My friend Kerrie brought this to my attention before Allie was born and I had mentioned it to Justin. I really didn't spend a lot of time looking into it, but Justin got caught up in it. Almost everything we purchase is fully examined by him to see where it's made. I'm used to getting the eyebrows-raised-preceded-by-the-attention-getting-throat-clearing "See! Made in China. Everything is made in China. What the f**k?"
And now, our daughter is in on it. (Minus the profanity.)
We were on vacation at an amusement park a few days ago and we decided to get some souvenirs before leaving the park. Allie walked thru the store, flipping things over and saying, "Made in China, Mommy." And she was right, regardless as to whether she can recognize the word China or not. It's not a big gamble to guess where everything is made.
My daughter is growing up in a world where things are made half a world away because it's cheaper to do so. It's all about money, not about quality or providing jobs here in our own country. Big Business is becoming a Big FAT Sellout!
At this rate I should probably encourage her to become a Chinese Translator or an International Business Woman, because they will be very popular occupations by the time she's ready to enter the workforce.
Let me clarify that I have nothing against China or the Chinese people or the Chinese manufacturers. My problem is with the US businesses who are forgetting about the US people in the US workforce.
But you can bet your bippy that they are thinking about the American consumers when they're ready to sell. They hire entire departments to analyze us and figure out what they can do to get us to buy their products. THEN they PAY people to think about us.
Think about that. When it comes to "what can **I** get from these people?" then they care. Before that? ZIP! ZERO! ZILCH! BUPKISS!
So, onto my gold mine of an idea. It may already exist.
I think that someone needs to open a franchise called Made In America. It should sell everything. If it's made in the USA, stock it up!
Think about how patriotic we all are! Remember 9/11? How about when we send members of our military to war? And who doesn't cry when they see those videos of children being surprised by their military parents showing up at school/sports/plays? So, why wouldn't we beeline for a shop where everything is made here in the USA?
Or we can just go for the cheapest price and think of ourselves and "what's best for me", just like those Big Business people do. If that's the case, we should all take comedian Kathleen Madigan's advice on the subject and "you better go out and get yourself some Rosetta Stone and learn Chinese....cuz they're a comin'!"
The Europeans are already shaking their heads and laughing at us about it. I think we're the only ones who don't see what's coming.
ps. If you have any good sites for things made in the US, please send them my way!
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