Ever see this bumpersticker on a Ford, GMC, or Chevy?  You know, the "American-Made" cars that are usually put together with parts manufactured in China, assembled in China, and shipped here and sold to us as "American-Made"?  This sticker makes me want to SCREAM!!!!  Joe and I drive a Scion, a Toyota company who's headquarters and manufacturing are here in the US.  
What irks me the most about those stickers is that they're usually on vehicles that are built in China or Mexico.  I mean, are we supposed to be rewarding the companies that sent US jobs somewhere else?  Sorry, not going to happen.  I refuse to buy GM, Ford, or Chevrolet until their manufacturing jobs are back in US hands.  
On top of that, it's THESE people who are buying all products manufactured in China, bought by the lowest bidder, and sold at low-low prices.  In reality, the builders in China are barely scraping by on their meager salary so WalMart can afford to sell you your cheap Barbie™ dolls and video game systems, and the cashier behind the counter is on welfare because her job doesn't pay her enough to raise her 5 kids .. her husband got laid off from his manufacturing job because his plant got moved to China.

Are we seeing a cycle?  Michigan isn't a hell-hole because we're lazy and don't want to work.  Our jobs are being ripped away, and it's not just the automotive industry.  Anyone remember Tecumseh Products?  They used to be a leading manufacturer of Cardboard and paper products.  Who are the industry leaders now?  Chinese manufacturers who can, and will, produce for much less.

I know.  This sounds sooooooooooooooo xenophobic of me.  But, you know, I would rather know that what I'm buying isn't, by association, putting my neighbor on the street.  Isn't helping to make sure they can't pay their mortgage so they get foreclosed on.  Isn't keeping their children from going hungry until school starts again when they can get free breakfast and lunch.  

This is a real problem, and people are just blinding themselves to it.  We all fall for it, we buy the latest Wii game, and sit and do nothing, and eat more mac and cheese, and forget about everything, because what's happening to Tom and Jane Neighbor doesn't affect me, right?  

I've been adamant about this for a long time.  Free trade means TRADE.  Not that the CEO's of US companies get to trade my job to another country.  Trade goods.  Trade at a GOOD competitive price.  Be honest.

But, that, right there, is something that we Americans have a hard time doing.