I've been thinking alot lately about how we used to produce things in this country, and how difficult it is to find U.S. made products for our household, clothing, tools, automobiles and parts, appliances, and pretty much everything. I hope we can agree that to aid your local economy, your neighbors, your town, your community, you should buy products made locally, from local raw materials, using local labor. When it's not practical or possible, move outwards to the nearest area, geographically, keeping your business as close to your home as able. I am the pot calling the kettle black. Most of my clothes are foreign made, most tools, most everything. It's become too easy to buy on the cheap from Home Depot, Walmart, Best Buy, et al. I am going to try to buy Christmas and birthday gifts that are American made. I've been wanting to replace worn and mismatched tools, and will do so with American made tools. I don't expect it to be easy, but I'm going to make a conscious effort to buy American.
"Pittsburgh" tools are made in China. Hmmm. I guess the Chinese think very little of us. Does anyone have a good link or brand name for American made hand tools?
I guess it's a start. Many of the links don't actually link to American made products, such as the "Pittsburgh" tools I mentioned above.
[/quote:7wlt5ic7] Good link to a good article--thank you. I was able to link to find a local store, in Peachtree City, that sells Wright tools, made in America from American made steel. http://www.crawfordtool.com/wright.html There's a store in Atlanta as well, and the Wright website has a zipcode feature for finding a distributor near you. I'm going today to check out the PTC Crawford Tool store, only about eleven miles from me. I'd not have thought to look for tools at this out of the way location.
I remember the days before Sam Walton died. Walmart marketed the fact that their products as American. After he died Walmart changed.
If you're in the market for knives/cutlery, try Cutco. Expensive but they stand behind each item with a lifetime warranty. http://www.cutco.com/home.jsp
I guess the millions who make a living designing products made in foreign countries don't count? What about the Fed-ex pilots who fly the goods to the US or the operator of a cargo vessel? Do you care about the dock workers and those who load the foreign goods on trucks? The truck drivers? The gas station owners who the truck drivers buy gas from? The store owner who makes a living selling goods made overseas? The consumer who has a better standard of living because we, the American people, have figured a way to have a better life at a lower cost? Not a new idea...Adam Smith wrote about the advantages of foreign labor in 1776...
AEKDB I like Hock25's idea. It's something I have been trying to do whenever possible. The costs of doing so are very high, so it's something that will not largely effect the jobs you mentioned. I would like to take away some of the power of countries that are not really our friends(their are a few countries I don't mind buying from if I am unable to find a quality product here). I have also tried to avoid any company that use Union labor(I don't have any animosity against the workers). Recently I have bought several small gun related things from folks on here that make them. I didn't pay anymore than I would have from another manufacturer, I helped a fellow gun-owner, and I got a handmade product from someone that is proud of their work. I also recently found a local honey producer, and a fairly local source of shelled black walnuts. I REALIZE I'M NOT CHANGING THE WORLD HERE, but maybe it is making a difference in that person's world. I hope to add to this list. I guess my point is if you look around you will see that more and more folks are starting to really feel the squeeze. Why not help them, it might somehow end up helping you if they put their money back into the community.
This link is for the Georgia Farmers and Consumers Market Bulletin. http://www.agr.state.ga.us/mbads/
Interesting quick read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protectionism Protectionism has been the default for centuries. Why is it that free trade always wins? Adam Smith answered the question in the 1700s. Protectionism appears to save jobs, and it might, but we all suffer a lower standard of living as a result. Why would we choose to be worse off? If you make, in today's dollars, $100k and live like you make $25k are you better than if you make $25k and live like you make $100k?