Remember when we learned in school about the tremendous strides in innovation and economic growth that occurred between the 18th and 19th centuries during the Industrial Revolution? It started in the United Kingdom and spread to America. It didnât take long before America surged forth as the worldâs industrial power. The number of inventions and technological innovations that we have witnessed in our lifetime are mind boggling. The American Dream became a reality and grew to awesome proportions. Business leaders and investors consistently exceeded the wildest of expectations in economic wealth. What initially was thought of as outstanding economic achievement soon became what was expected. To keep pace with these ever-growing expectations, businesses had to cut costs and increase efficiency. That led to outsourcing labor activity overseas and acquiring resources from foreign suppliers. Now we find ourselves with double digit unemployment levels and an astronomical national debt. We can point fingers at politicians or blame Wall Street for our predicament. But that really wonât solve the problem. The road back looks to be a long journey.
You may have viewed the recent segment presented by ABC News called âMade in America.â The news segment visited a typical American home and identified that literally nothing in the home was âmade in America.â From furniture to appliances, childrenâs toys to the dogâs bed, all were made in foreign countries, from Bangladesh to China. Even the âAmerican Girl Dollâ was made in China. ABC reported that if American consumers spent as little as eighteen cents a day buying products made in America, it would generate 200,000 additional American jobs. The TV segment really hit home for our family. We started to think about the products we own in our home and noted that very few products were American made. In essence, the Industrial Revolution has spread further west to Asia. China and the Far East are experiencing unprecedented growth, at our expense. We are truly victims of our own success. The next time we go shopping, we plan to spend our eighteen cents on products made in America.
â¨Keep those letters coming, folks. Send your ideas to: The Frugal Forum, P.O. Box 693, Huntley, IL 60142 or by email to: thefrugalforum@gmail.com.
