5 thoughts on “How is this for a little common sense?”

  1. Thanks (in large part) to this post, I watched the “made in america” segment last night on ABC evening news. At this point in the whole polarity of red-vs-blue and crazy tea-folks refusing to budge on anything remotely progressive and/or helpful to those of us searching for work, it is exhilarating to witness a clever and creative way to encourage jobs for one another. I realize we are a global community, which may be why President Obama et al aren’t backing this movement, but we really have to start somewhere and I love starting where we live.

    It was great to see the pride on the faces of those hired as well the companies who make items of quality and substance, right here. The big difference in all our fast-paced-fast-food-consumerism is taking the time to find quality.

    http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/business/2011/12/made-in-america-the-search-for-toy-boxes/

    mm.

  2. Yes. I find it hard to find anything in the “common stores” (like Target, for example) not manufactured in China. Harder yet to find anything made in the USA. The imported rule goes for grocery stores, too.

    I do my best to buy local i.e. locally owned – and as much face-to-face, on-site with local vendors too even if the goods are imported.

  3. didn’t mean to overstate that, but just three companies manufacture nails in the USA? I would say the only thing that would constitute balance is far more domestic manufacturing.

    Well, my shoes, they come from Singapore
    My flashlight’s from Taiwan
    My tablecloth’s from Malaysia
    My belt buckle’s from the Amazon
    You know, this shirt I wear comes from the Philippines
    And the car I drive is a Chevrolet
    It was put together down in Argentina
    By a guy makin’ thirty cents a day

    Well, it’s sundown on the union
    And what’s made in the U.S.A.
    Sure was a good idea
    ’Til greed got in the way

    — Bob Dylan, Union Sundown from Infidels (1983)

  4. Good video and link.

    There are at least three companies that make nails in America according to Americas Working website at http://www.americansworking.com/buildingmaterial.html. Comment from Maze was that it was proud to be one of the last companies making nails in America.

    Another “locavore” way to “shop” is to check out websites of individual states for locally made products. Many stores where I live also promote local pruducts using the “Made in Michigan” logo. Check out your own state.

    Local is good, but we still have to remember that we are now more of a global community, and need to find ways to balance local and global. All part of learning how we are all connected.

    Slightly on the same topic: Frances Moore Lappe has a new book out entitled “EcoMind: Changing the Way We Think to Create the World We Want.” I caught her book tour presentation on BookTV over the weekend. Also saw the presentation by Dan Mulhern and Jennifer Granholm on their new book, “A Governor’s Story.” And, she will be joining the lineup with “The War Room”,on Current TV in January in the 9:00 time slot immediately after Keith Olbermann. Granholm is bright and articulate, so it should be good. Oh, yeah, and Cenk Uygur debuts tonight with “Young Turks” also on CurrentTV.

    Should be interesting.

    JannKinz

  5. I love this movement! I’ve watched the Diane Sawyer (ABC evening news) series a couple of times and mean to follow up with catching the news there, but I get distracted by life and miss it. Thank you for posting the banner/issue here as it’s just what we all need, imho.

    It’s all about locavore, right? not just about local produce, it’s about supporting our community as close to home as we can possibly get.

    Count me all the way in on this. Yay!

    mm.

Leave a Comment