I heard on the news that another one of our steel mills is closeing, can"t compete with over seas labor. Hundreds of factorys in the USA have move over seas. Years ago we had a semi-closed economy, In short, whatever you bought in a store was all made here. Thus the factory jobs and the entire distribution system kept cash circulating in the USA. If there was an economic downturn the government simply found a way to put money in your pocket and you went to the store and bought stuff. The store ordered more merchandise and the factories re-opened and expanded. Money also circulated around town as the differant merchants bought and sold goods and needed local help and services. today all that has changed. Now the giant super-stores offer it all under one roof.You make just one stop,load up and drive home,By nightfall the money you paid is on its way to the home office and has left town.without circulating further. then the home office sends the product money off shore to the factories in China and elsewhere. It"s like a giant pump sucking the money out of the USA . Worse, it will not ever stop untill we as a nation are bankrupt. Now will someone tell me how everything is going to get better? I can"t see, Pay off your bills everyone and batten down the hatches I think we are in for a rough ride. With concern to all you wonderfull homesteaders I believe you are the better off than most will be. God Bless Irene

-- Irene texas (Ik Orsborn@cs.com), June 18, 2001

Answers

I agree with what you have said here. One small way to make a difference and I don't really know if it will make much of a difference, is to buy from locally owned places. I can't always afford to do it because their prices are higher (which I understand, they can't buy in the same quantity as Walmart, etc) but I do try to do it as much as possible. If we all did that and supported each other maybe there would be hope. But too many people are just going to buy wwhere it's easiest and cheapest.

-- Deena in GA (dsmj55@aol.com), June 18, 2001.

We too try to buy locally from stores when we can afford it...OR GET IT. Some things you need you can get anywhere around here but at Walmart , unless you drive an hour. However, some of the higher prices are worth it. A friend went to Walmart to price name brand jeans, and then went to a local store and priced them. They were $15 more, but were so much better made (even though the same brand)...better fabric, double stitching, etc., that he bought it and ended up saving. My husband now only buys Carhart jeans for working in. The cost is so much more, but they last so incredibly long that the money is well worth it, because it uses less of the earth's resources as well.

Interestingly enough, my dad has been trying to convince me to put some money into mutual funds (we aren't rolling in dough, but could do something like that every month....just a bit). I sent for information from all these "environmentally and ethically" sound investment companies...so far they are full of baloney. They are so proud of not investing in tobacco or pornography, BUT have not problem with owning massives amounts of Walmart stock, major pharmaceutical stock (which I personally believe is more wicked on many levels than tobacco...everyone knows tobacco is harmful, but most everyone believes pharmaceutical drugs are good and helpful, which I think mostly they aren't) and oil and coal company stock. I told my dad I'd rather put my money in a tobacco company that everyone knows is bad than these companies which are hidden in the evil they do in the world. So, who knows what we'll do. We own what we own, have no debt, and do great at "poverty" level, being happy, and frankly live in what I view as gross American excess still.

-- Marcee King (thathope@mwt.net), June 18, 2001.

Welcome to the "New World Order" errr....I mean the New Global Economy or Six of One or A Half Dozen of the Other. The U.S. economy is now tied to the world and the only out is folks moving toward self suffieceny, which if everyone did it would accelerate the current trend. Yes , "the economy" will get better, will also mutate into something completely free of the large scale economic sovereignties many countries of the world boasted of thirty years ago. Then you could see thriving economies and third world countries, now everything is moving toward center with no clear economic bounderies. Even communications is without bounderies (look at this world wide web). We asked for it and got it, now the U.S. is one of the largest producers of Toyota. No matter if we support it or not, Now is the time to look at tomorrow as the first day because the past standards don't hold the clout they once did.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), June 18, 2001.

Marcee, I totally agree with you about the drug companies. People think that drugs are a good thing and are healing people but actually it is the contrary. A lot of people wouldn't be sick in the first place if they didn't take a bunch of medicine.

When you think about it, how much money has been given to research to cure diseases and how much success has there been. I haven't heard of a cure for anything except ulcers when it finally came to light that it was frequently caused by a bacteria and not what you eat. But the drug manufacturers were making a bundle treating the symptoms. As an example, a guy in my vanpool takes medicine several times a day for his heartburn. This is prescription medicine not OTC stuff, the strongest medicine you can get. I, on the other hand, decided to figure out what was creating my heartburn and found out it was milk. I now avoid milk products and rarely suffer from heartburn. My vanpool friend is still popping those pills. He is in his forties so I'll be curious to see how he is when he is sixty (if he lives that long).

The other pet peeve I have are the drug selling commercials on television. "Ask your doctor if such and such is right for you" is what the ads say. They are no better that street drug dealers. They are pushing the drugs and they don't way what it is for and it is not being left up to your doctor to prescribe. I think these ads should be removed from television. As a result of these ads so many people are now taking these drugs. They just treat the symptoms, they don't find the problem and eliminate it. That is what western medicine is all about, and it is why the drug companies have become so rich. How many people do you know that are chronically on some kind of medication. Not, ones that they take and cure the problem. No, they just keep on taking the medications instead of pursuing what is causing the problem. I have had several doctors prescribe medications for me that I didn't take. If I didn't agree with what they were giving me, I didn't take it. I had one prescribe tranquilizers when I was 21 years old who I had gone to for a chronically painful stomach. He said it was psychological because I was depressed. Once I knew that was the problem, I just quit dwelling on the loss of that boyfriend and got over it. I had another doctor who prescribed antibiotics for a cold. I was going to take them and then found out that they wouldn't do anything for a cold and that it had to run its course so I tossed them out. I have had pain killers prescribed to me prior to medical procedures which I didn't take because I found that the pain was tolerable so I didn't take them. I intend to keep my body as free of chemicals as possible and this means prescribed medicines as well. I also realize that there are some times that it is necessary to make a medication and I do take them when it is necessary. I rarely even take aspirin and never take sinus products. Drugs and drug companies are one of the scariest things being done to us in this country and we are literally buying right into it. Okay, climbing down off of my soapbox.

-- Colleen (pyramidgreatdanes@erols.com), June 18, 2001.

Global indeed. The media certainly likes reporting when any established American company closes/moves... but have our revenues from exports increased? My guess is that they have. I doubt the future is as gloomy as some of you are painting it. Competition (wherever it may be) will result in a lower priced better made product, it also forces local producers to be more efficient. Going bankrupt would not be my concern... I'd be more worried about loss of control of certain industries. Food production for example.

cheers

-- Max (Maxel@inwindsor.com), June 18, 2001.

I was just reading an article yesterday about a group of people wanting to bring jobs back home, American Made TV, VCRS and other electronics. Apparently, it turns out this would be a violation of our World Trade Agreement. So much for free enterprize!

-- Laura (LadybugWrangler@hotmail.com), June 18, 2001.

Move over RUSSIA,cause AMERICA is coming to join ya! Just as soon as we get done giving everything away.

-- TomK (tjk@cac.net), June 18, 2001.

Max just in my opinion I have disagree most products as a whole that I have purchased arn't what they use to be. So much of the hard ware we use on farm are junk we make every thing we can certain things we buy staple gun the other day after third one stepping up each time none worked small pump up sprayers work one time if lucky. Please doin't get me wrong I doin't mean to be negative but pretty packages and shinny junk is what they are selling in a lot of cases not all I do agree tech. has came a long way but for profit not the consumer to use many years. I also agree to purchase USA made one way is to shop from each other garage sales neighbors and local auctions and recycle. JUST my opinion we are heading down hill fast to leaving large companies on top foreign mostly.

-- coaltrain (prairierose91@hotmail.com), June 18, 2001.

Where do you think all the wheat and other grains grown in this country go? We do not consume all of it, it goes to China, Africa, Russia and so on. We export pork, beef, poultry and import, ores, asphalt,cement, cotton and more. The reason our large companies are going overseas is because they can not compete with third world labor costs and make a profit, of course there are other reasons, like enviromental regulations etc. If you compare american organized labor to Pakistani, say $15 an hour plus benefits to $2 a day your not going to get a cotton shirt made here for $15. it is going to cost $47. and you won't buy it, you will by the one for 15 bux, the one that is 47, is going tobe made from imported cotton anyway.

-- Hendo (redgate@echoweb.net), June 19, 2001.

One can get better goods shopping at the curb or yard/garage sales that buying from a store these days. When you buy a metal object new at a store, compare the thickness of the metal with what you are replacing. The new seems kinda flimsy to me.

-- Sandy Davis (smd2@netzero.net), June 19, 2001.

There doesn't seem to be a down scaling of the economy here in Mass. In yesterday's Boston Globe there was an article about customers lining up to purchase high-end consumer goods such as designer T- shirts for $200!!!! Can you imagine what that looks like covered with cow manure or under a pair of Bibs? One shop on Newbury Street is selling cashmere baby sweaters and sophisticated separates "that real women wear." No real woman I know!

Here are some more examples: $1,235 for a Dior "Saddlebag" pocketbook (and it doesn't even include the horse). '50s fishnet stocking for $30. (Wonder how many fish you can catch with a pair of those?) Sandals for $485 (and they aren't even Birks!)

I wonder if any "real people" live in Boston?

Thanks for reading.

-- Dianne in Mass (dianne.bone@usa.net), June 20, 2001.

Irene -

You are only too right. However, its not just us... Most of Europe is in the same boat, with economies slipping in Germany, France, Britain, etc.

All you need to do is read "Foreign Affairs" magazine to see where things are headed... Straight from the horse's proverbial mouth. Scarey stuff... They are on-line, but I don't have the addy handy.

-- Sue Diederich (willow666@rocketmail.com), June 20, 2001.

'The economy' is all a sham anyhow. The media works its but off to convince us the ecomony is good if its someone they like in the White House. And people believe the lies they are fed, and respond in their buying habits to fit the 'economic forecasts'.

To see what is really going on, look in your own back pocket.

And look to see where that tax money you pay goes. I have an immigrant friend who disgusts me. He lives in government-subsidised housing, gets food stamps and WIC checks for the kids, his wife goes to school on a government grant, and he figures, why should he work? As of now, his career plans consist of staying home and getting drunk.

This guy is of reasonable intelligence. Intelligent enough to have figured it out. He used to hold a rather good-paying job at the local factory here in town. But he figures he's better off not working his hiney off just to pay others to sit on theirs. Decided to get on the other end of the equation.

This is what convinces me that this country is going down the tubes.

-- daffodyllady (daffodyllady@yahoo.com), June 20, 2001.

I am not convinced the economies of Europe are all slipping.

The US dollar is currently very highly valued and there are many and complex reasons for this. Some of the effects are obvious however, the stuff the US tries to sell appears to be very expensive to countries that might want to buy it, so countries like mine buy cars, computers and even planes from Asia and Europe. The other side is that world goods appear cheap to US importers which partly explains why you might see so many cheap trinkets and glass beads and why your 'Fords', and 'John Deeres" etc are often actualy imports.

I am just waiting for a Harley factory to be set up in India then I might buy one :-)

-- john hill (john@cnd.co.nz), June 21, 2001.