time that people make a decision. If you want things to change, how much are you willing to sacrifice? Staying home TODAY is not a sacrifice by the way... and my report, since I had to go get some COUGH medication, see them critical items, the mall looked crowed but the traffic around it was not... so my educated eye tells me, the day wasn't that succesful... at least at that mall... and I expect the wide success of today to be revised down by monday.

[RB TexLa]

1. So it just nationalist selfishness? Why should only Americans have manufacturing jobs?

Nationalism is truly a sickness. To make someone say they will only buy things made by certain humans and not others.

And it wasn't that long ago that manufacturing in America was in "virtual slave camps," organizing labor in an industry new to a region doesn't happen overnight.

But good luck in your quest to make sure that only Americans get something from your spending, I'm sure you think they are the only ones who deserve it.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. self delete, hiccup

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. We have been through this one with you many a times

and if you believe the world is flat and Friedman was right... then go gorge yourself.

Me... I don't accept disaster capitalism, nor slavery... and yes conditions in many factories points East are as good as they were in the mid 19th century on a good day... and those include the US marianas.

But if you believe that is a good thing... more power to you

[sandnsea]

5. To make certain things are made SAFELY

in safe conditions for workers no matter where they are, at wages that provide them a fair standard of living, that doesn't pollute their environment and kill their kids, etc.

That is what rejecting foreign made products does.

Supporting products made in the US means validating safe production that respects the workers. Or at least it used to until people like you were brainwashed by Reagan.

[KT2000]

6. Dependence

We can no longer support ourselves if China cuts off trade for political reasons. It is not just walmart crap that is made overseas, it is also defense products.

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. Most folks do not realize that our missiles

need parts made in China

[spoony]

9. What rot.

In case you haven't noticed, the manufacturing centres of this country are teetering on the edge of extinction. It is NOT blind nationalism to support your neighbours when they desperately need it because of decades of being screwed over by unfair trade practices. And it is NOT nationalism to refrain from buying things made in sweatshops and other conditions of utter abuse.

[Nomad559]

4. I've got news for you nadinbrzezinski

All of your Apple hardware was made In China.


iPod maker admits breaking Chinese labor laws; says Apple approved sweatshop labor

http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/9988
"Apple Computer is getting into a deep PR mess over the antics of one of its Chinese partners," Nick Farrell reports for The Inquirer.

"After denying that it was running a sweatshop that would be familiar to Charles Dickens, Apple's Ipod manufacturer, Foxconn has finally admitted that it broken Chinese labour laws," Farrell reports.

--------------------

Inside Apple's iPod factories
http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index.cfm?NewsID=14915&Page=1&pagePos=2

Apple's iPods are made by mainly female workers who earn as little as £27 per month, according to a report in the Mail on Sunday yesterday.

The report, 'iPod City', isn't available online. It offers photographs taken from inside the factories that make Apple music players, situated in China and owned by Foxconn.

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. kick

[Mike03]

10. Heard that phrase "Catch 22"

Working Americans are trapped--and this is not to excuse them, but to be blunt, they are trapped, and we have all trapped ourselves.

Let's say that your disposable income has dropped 15 to 30% over the past three years. You are going to stop shopping at prestigious or even moderately expensive stores and begin to "trickle down" to superstores that offer cheap goods precisely because they are produced, packaged and exported at a cheap cost to the U.S.

This is not to condone what has happened; merely I'm trying to explain why this is less a case of hypocrasy than necessity and ignorance.

[Karenina]

11. Mikey, I think you're missing the bigger picture.

CONSUMERISM is the disease. Americans DO HAVE the choice to buy LOCALLY. And you're correct, ignorance plays a great part. It is by NO MEANS necessary to shit in one's own nest.

[blues90]

12. What these consumers don't realize is

If on this Black ( what a screwed up name ) Friday , if they bought nothing then the crap would still be there and the price would keep dropping until it was at cost just to get rid of it . This would have killed their slave labor profits and at the same time shown these corps that people will no longer be suckers .

But no , people are suckers and are driven by the idea they wil be left out and miss something on sale which is not a sale at all, it is a momentary drop in price on certain items to bring in store traffic so these same people will buy more crap > This is as old as father time .