Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?
This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.
Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.
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Notes -
To what extent is it incumbent on a person who desires to see more US manufacturing to purchase already existing US made goods?
To what extent is it a fair critique to say "If you want to see Tariffs, buy all your t shirts and underwear from LAA, buy your shoes from Allen Edmonds, buy an American car, etc. And if you aren't already doing that, you aren't serious about Tariffs."
Or is that the participating in society meme?
Personally, I'm not really pro-autarky, but I do try to buy as much as possible from America. I had to giggle at some of the tariff takes the last couple weeks: I already buy American made socks (from Costco but that's too obscure I guess) and most days the majority of my outfit is American with LAA and Gustin handling most casual basics, Outlier pants, and a lot of things from Boathouse right where I used to row at Dadvails every year. Sneakers are the one thing I buy exclusively foreign, in that I only buy obscure Amazon minimalist-shoe knockoffs because they're the only thing that fits my weird feet. And that's pretty much my ideal: I should have the ability to buy American, and I prefer to, but I like having the ability to buy a vast variety of things that are exactly to my taste. If there were a MiUSA alternative to WHITN, I would buy them, even for a premium!, but they don't exist to my knowledge.
In many ways the perfect motte and bailey question. You can own an iPhone and be a communist, but you probably can’t buy the latest iPhone every year and be a communist because - even if you think FALGSC is inevitable - communism is an international movement that sees even the lifestyle of the Western middle class as the product of grotesque exploitation of third world peasants and proletarians that would be swiftly corrected under a communist revolutionary movement.
Peace is often found when lifestyle and your worldview are in some alignment. It is possible to be an actively-gay-sex-having Catholic priest (albeit a bad one who, I imagine, is breaking his vows) who nevertheless advocates that gay sex is bad. I suspect there is some torment involved, though, no matter the undoubtedly complex knot of justification and self-deceit. If you believe in America, I suspect it feels especially good to buy American. Plus, if you have money, the quality is often better.
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I believe that people generally have an obligation to undertake actions to make their preferred society more likely. In other words it is incumbent upon people to make the world a better place. Be the change you want to see in the world and all that.
So someone who desires a favorable balance of trade for America can rightly be called hypocritical if he drives a Kia. It’s possible to make the case that a Toyota made in Arlington would be hypocritical but I wouldn’t, personally.
I don’t call this obligation unlimited; we can have a favorable balance of trade in which we export f-150’s and import coffee. But it seems like where the USA makes normal, cost-competitive goods(I’d point to a
10% price difference for consumables and25% for durables, but those are just numbers), you can judge a favorable balance of trade supporter for buying foreign.More options
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