Consumer Loyalty

I try to shop locally when I can.  We live in a small farm town, but we have a couple of hardware stores, a small “supermarket,” two auto parts stores, a good auto repair shop, and a small drug store.  Often, however, I find it necessary to go to a nearby small city to get the things we need.  Even then finding items that are not in demand can be challenging. 

When things are not available locally, I do what people in rural areas have always done.  I order them.  They used to call it mail order.  I remember that my grandmother used to get things from the Montgomery Ward or Sears catalogues.  Now we call it online shopping.  To tell the truth, it is a pretty good thing.  You can get what you want, and the prices are competitive if you shop from a vendor that has “free” shipping. 

No matter where you shop, the biggest problem is trying to find products that are American made.  A lot of sporting equipment is “proudly made in the USA,” but even then the pickings are slim.  I needed a new telescopic sight for my deer rifle because my eyesight is getting worse with age.  I could only find two manufacturers, Leupold and Trijicon, that make all their scopes in the USA. 

The last time I bought a computer, every single one available at the national chain electronics store was made in China.  I asked the salesperson if they had anything that was not made in China, and he just shrugged his shoulders.  He was young, and I think he thought I was weird or something. 

Last month, our coffee maker gave up the ghost.  Why does it always happen at Christmastime?  I went to the nearest leading discount superstore to get a new one.  Due to the holidays, their stock of coffee makers was kind of low, but they still had about a half dozen to choose from.  With one exception they were all made in China.  The exception was made in Vietnam … another country with an autocratic, oppressive communist government that has found it necessary to move to a market driven economy. 

The same thing happened last fall when my cell phone quit on me.  Everything my wireless network outlet store had was made in China except for one that was made in Vietnam. 

Try and find a pair of boots or shoes that is made in America.  It’s difficult if not impossible. 

Tonight, I was trying to find a freestanding hat tree online – the kind you keep by the front door to hang your coat or hat on.  I quit after looking at about a dozen of them.  The website didn’t indicate where three of them were made, but they looked exactly like the other nine that were made in China.  All of the manufacturers had alphabet names, or American sounding names that didn’t really sound American. 

Some say that all boycotts do is put people out of work.  Boycotts by individuals have no real impact at all.  Nevertheless, it is a death by a thousand cuts if everything we buy comes from China.  My conscience stabs me every time I buy Chinese goods.  The Chinese Communist Government makes money when we do, and a lot of it goes to build a military that is rapidly eclipsing the power of our own.  What will happen if China invades Taiwan?  Can we come to Taiwan’s aid when we are funding their invaders?  If we stop trading with China the way we recently did with Russia, the shelves will be empty in our stores. 

I have made this point before, but I must say it again.  Buy goods that are made in the USA whenever possible.  Take the trouble to search for them.  Our consumer goods are often made in countries whose governments oppose us and have bad human rights records, but if you can’t find an American product that meets your needs buy one that is made anywhere but in China.  If we let Chinese government (aka the Chinese Communist Party) get a boot on our throat, we will never be able to get up off our backs again.