Buy American is a dead slogan

[Richard]

^ that x 100

Wheel barrows were mentioned,if you go to the town dump you see lots of fairly new rusted out cheap ones,and hundreds of Bbq grills.

They have a saying that the poor cannot afford to buy cheap products because you buy the same thing over and over again.

I try and competive shop because I am frugal,but when it comes to paying more for a quality made in America product I will do it.

Unless I need a cheap tool for one job then it is habor freight and hope it will last long enough to even do that job.

The other thing is,I do not mind paying a little bit more if I know that somewhere else in the country is supporting a family because of it.

Not sure why OP choose that thread title unless the next fixation is to shoot anybody that buys made in America products.

[Canadian Visitor]

The way to address this [[or its equivalent, for me 'buy Canada' etc.

Is to both impose certain minimum standards of quality, where practical; and to penalize goods made under profoundly poor environmental or labour conditions.

Other countries do this to the United States [[and not unjustifiably may I add).

Your national standards on food production leave something to be desired [[see pink slime, chlorinated chicken, and growth hormones in milk cattle among other issues). I should add here, Canada isn't pristine in such matters, just not quite as bad.

But I digress.

The point is that by imposing standards on imports, be it cars or tools etc. to say 'Thou Shalt' make something this good, or for instance, for simplicity's sake, impose minimum warranty requirements); along w/penalizing if labour wages in the originating country are below 'x' on a Purchasing-Power-Parity basis.

These options exist.

Governments in much of the world lack enthusiasm for using such tools.

The United States being an example of note.

[Wesley Mouch]

I support buying American, but its a mistake to believe that all American-made products are better than foreign made. We are at our best when we buy what's best -- regardless of origin.

When our politicians decide, as Trump does, that they want us to Buy American -- it works against quality. We should be free to buy good products from abroad, and reject bad products made in the USA.

[1953]

The way to address this [[or its equivalent, for me 'buy Canada' etc.

Is to both impose certain minimum standards of quality, where practical; and to penalize goods made under profoundly poor environmental or labour conditions.

Other countries do this to the United States [[and not unjustifiably may I add).

Your national standards on food production leave something to be desired [[see pink slime, chlorinated chicken, and growth hormones in milk cattle among other issues). I should add here, Canada isn't pristine in such matters, just not quite as bad.

But I digress.

The point is that by imposing standards on imports, be it cars or tools etc. to say 'Thou Shalt' make something this good, or for instance, for simplicity's sake, impose minimum warranty requirements); along w/penalizing if labour wages in the originating country are below 'x' on a Purchasing-Power-Parity basis.

These options exist.

Governments in much of the world lack enthusiasm for using such tools.

The United States being an example of note.

I think your reference to American food standards is laughable -- Chinese consumers are clamoring for U.S. prepared food products because of our high food safety standards.