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Friday Fun Thread for April 11, 2025

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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I'm not sure what's the point of it. I mean yeah, there probably may be some legal way to do it, but why? It won't change anything significantly, and the reason why manufacturing is moving out aren't because evil fatcats hate America. It's because it is cheaper, and the reason it is cheaper is because workforce overseas is cheaper due to lower living standards and absence of regulations. I see no major non-niche brands that advertise something like "yeah we cost twice the competition, but we are made in America so it's clear you should buy us!". I mean, there are brands where MiUSA is part of their marketing, but not many that make it the center and rely heavily on it, as far as I can see. Thus, I must conclude, the revealed preference of the US consumers, en masse, is to get cheaper goods, regardless of where they are made. I don't think putting or removing some flags is going to change that. You can say "fuck the weak consumers, the interests of the Nation demand we have domestic manufacturing", then you need something global and non-consensual like tariffs and import bans to take the choice away.

Plus, of course, enforcing this with the consumers largely not caring would be tough. You can't go for the consumers, since punishing consumers for displaying American symbols would get you eaten alive in the media. You can't go for the manufacturers (on case by case basis) because it'd be too costly and they are outside the country, and something like WTO would likely be reluctant to help you. And if you go for the middlemen, it'd be a perpetual game of whack-a-mole, which, given the experience with controlling other goods, you are going to lose.