Made in America...some thoughts...

Lately, the news media and the Internet have been peppered with stories about not buying things that are made outside of the USA. It's great in concept...but, honestly, how DO we DO that?

I noticed on an item of clothing in Target the other day...the label was like a mini-novelette: fabric made in the USA and assembled in Bangladesh...or, was it Taiwan? US companies are making the raw materials and sending them overseas to assemble?

And, hey, does 'made in the USA' pertain to produce? Beverages? Meat? How does that work?

China has been the main target for a couple of years now. And, I have to admit, China does seem to be the one country that is pumping out merchandise and shipping it state wide faster than any other country. The majority of the toys are manufactured there...and a lot of that stuff that Santa brings this year won't make it to New Year's...why? Because they are not made to last. Toys need to be able to "take a licking and keep on ticking" ~ after all, kids play hard!

Then, there's the holiday wrap and ribbons, ornaments and trendy holiday home decorations...most come from overseas somewhere. And, I'm the first one to admit, I've got some...made in Germany, made in Japan, made in Taiwan, made in Poland...and, yes, made in China. Some of our Christmas treasures are over 50 years old.

I got to wondering just how long would it take a US company to bring their manufacturing back to the states? And, if they did, how much more would the products cost? Certainly this would create more jobs. But, does anyone know how much more we will need to spend to have that label say "Made in the USA"?

I have no problem, not one, with making every effort in buying things only made in the USA. I think the tides are beginning to turn. But, it's going to take time. So...I will continue to look at the labels, check the marking on the packaging.....and hopefully, I will find more choices that are made right here in the USA!