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Are we loosing our country?

Or is it already lost? I dont no about you but It seems I ask myself That question in one way or another every day. Weather it from something I see or from something thats said. For example,I was in the Marine recruting station the other day,looking for an old friend who is still in active duty.The recruter gave my 9 year old son a hat that said MARENES in the front of it.I thought it was a kind jesture being that I had paid for it anyway. This hat was very nice so we took the hat home and I began to take a closer look at this hat. Underneath this hat I looked at the tag witch was facing a downward position and I new what it was going to say but I couldnt bring myself to turn the tag over for fear of what I was going to see. I just couldnt affiliate something as strong and fearless as the United States Marine with some one who hated freedom. But reluctantly i gave in to my own curiosity and looked. Suprisingly I didnt immidiatly turn to salt but unfortunitly it read what my own fears had spoken, MADE IN CHINA. "What is this country comming to" is not a phraes that I use any more." What has this country become" Have we lost who we are? What would our founding fathers say? I dont know about you but every day of my life, I strive to make my parents proud of me in every thing I do. I have to, I owe it to them for what they have done for me. Do we not owe the same to our founding fathers the same gratitude or should we squander over the lowest bidder on a simple hat. Life is a gift as is freedom that is given by the creator and it is my rite to be free to do whatever I damn well please, but it is my duty and obligation to honor those who fought and died to provide these things to me. Who is the American who says enough is enough? Who will draw a line in the sand? Wile every day tiny little peices of who we are are picked away like the hat that belongs to my son. And befor you know it there will be nothing left. We will be left for the taking or have we been taken already. What do you believe?

Division of Labor

I don't think we've "lost" our country. I don't see a problem at all with farming out the grunt work to a country with a billion units of unskilled labor wandering aimlessly about.

If China were to fall off the map tomorrow, I don't really think that Marines would go hatless. Some American entrepreneur would quickly start a hat manufacturing business to fill the void. That's what we do. Sure, there may be shortages of T-shirts and tennis shoes and hats for a while in between the time that existing stocks are used up and new manufacturing (probably robotic) comes on line...but any shortages would be very short lived.

We farm out unskilled labor because it is more efficient to do so and that is actually good for our economy in the long run. It frees up people who would otherwise be involved in grunt work to perform more high level tasks...which, incidentally, tend to pay more than unskilled work.

And it provides for lower prices for basic necessities like Hats and Tennis shoes...so we can afford to spend more money on industries that profit Americans: Entertainment, Leisure and Recreational activities come to mind among many others. My wife works for a company that makes boat motors. How many diesel powered recreational boats do you think hat sewers buy every year?

The sky is not falling...we're not losing out anything by not having to slave away at a sewing machine for minimum wage...if anything, we're taking advantage of the poor people who have no other alternatives.

The only down side is that we're indirectly financing China's military buildup. That could be problematic down the road. But that fact has to be weighed against the historical truth that the more affluent a society is, the less prone to aggression it is. Desperation leads to unrest, aggression and war. The more affluent the Chinese people are, the less likely they are encourage or support their government putting that military to use.

By the way...a somewhat related experience to yours: I spent 21 years in the Navy. Several years ago (IIRC, it was during his first term) President Bush came to the base I was stationed at and gave a speech on the flight deck of one of the ships in Port. I attended. As we crossed the brow onto the ship, they handed out little plastic American flags on sticks to wave in a properly patriotic fashion.

Guess where the US flags were manufactured? Hint: It starts with "Ch" and ends in "ina".

Irony?

  • By Sailorcurt at 2008-07-10 17:21
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I understand

I understand the frustration and angst the world can bestow upon a guy who feels strongly for his country. I feel it too. Somethings you just know it right and some you just know is wrong.
Just don't let the petty things stand in your way of being who you are, Pick your battles, as my father used to say.
I vote with my money and my voice, and THAT is the down side of a capitalist system. We (the people) DO have the power to change how things are done in this country as a political body, but not as a "cell" of that body. Not alone. Remember you are not alone.