"Buy American" - Patriotism or Favoritism?

If you've had occasion to peruse some of my other thoughts, like The Happy Fat Diet or Sniff the Milk, you already know that my thought processes are not always in line with normal thought. I've been pondering the concept of "Buy American" lately, and what I've come up with continues that trend.

On the surface, I like the idea of purchasing products made in the United States. As an American citizen, I do take pride in the accomplishments of my country. There are many great contributions to the overall improvement of the world which have originated on American soil. So if by choosing to buy things that were made in my country, I can help others in my country, that sounds like a pretty good idea. On the surface.

But when I think about it a little more, certain qualms arise. What if I can purchase a product of equal or better quality that originated on foreign shores? What if that product is actually less expensive than the American made equivalent? If I believe in the tenets of a capitalist society, shouldn't I, as a consumer, purchase that product that best suits my needs, regardless of origin? After all, isn't the capitalist model supposed to encourage an economic survival of the fittest, where those who produce the best products most cheaply triumph?

But it gets worse...if I choose to purchase an American made product even if it is more expensive, am I not, then, creating a quota system? In other circles, such a setting aside of money for a specific groups' products would be considered affirmative action. I have no intention getting into a discussion of the validity of that practice, I am simply using it to illustrate a point. There are those who would argue that affirmative action is un-American, running counter to the spirit of each person rising through his own efforts and to the extent of his own merits. Further, it could be argued that such a system not only rewards some unfairly, it penalizes others whose merits go unrewarded. In buying American made products deliberately, I am actually making the silent statement that I feel that those products are unable to compete on their own merits. I am actually making a vote of no confidence in the American economy. Somehow, that doesn't seem very patriotic to me.

So what is the point (not the first time I've been asked that question)? That perhaps in order to be truly patriotic, one should simply buy the product that best fits one's needs, regardless of origin. To do otherwise is to imply that American companies cannot adequately react to the needs of the market, and need special assistance in order to survive. Such a posture does not strike me as a very pro-American.

as always, let me know what you think: marc@delemos.net