Buy American! (Good Luck With That)

Now can we admit that globalism and free trade aren't such stellar ideas?  I read on the internet that if Iceland's economy goes down, planet Earth could plunge into a worldwide depression.  Things aren't looking too hot in Pakistan either--and if you think our economy is free of Pakistani ties, think again.  As for us, America is now a colony of a communist nation.  China has more control over us right now than Britain did in 1775.  Our government, in order to "save" our economy, is poised to sell China more billions in long-term treasury bonds, when they have hundreds of billions worth of US bonds already.

Throughout my entire childhood, we were spooked by the wrong commies.

I'm spooked by the commies who made my shoes.  I bought these shoes thinking they were made in Holland.  I believed this because the brand name is "Wolky of Holland."  Silly, naive little me.  They were made in China, of course.  In the same catalog from which I ordered these, you can also find "Ecco of Denmark" shoes, made in, you guessed it, China. 

My mother's Dell laptop computer came with a big "Made in China" logo on the box.  I can relate to Eve Tahmincioglu, who published an article at MSNBC in which she wrote, "I’ve begun to feel like a consumer cornered by Chinese dragon that has engulfed the global marketplace with its hot breath."  Tahmincioglu called Hanes to complain that she had ordered socks from them on the assurances via telephone that they were not made in China, only to find a sticker to the contrary on the socks.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21825517/

Remember when Hanes made socks in GALAX?

MY ASSIGNMENT:  FIND DOMESTIC PRODUCTS

I'm disconcerted by all the massive job loss and outsourcing going on around here, and it has seemed to me for a long time that the old "Buy American!" battle cry has faded to a whisper.  So I did a little experiment.  I went through the Christmas catalogs in the house trying to find something, anything, made in these good 'ol United States.  I also went to various web sites, because 30 successive catalog pages of "Imported, Imported, Imported" can get awfully depressing.

It was grueling work, but I did find a few—a very few—items.  For every USA-made item I found, I found a hundred imports. 

Eddie Bauer is a venerable Ohio institution.  They're bound to have some American-made stuff, right?

Weeeeeeell, they have goosedown comforters made in the USA, but of imported components.  There's a lot of this fudging with "USA made of foreign components" or "Imported, with USA components."  Silk I can understand.  Can't we even raise and pluck damn geese in this country? 

Eddie Bauer also has a small selection of American-made socks, one belt, and a few bathing suits on clearance.

Okay, I'll try L. L. Bean.  What could be more American than L. L. Bean?  Makes me think of walks in the woods in a barn coat with leather elbow patches, with a trusty springer spaniel.

I'm afraid L. L. Bean's Christmas catalog has nothing American-made in it from cover to cover except some bookshelves and a belt.  Keep making those belts, American workers!  The Leathermaker's Last Stand!  China can have the shoes and the purses, but by God we WILL stamp out a belt or two on the fruited plain!  I typed "USA" and "Made in USA" into the L. L. Bean search engine and got "US Divers Snorkel Gear."  Imported.

Polartec fleece is made in Malden Mills, an American factory, but they ship their fleece overseas to be made into stuff, which then gets shipped back and sold to us.  Evidently Americans are too unskilled even to hem a blanket any more:  I give you the Polartec IMPORTED blanket.  Exported-imported, actually.  Think of the fuel costs to ship the same fleece around the world twice.  All so we can pay some Chinese girl peanuts to whipstitch around the edges.

http://www.landsend.com/pp/PolartecAircoreBlanket-69022_44937_-1.html?cm_mmc=Froogle-_-null-_-FP-_-data_feed

SOUNDS AMERICAN, BUT GUESS AGAIN

H. S. Trask Authentic American Footwear.  Made in China of American bison hide.  That is some well-travelled bison. 

Chicago Cutlery.  Made in China.

Disney you-name-it.  Too many thousands of Disney items to list are manufactured in China.

http://www.diytrade.com/china/4/products-list/0-k-i-1/disney.html

Martha Stewart products, en masse, whether purchased at Macy's or KMart, are made overseas.

Nikes and Reeboks?  All made in China.  Virtually every athletic shoe on the market is of Chinese manufacture, American brands included.

Carhartts?  A few are still lmade in the USA.  Most, including the entire line for women, made in Mexico.

Levi Strauss?  All pairs are outsourced to the third world, down to the last rivet. 

The US Polo Association brand is outsourced.

American Eagle Outfitters products are made in Vietnam.

Anything and everything officially licensed from American sports is made in China::  NFL, NBA, NCAA, ASL, NASCAR, NHL, and MLB  jerseys, souvenirs, balls, gloves, helmets, knick-knacks, household and automotive decorations.  As one Chinese web site phrases it, "We also provide you with athletic clothing related products for your choice."  And you'd better believe they can make good on that, no matter what your favorite team is or who your favorite athlete is.  If you wanted a Team USA Olympic T-shirt saying "Beat China," it would be sewn in China.

MY FINDS:  HONEST-TO-GOODNESS MADE IN USA

Here are some items that prove that we can still manufacture consumer goods in the Land of the Free.

The Sylvan Pass Shoulder Bag from The Territory Ahead:
http://www.territoryahead.com/jump.jsp?itemID=7119&itemType=PRODUCT&path=1%2C2%2C5%2C166&iProductID=7119&sortBy=Sort%20by&page=1&onePage=

The Tapestry Jacket by Speigel:
http://www.spiegel.com/shop/product_single.aspx?style_id=12297111

Munro American Kari boots from Sierra Trading Post:
http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/0,10460_Munro-American-Kari-Boots-For-Women.html

Bootcut jeans from J. Crew:
http://www.jcrew.com/AST/Browse/WomenBrowse/Women_Shop_By_Category/denim/bootcut/PRDOVR~97117/97117.jsp

The Dexter "Conway" penny loafer from Shoeline.com:
http://www.shoeline.com/asp/dcpItem.asp?style=IDS1008-2
(Dexter is American based, but 80% of Dexter shoes are now made in China)

A stunning armoire that wasn't made in China, but in Charlotte, North Carolina.  Betcha thought there was no furniture made in North Carolina any more.  Well, there is.  Out of solid wood, even.  Okay, it's over four grand, but your grandkids will inherit it.
http://www.strictlywoodfurniture.com/traditional-mission-low-entertainment-armoire.html

Nordstrom's "Free People" line is partly made in the USA.
http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3011167?Category=&Search=True&SearchType=keywordsearch&keyword=USA+in+All+Categories&origin=searchresults

Aqua VI is another cool American line at Nordstrom, "surfer wear" made in Costa Mesa and only a few years old:
http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2986644?refsid=233715_1&refcat=0%7e2376777%7e2374612%7e6005154&SourceID=1&SlotID=2&origin=related

Looking for a great Christmas toy idea?  Try Fractiles--made in Boulder, Colorado.

http://www.fractiles.com/

Or Colorforms and Slinkies!  Boy did I love these as a kid.

http://www.backtobasicstoys.com/item/productid/4458/txt/Original_Colorforms

http://www.backtobasicstoys.com/item/productid/2130/txt/Slinky

Chippewa steel-toed work boots are all made in the USA.  Here's the "Briar Oiled Wellington".
http://www.zappos.com/n/p/p/7173607.html

The Maine Heritage Weavers Heirloom bedspread.  Now here's a great story.  Some women refused to have their livelihood outsourced when Bates of Maine shut down after 100 years.  They bought the looms and kept making their old-fashioned bedspreads.  You go, girls.

http://www.vermontcountrystore.com/browse/Home/For-The-Home/Bedding/Bedspreads-Comforters/Heirloom-Spread/D/30103/P/1:100:1030:10300:100890/I/f07160?evar3=SEARCH

BuySeasons is one of the world's largest makers of Halloween costumes, responsible for a third of online costume sales, and they are based in New Delhi, Wisconsin.  I researched, and found no sign that they outsource.  I could be wrong, but they employ a large and growing American workforce.  Sears.com carries the BuySeasons "Captain America" costume pictured above, which is good, because if they make Captain America merchandise in Asia, I do not want to know about it.

There's recent buzz in the furniture industry that consumers want recognizable, all-American furniture labels, expanding the prospects for our own Vaughn-Bassett and other manufacturers.  Look for Kincaid's "American Heartland" label, for one.  Stanley's "Coastal Living" line for the whole house is made in Virginia.

http://www.furnituretoday.com/article/48952-High_Point_Market_Fall_2008_Made_in_USA_selling_well.php

And my personal favorite:  The "Holland" Wood Bowl, made in the USA and carried at Crate&Barrel.
http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=325&f=5459&q=USA&fromLocation=Search&DIMID=400001&SearchPage=1