Buying "Made in America" Left a Woman Hungry, Broke, and Half-Naked!

Posted by Alex in Money & Finance on December 1, 2008 at 12:36 am


Nicole McClelland conducted an experiment where she buys only American-made goods. It seems simple, but it’s anything but. Going "Made in America" for a week left her hungry, broke, and half-naked:

In 1990, when I was in grade school, I watched a union-sponsored commercial in which a mother told her little boy that they would have to move because Dad had lost his job—too many people were buying imports. As union jobs dried up, so did that campaign; now, 14 years into nafta, buying local is hot, but buying American is, at best, a joke (though in August Barack Obama dusted off the sentiment with his "Buy American, Vote Obama" slogan). When I told Scott Paul, executive director of the Alliance for American Manufacturing, that I was going to buy only American for a week, he laughed. "I’m very sorry to hear that.

"It’s exceptionally hard, if not impossible, to be 100 percent pure," he explained. "There are just some things you can’t buy. It’s incredibly difficult and depressing."

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13 comments to "Buying "Made in America" Left a Woman Hungry, Broke, and Half-Naked!"

  1. Geekazoid
    December 1st, 2008 at 12:46 am

    I don't really see too many of these 'buy american' neanderthals running around. Even they must realize that in these times hardly anything is one hundred percent made in america. Especially the auto buyers, sheesh isn't it like 80 percent of "american" cars are made with parts from other countries? But with this economy I'm sure they'll start to sprout up again.

  2. raina_c
    December 1st, 2008 at 7:20 am

    Interesting...I've never heard of Mother Jones before. I do know I don't want to watch the video Meet your Meat...yikers, I don't think I will eat for week then.

  3. Skipweasel
    December 1st, 2008 at 8:02 am

    I wonder why he considers it "depressing" that America is a trading nation that does a lot of business with the rest of the world? Basic economics tells you that if you want to export goods or services (and I'm sure he'd like to) then you'll have to import as well otherwise sooner or later you have all the money and everyone else is bankrupt.
    In the short term buying native may feel good, but unless you want to completely cut your country off from the rest of the world then it's doomed to failure.

  4. SueDunham
    December 1st, 2008 at 8:31 am

    America is not really a manufacturing economy any more. It's a service economy. The mall has very few shops selling essential goods. No hardware or grocery stores. Clothes you probably don't really need (I bet you've already got a sweater that isn't worn out) and fingernail and hair extensions. Look closely next time you go, and you'll say "what is this crap?"

  5. Max Power
    December 1st, 2008 at 8:49 am

    Oh no, now we're going to have anti-americanists and americanists all over the place in this comments section. :(

  6. V
    December 1st, 2008 at 11:19 am

    Hi lady! The distribution of labor says hello!

  7. glen
    December 1st, 2008 at 12:36 pm

    The most recent American flag I purchased was made in China. :(

  8. Scooter
    December 1st, 2008 at 5:39 pm

    I was at a Mexican restaurant the other day. I was taking about items being made in china with my brother-in-law. I turned over the bowl of salsa and to my surprise it said Made in the USA on the bottom. Of all places to find something made in this country, a Mexican restaurant.

  9. Byrd Brain
    December 1st, 2008 at 6:26 pm

    Scooter, just guess where the people were from that made that bowl...

  10. Ali S.
    December 1st, 2008 at 7:26 pm

    Not actually related to the topic per say but I have a part time job working as an Inventory Associate where I go around to various shops/stores after they close up and do an inventory count of their remaining products. It's amazing what kind of stuff is made where.

  11. Evilbeagle
    December 1st, 2008 at 8:00 pm

    This isn't an area where I even try to make a stand. When I still lived in America, I tried not to buy anything made in China, or any Communist country (not a debate I am willing to get into so I will just say that my parents are Cuban exiles and we have reason to hate Communism and their beloved firing squads), making an effort to buy American. It doesn't work. I just don't even try to win that battle.

  12. sw
    December 2nd, 2008 at 12:50 pm

    i need to think up a gimmick to try for a week . . . we've had a week of homelessness, a week of buying nothing, i don't even remember what all.

  13. Eric34432
    February 13th, 2009 at 7:23 pm

    Buying American isn't hard- it's a decision to support America - there isn't a food product out there that you can't find made by local producers and farms. Even furniture believe it or Not. Klaussner furniture is 100% made in America and the build your items JIT down in Asheboro NC. I never goto walmart or target and always check the country tag. And I'm doing just fine.


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