A Merry "Made In China" Christmas

Christmas Eve, Captain Morgan, Egg nog and I were getting very acquainted. With Family and friends we began to exchange one gift to each other. The gift I received was a pair of Nike Air Max Thorough so I began to try them on to see if they fit and there I saw it in bold letters, "Made in China". We started a game to see if we could find one gift that was made in America.

My gift to my father was a pair of deck shoes--once you pass the age of 55 you prefer shoes for comfort and not for style. They were made by Johnson and Murphy which were manufactured in Brazil. My mother gave me a gift of some Izod shirts and slacks that were made in Taiwan. We went through every gift that morning and could not find one that was made in this country.

You may ask why would it matter? In the past American manufacturing was synonymous with quality and Americans had a deep sense of pride in their work. We were a force to be reckoned with and through that effort America flourished. This trend established numerous companies in America which still exist to this day. Our manufacturing and ingenious inventiveness strengthened our middle class.

Today it is the exact opposite. Our American flags are made in China. U.S. companies have moved their factories overseas and outsourced jobs. In order to make a quick buck these corporations run sweat shops and the quality of their product has dropped. Each time you make a call to a local company and you hear someone on the end who sounds like their are from India or Pakistan it is most likely an outsourced job.

"In 2004, Levi Strauss closed the last of its more than 60 American factories.
Manufacturing, as a share of the economy, has been plummeting. In 1965, manufacturing accounted for 53 percent of the economy. By 1988 it only accounted for 39 percent of the economy, and in 2004, it accounted for just 9 percent. In fact, economists are warning that the U.S. is facing the “gutting, hollowing out and closing down of American manufacturing forever” (Benson’s Economic & Market Trends, Feb. 27, 2004)."

"Manufacturing jobs making things like airplane engines, cars and farm equipment are disappearing from the American economy.
Or are they? According to a White House report, new manufacturing jobs might be as close as your nearest drive-thru.
"Mixing water and concentrate to produce soft drinks is classified as manufacturing," the president's report reads. "However, if that activity is performed at a snack bar, it is considered a service." The report does not recommend that burger-flippers be counted alongside factory workers." (Building Blue-Collar … Burgers?, CBS News)

"Over the past five years the US economy experienced a net job loss in goods producing activities. The entire job growth was in service-providing activities--primarily credit intermediation, health care and social assistance, waiters, waitresses and bartenders, and state and local government.
US manufacturing lost 2.9 million jobs, almost 17% of the manufacturing work force. The wipeout is across the board. Not a single manufacturing payroll classification created a single new job." (Counterpunch)

Even our national defense is compromised due to defense companies like Lockheed Martin getting their materials from foreign nations. In World War 2 we were successful because American women such as Rosie the Riveter worked hard in manufacturing plants so that we could produce munitions and weapons. In World War 3 are we going to outsource our defense to Mexico?

The very American way of life is at stake! Middle class is being cut to the bone by free trade agreements and omnivorous corporations who have no allegiance to this nation. Take a good look around your house and spot the "Made in America" products. I can almost guarantee your "Support the troops" or "Made in America" bumper sticker was not made in this country.

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Michael Vail