With Black Friday right around the corner, I thought this would be a good time to post this...

Christmas 2011 -- Birth of a New Tradition



As the holidays approach, the giant Asian factories are kicking into high gear to provide Americans with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods -- merchandise that has been produced at the expense of American labor. This year will be different. This year Americans will give the gift of genuine concern for other Americans. There is no longer an excuse that, at gift giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by American hands. Yes there is!



It's time to think outside the box, people. Who says a gift needs to fit in a shirt box, wrapped in Chinese produced wrapping paper?



Everyone -- yes EVERYONE gets their hair cut. How about gift certificates from your local American hair salon or barber?



Gym membership? It's appropriate for all ages who are thinking about some health improvement.



Who wouldn't appreciate getting their car detailed? Small, American owned detail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate or a book of gift certificates.

Are you one of those extravagant givers who think nothing of plunking down the Benjamines on a Chinese made flat-screen? Perhaps that grateful gift receiver would like his driveway sealed, or lawn mowed for the summer, or driveway plowed all winter, or games at the local golf course.



There are a bazillion owner-run restaurants -- all offering gift certificates. And, if your intended isn't the fancy eatery sort, what about a half dozen breakfasts at the local breakfast joint. Remember, folks this isn't about big National chains -- this is about supporting your home town Americans with their financial lives on the line to keep their doors open.

How many people couldn't use an oil change for their car, truck or motorcycle, done at a shop run by the American working guy?



Thinking about a heartfelt gift for mom? Mom would LOVE the services of a local cleaning lady for a day.



My computer could use a tune-up, and I KNOW I can find

some young guy who is struggling to get his repair business up and running.



OK, you were looking for something more personal. Local crafts people spin their own wool and knit them into scarves. They make jewelry, and pottery and beautiful wooden boxes.

Plan your holiday outings at local, owner operated restaurants and leave your server a nice tip. And, how about going out to see a play or ballet at your hometown theatre.

Musicians need love too, so find a venue showcasing local bands.



Honestly, people, do you REALLY need to buy another ten thousand Chinese lights for the house? When you buy a five dollar string of light, about fifty cents stays in the community.



If you have those kinds of bucks to burn, leave the mailman, trash guy or babysitter a nice BIG tip.



You see, Christmas is no longer about draining American pockets so that China can build another glittering city. Christmas is now about caring about US, encouraging American small businesses to keep plugging away to follow their dreams. And, when we care about other Americans, we care about our communities, and the benefits come back to us in ways we couldn't imagine. THIS is the new American Christmas tradition.



Forward this to everyone on your mailing list -- post it to discussion groups -- throw up a post on Craigslist in the Rants and Raves section in your city -- send it to the editor of your local paper and radio stations, and TV news departments. This is a revolution of caring about each other, and isn't that what Christmas is about?



BUY AMERICAN - BE AMERICAN The job you save might be your own

You and my favorite only ex brother in law would get on smashingly. He wants to do a line of FYI t-shirts. F**K YOUR IMPORTS. That man is American to the bone.

Good Idea Ruth.
I like this, I am Canadian but I get what you are saying!!

Honestly, I am caught in the middle. I support the small business around here.....but, when I need a toaster or porn. I gotta go with the imports. More value for the dollar. And it is a buyers market.

My point isn't that you can't buy imports. I do all the time. You can't help it for the most part.

The post was to give options....other ideas for gifts for people that they would enjoy just as much.

My only issue with this is these businesses should be supported year round, rather than just for presents at Christmas.

There are all kinds of small, local businesses around here that I will be going to for shopping this year.

A major problem with buying American....if you live in a southern border state....pot is lower grade from Mexico but, it is definitively cheaper.

Mexican dirt weed....$50 per seedy ounce.
American Hydroponic or clone...$250 per quarter ounce.


I agree...We should keep our illegally untaxed money here, but we gotta be able to compete with $50 an ounce.

Come on America! Grow cheaper pot that is still better than everyone elses.

Ruth's idea is a great one, and it should and must go year round. As she pointed out it's not about beating the Chinese to the punch, it's about building our grassroots back underneath us.

It comes down to rethinking the way we live. It's either this or welcome 3rd world country living. This isn't all bad. Third world just means under development. Many feel we are on the verge of being there any way which basically means we get back to mom and pop shops being our base and I'm not sure that's a bad thing.

I personally think maybe America was the happiest and healthiest when we had the shop around the corner. Our kids certainly were safer and the community knew itself better.

Again to voice Ruth (not that she needs it) service opportunities are all around us, and maybe this way of thinking will start to make us a little more wise and careful of our spending.

Good morning Ruth!...Yes, yes, and yes!! Happy Holidays!

And Kic, I love the DITTO picture!....

Same holds good for many other Countries as well!!!

Good point. The Mom and Pops stores in China love Walmarts as much as the Mom and Pops stores do in America. See China had this big wall long before the USSR or we did.

One thing that I'm not sure we get yet. We are not an American economy like we use to be 100 years ago. We are now a global economy and that's a totally different setup. Sometimes when I'm listening to these debates over the last 20 years I get the feeling that the government is still trying to sell us the old cause this is what they are use to. Reason being, it takes more than 4 years to get us to understand world economics on a consumer level.

Our government right now is dragging us through the mud and at the same time trying to get us yet again on another political election season swing. Well do it to us once, twice, and maybe 5 times, but we are finally getting tired of it and have got our individual thinking caps back on. this blame the last administration thing for myself has falling on deaf ears for the last 4 campaign cycles. frankly Scarlet.....

I'll tell you what I support with this government. Get our kids back home where they belong. Beyond that I think we should help as many who are losing their incomes and homes as possible. Support local business the best we can. Once we get our kids home I think all of us are going to be sending stronger messages to the people we employ in Washington.

We have some major remodeling to do, and we can either do it kicking and screaming or holding hands. One thing for sure though, time has run out and there is no tooth fairy because we as a whole have yanked out all our teeth. Last week I heard some inside scoop that at the white house they removed the carpet that was used to sweep the dirt under cause they needed to pay the heating bill.

I may be unpopular by saying I like this president (don't know don't care) but I think we have seen another example of one side tying the hands of the other till we got sick of both sides. Can I hear an amen! Sorry thought that was kinda cute. If this is what we are going to do (and it looks like it will continue) I'm out. There are plenty of other people who need my help and they actually have accountants that know where the money is going.

I believe in America and what we have been forced to follow the last 20 some years is not American.

AMEN!

I truly miss the mom and pop stores. This Christmas I am making a point to buy American. I don't like buying the cheap stuff from China for more than one reason.

A flip side

New reports show that China's manufacturing is down 20% or more over the last 2 years.

The playing field is already starting to level out. China has raised their minimum hourly scale and the words "sweat shop" are far from what they use to be. We want, need, India, China and others to become more modern in their approach to world economics. It's important that we in the US are given the correct info about the world market places. We paint these dramatic pictures of how China and others will conquer us through ownership but we must realize that the US is the biggest buying country in the world per capita. If we don't buy, they don't gain, if they don't gain, they will never be able to buy from us. Yes, in the years past we lost our grip, got lazy in designs and quality, but are we done? We complain about bailouts but some of them actually worked and we need to focus on the successes in our country right now. For example the US car market has made great gains the last 2 years and it is said that the next several are going to be even better. China made us a loan, why? Not because they think they can own us long term (at least I hope not), they don't want their manufacturing to go belly up.

If we wise up and start running our own country again we will find ourselves in a good place (maybe not first or second) as compared to the other mega money powers. The US if we stand back and look at it is not that hard to figure out. We're like kids growing up pushing the boundaries then coming back to a real place that makes sense. Many of us got caught up in the over spending game and it cost the rest of us our businesses, but the American entrepreneurial system is second to none for some reason and the small business will become refined and reborn.

Schools

Our school system is out dated according to many. Students who are in independent studies are kicking the butts off the regular classes starting at grades 7. This isn't huge news yet, but don't be surprised when classes stop at the 7th or 8th grade in class rooms and switch to home schooling. Also don't be surprised if many buildings are converted from high schools to tech schools. Our kids have got some serious brains on them compared to schools 30 years ago. Why? The computer. 20 years ago the fear was spending too much time in front of the TV. Well the kids walked right past that one and became computer geniuses before our eyes.

The budget

We are so worried about the deficit that we are running around in circles instead of letting this thing play out. There is no way our kids are going to be as dumb as us when it comes to making money. We are the lost generation (exploratory) not them. We need to let our government get on or off the pot, but the gov coming up with a plan, well what plan? The old school is over and just because we find it hard to figure out our cells and keyboards doesn't mean that the kids are that slow. We are still making decisions off of paper and pencils and even countries like India (who we thought were the back woods) can blow by us. Not so though when we let our new generation loose.

I was at UNLV the other day and walked into a store/business. It was actually more of a think tank graphic place. I asked them what they do and they smiled at me as if I were 105. I walked out and turned around and all the store fronts were like this one. Full of kids aggressively kicking butt. The parking lot was full of $30,000 and up cars. Wait a minute? These 18 and 19 year olds weren't partying their brains out without direction, they were getting something done.

thought

I have a feeling that a new highly efficient mom and pop world is on it's way in the US and we need to let it happen. Maybe we built too many strip malls thinking that times were not going to change. Maybe we should be teaching business ethics but at the same time moving out of the way and letting some smart kids take us to the next age. I don't know America, maybe we are making a fuss over not as much as we think. If we formed organizations that took old buildings off of the hands of the banks, could we not make homes for the homeless? maybe I'm missing something but if we gave all that money to the banks and they have space empty? Well

Maybe it's time we all just start putting our thoughts together and ask what these hold ups really are and who is paying for this government anyway.

Well it's tougher than you think! Is it?

just more thoughts

Buying imports is the major reason I won't show WalMart. And I look elsewhere at labels to see who made what.

My computer speakers were made in USA and cost $10 more, but maybe I saved someone's job.

What model of speakers do you have? I'll look them up and tell you where the parts are from.

I think it is Altec-Lansing, headquarters and R&D in PA.

Never mind, under Designed in USA there is a very small label saying Made in China. So I bought an expensive import. Maybe I saved an R&D job though!

I like this idea. Since the 50's we've lived in an extreme consumer marketed culture. I've read marketing reports from journals pitching the obligation of marketing firms to use any psychological means to persuade consumers they can't live without this and that. Most of which, is mass produced, and for the last quarter century more and more outside the country.

I'm the last to suggest closing borders and isolating. We're a global society, and reversal isn't really an option in the modern world. For myself though, I would much prefer the hand crafted item from the local artisan's shop, a trip to a local live performance, or something homemade anytime, and I'm often asked for items I create as well by those around me.
Happy holidays,