Buy American vs Buy Local

Originally posted by rwingett
Maybe it would, but the cure is far worse than the disease.

Explain to me why it is worse.

Originally posted by rwingett
Cars, by their nature, are made in a variety of places. Parts from here, parts from there, parts from everywhere. It isn't possible to buy an "American" made car anymore.

But to answer your question, I don't want anyone else to buy Michigan products. I hope they don't. I want them to buy their own locally made products. And we should buy ours. Everyone will be better off for it.

It is often wasteful to have everyone buy their own products. Certain areas have skilled labor; other areas have the raw inputs; it make be environmental better to have fewer factories built besides being cheaper and getting better product.

Inasmuch as I live in near Arctic conditions, I make an effort to always buy local bananas.

Originally posted by rwingett
It doesn't make sense. That's my point. Twhitehead seems to think that gutting wages will promote a higher employment level. Maybe it would, but the cure is far worse than the disease.

KazetNagorra has already pointed out that it has been practiced in the Netherlands. I believe that it has in fact been practiced all across Europe with most EU countries deliberately shortening their work week in order to lower wages and reduce unemployment.
In fact it seems to have become a not uncommon practice even in the US in response to the recession:
http://www.allbusiness.com/labor-employment/working-hours-patterns-overtime/12635090-1.html

Originally posted by twhitehead
But someone has to make those judgments, or at least those are the options before us. In Zambia 10 maids have jobs at 1/10th of the wages, if they join a union and get their wages increased (as has happened in South Africa) they will soon find that nine of them are out of a job. Simply pushing for higher wages without careful forethought does not benefit ...[text shortened]... sweat shop. All I am saying is that blindly pushing for higher wages is not always a good thing.

I agree. Rob might also like to know that over the century the real wage in the US has been growing despite increased globalization and trade.

Originally posted by telerion
I agree. Rob might also like to know that over the century the real wage in the US has been growing despite increased globalization and trade.

Despite, or because of?

Originally posted by Wulebgr
Inasmuch as I live in near Arctic conditions, I make an effort to always buy local bananas.

In a few years, you'll be growing bananas in your front yard.

Just ask Al Gore.

Originally posted by KazetNagorra
Despite, or because of?

Rob's claim is that globalization reduces wages everywhere. I'm just pointing out that data on average real wages have been steadily increasing during a long period in which international trade has grown dramatically. I don't see this doom and gloom scenario he paints.