Posted on 12/16/2001 10:35:48 AM PST by Native American Female Vet
Your corollary would be "ignorance is bliss."
Let me challenge your theory a little.
About the turn of the 20th Century, scientists began to understand microscopic organisms and how they infected the body. Prior to that, many people died of the most simple cuts and bites because of IGNORANCE of germs.
Look at those countries in the world with the most poorly educated people. They are cesspools.
I think knowledge gives people the power to understand and control their environment. It gives them the power to improve their economic lot in life. It gives them the power to defend themselves from attack and protect themselves from disease.
I don't think you are really on the bandwagon of ignorance - not unless you would prefer living in places like Haiti where it is widespread.
Try and find an incandescent lighting fixture for your home which is still made in America.
...or a modular telephone jack.
...or a child's toy.
Hell...I'm getting depressed. Think I'll grab a beer. At least that's still made in Milwaukee!
Hey Carry: How 'bout a link to your list of agricultural products that America imports? That'll really depress everybody!
I had heard of this organization and always thought (still do) that it's primary purpose was to subsidize politically-connected US companies sales in foreign markets with our tax-dollars. For example, we pay 'bribe money' in Boeing's behalf to the chinese government so they'll buy the best airliners in the world instead of airbuses inferior products.
Free trade is great, in theory, and I support it, in theory, but there is no such thing as free trade. We've transferred so much technology overseas to gain access to foreign (primarily asian) markets while allowing virtually unlimited access to our markets. You can buy a Lexus here as cheap as you can buy a Ford Focus or Chevy Cavalier in japan or s. korea because they do everything possible to hinder our access to their markets. The asians refuse to buy anything from us unless some manufacturing of components is done there, ensuring that one day they'll do to the aircraft, computer and other hi-tech industries what they've done to less advanced manufacturing sectors here.
Bottom line is that as long as its acceptable to buy imported goods we'll keep doing it until our standard of living drops to the point that our labor is competitive to theirs. One step would be educating the public of the fact that, despite what a lot of FR posters say to the contrary, our stuff is as good (or better) that things made anywhere in the world and that, when you send a job overseas you don't send the now-unemployed worker with it. Unskilled and semi-skilled manufacturing jobs used to productively employ tens of millions of the people who now live off the taxes we pay, so, in effect, WE provide the subsidy that sends the american job overseas.
You think their shoes are crap, try their tools sometime!
I'll stick with the US stuff (while it's still available). Dress shoes are no problem to find and New Balance should provide a suitable replacement for Converse.
OK, You've depressed me, too....forget the beer....where's my Hershey's chocolate (made in PA)?
*LOL*
Thanks for the flame.
A couple of years ago, I started from scratch and bought a bunch of stuff to go on a bicycle camping trip. Bike, tent, sleeping bag, this, that, the other thing... I spent more than a thousands dollars on stuff. When I was done, I got to looking at all the labels and when I laid everything out on the tarp, everything was made overseas except for the "croakie" or whatever that little elastic thing is that you attached to eye glasses to keep them from flying off. The new croakie I bought was made in the USA.
[sighs]
Mark W.
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