Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Made in the U.S.A....Not!

We were shopping the other day and while Madam was busy perusing everything, as women shopping are wont to do, I took it upon myself to search the racks in the men's department of several stores for American made clothes. After considerable time in JC Penny and Kohl's I gave up without finding any garment made here at home. (I'm sorry Homeland.)

I got a little curious about exactly how much of the clothing we buy in this country is actually imported and started Googling. I only found one reference and that was in the transcipt of a "Daily Show" interview with Lou Dobbs on his new book War on the Middleclass.

Quoting Lou the U.S. imports 96% of its clothing or in other words, if it were not for imports we would all be buck naked. That is a huge percentage and while I suspected it was a large percentage I was floored by that number.

Just imagine how many American jobs that means and not just textile and garment workers but the shops and barbers and gas stations and restaurants and god knows what else is connected with manufacturing jobs in a community. Astounding!

We can't even clothe ourselves!

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