Tag: Economic Patriotism

Beware Of Services Claiming To Be Economic Patriots

Posted on by
“Depending entirely on the US market is a losing strategy for any manufacturing business ” Mitch Free, CEO, MFG.com

“Depending entirely on the US market is a losing strategy for any manufacturing business…”  according to Mitch Free, CEO of MFG.com.

The photo here is from an INC Magazine article entitled: How To Get Ahead In China.

The quote is from a press release in Malaysia where MFG.com is kicking off their “Asia Supplier Discovery Tour.”

Here is the full quote so that you can see this version of ‘economic patriotism’ in its full context:

“As the economic recovery in the US has been slower than expected, depending entirely on the US market is a losing strategy for any manufacturing business and in the long run bad for employment in America as well. We see that lots of US-based manufacturers are now looking for alternative sourcing destinations in Asia to reduce their costs as well as develop key partnerships,” said Mitch Free, the CEO and founder of MFG.com.

With support like that for USA manufacturing, who needs enemies?

Is MFG.com really representing you when their CEO tells the world that  “US-based manufacturers are now looking for alternative sourcing destinations in Asia to reduce their costs as well as develop key partnerships,”?

According to PR Newswire report on Yahoo News site :  “MFG.com, the largest online marketplace for the manufacturing industry, recently joined hands with multiple overseas manufacturing corporations to kick off the Asia Supplier Discovery Tour in Kuala Lumpur and Penang for generating new business for manufacturing suppliers across Malaysia.” (emphasis ours)

Why would you pay these guys money to help YOU find business for your U.S. based manufacturing company when they are really spending their time in ASIA kicking off the “Asia Supplier Discovery Tour?”

American manufacturers need economic patriots, not ‘Global outsourcing facilitators’ that claim to promote U.S. manufacturing here in the states while they are really spending their time developing and promoting low wage, race to the bottom competitors across Asia.

“Asia Supplier Discovery Tour?”

“Depending entirely on the US market is a losing strategy for any manufacturing business?”

That doesn’t sound like economic patriotism to me.

Unless you are  a Malaysian manufacturer

Economic Patriotism- The Girl Scout Way

Posted on by

 On my honor I will try to serve God and my country…

This is what they wore when I was still in school.

So imagine the brouhaha when the Girl Scouts of America put up their uniform contract for bid and two of the potential bidders were Overseas companies.
Imagine the concerns that farming out the work to a place like China could result in Girl Scout uniforms being made by child labor in poor working conditions. Girls who, by our standards, probably ought to be in a scouting program, not  exploited in abysmal working conditions in a sweatshop.
Imagine the phone calls, emails and letters the Girl Scouts must have received.
Happy Ending?
 Girl Scouts spokeswoman Michelle Tompkins said the organization, which has its national headquarters in New York City, had been contacted by parents, members and volunteers urging it to keep the uniforms American-made. She said the contract hadn’t been awarded but the bid request had been modified to require that the uniforms be made domestically and that companies adhere to strict guidelines regarding worker age, treatment and safety. This was reported here.
Girl Scouts of America Spokesperson Michelle Tompkins had this to say: “We thank the many Girl Scout parents and volunteers who stood up for their beliefs and showed our 2.4 million girls that every voice makes a difference. They are the role models who help build girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place.”
Every voice makes a difference. Every choice has a consequence.  When you buy, how do you choose?
Economic patriotism is official policy in China  (indigenous innovation is what they call it) and many other places.   
Is economic patriotism part of your thinking?