Buy Or Don’t Buy

I hate to get all Lou Dobbs up in here, but I’ve been reading about a little mentioned provision in all of these ‘Economic Stimuli’ bills floating about. It’s called the ‘Buy American’ Act, and it states that the US should favor American made products in all federally subsidized projects. With all the infrastructure improvements apparently headed our way, (please let it be more trains, please let it be more trains!) this provision stipulates that all of the raw materials have to be produced within in the US.

On the surface, this seems like a brilliant thing to do! If you grew up in the Midwest like I did, you’ve been bombarded all your life with the BUY AMERICAN mantra. I mean, we used to actually make shit! Imagine. But if you scratch a little deeper, you start to see some flaws in this plan. For starters, apparently Canada and EU are kind of nervous about the prospects that America is gonna be doin’ it for herself. Last year we gave our neighbors to the north about $5 Billion for steel products. So when our trade partners hear about us fixing to print $800 Billion in spending, they naturally think they’re going to benefit from some of it. The ‘Buy American’ act is kind of making them nervous!

From the totally unbiased Canada Broadcasting Corporation:

The EU and Canadian ambassadors to Washington have already warned that the clause could promote protectionism and trigger retaliatory moves. [...]

EU Ambassador to Washington John Bruton said that, if passed, the measure could erode global leadership on free trade.

“We regard this legislation as setting a very dangerous precedent at a time when the world is facing a global economic crisis.”

Canada’s ambassador to Washington warned Senate leaders that if Buy American was in the final legislation, it would set a negative precedent with global repercussions.

“The United States will lose the moral authority to pressure others not to introduce protectionist policies,” Michael Wilson wrote in a letter to the senators. [...]

“These protectionist measures, in a time of recession, only make things worse,” he told broadcaster CBC.

“It can only trigger retaliatory action and we don’t want to go there.”

Here is my summary: “Blah blah blah, we’re going to scare you with the prospects of halting free trade so that you source your building materials from OUR COMPANIES instead.”

You know what though? I don’t buy it. It’s a total bluff. In fact, I’m going to start buying American right now, since apparently you like to throw around the term ‘Protectionism.’ You know, we could be self sufficient. That’s right. We still make things. Important things. Like hand-blown art glass, Jeanie Rub Variable Speed Massagers, 50’s Pin-up Girls Bowling Shirts, and clogs! Yes clogs. Suck it Netherlands. You can talk about your free trade until you’re red, white, and blue in the face. I’ve got some shopping to do, and then I’m going to walk all around this free country of ours, wearing my new American Made outfit!