The Beauty of Capitalism

The other day, i shared with y'all, a few of my thoughts and ambitions concerning where the products that i buy are produced.  If you missed it, you can read it here.  In response to that post, a reader, named Tracee, posted this:

"I really don't want to offend you here, but do you realize that it is American corporations that are sending those items to China to have them manufactured? The Chinese aren't dreaming this stuff up on their own! American Corporations can no longer afford to manufacture here because the labor and benefits cost do not make it cost effective for them to make any money...and that's all they care about. Money. It all comes down to money, money, money.

China gets a bad rap. Yes, there are sweat shops, child laborers, long hours and poor wages. If we want to protest that? I'm right there with you. I'm all for buying U.S. made. Just follow the chain on the products that come out of China and they will lead you right back to the good old US of A."

I appreciate Tracee's comment, and i'm certainly not offended by discussion.  :)  Here's my response:

This is the beauty of capitalism.  

Capitalism is the democratic system of economics.  

What i mean, is that every time any consumer (person who buys things) makes a purchase, she also places her vote.  She places her stamp of approval on that product and the way in which the corporation who supplied that product chose to produce it, whether she knows it or not.

Now, if i, the consumer, make my choices on what to buy, only by what i think is pretty and who has the best price, then i send a message:  "I don't care how you do this.  I'm just happy i don't have to pay much for it."

If i, the consumer, decide that my vote counts (and it does), and i decide that i want my vote to benefit my country, my fellow Americans, me, then i can send a message that i am willing to search out and pay more for products made by my countrymen, because it matters to me that my dollars, however few, eventually support business practices that cause Americans to be employed, money to be spent in America, and perhaps, more businesses to be founded in America.  

And that is what i want to do.  That is what i want to influence others to do.

Because no matter what a company does to make so they can "afford" to manufacture their products, i.e., contract Chinese sweat shops to produce their products, instead of hiring free Americans at an honest wage, they can't afford anyone to make their products, if we, the consumers, don't BUY their products.

What i mean is, if Americans won't buy Chinese-made products, then no one can make money in America, by contracting their work to China.

In a more direct response to you, Tracee, i think that maybe in my original post, i wasn't clear about part of my heart on this subject.  I want Americans to flourish.  I know that policies in the States, specifically particular areas of the States, make it extremely difficult for corporations to make money.  There are completely unreasonable rules in place.  But if going to China were not an option, then perhaps these corporations, and our politicians, would put more effort into making things work right, here, in our country.  Americans need work.  Especially now.  And the situation is endlessly complicated.  This is just the part i think that every American can take to change the tide.  I just want to send a message.  And hope it catches on.  For corporations, it's all about the money; that's why for consumers, it has to be about something else.  Let's use OUR money, to influence THEIR money, so that something besides the money, matters to them too.

And thank you so much for your comment.  I really do appreciate it.