(continued)

Similar things happened in electronics and other consumer goods. Televisions, telephones and stereo components became lighter, more energy efficient and cooler running. The downside was that wood and metal appointments were replaced with plastic and plastic and plastic... Words like "modern," "clean lines" and "European design" were insidiously injected into the advertising jargon. The media attempted to dupe us into believing that plastics equated with social and environmental responsibility. Much to our shame, we bought into most of the lies. Japan, Taiwan and Europe just kept shipping the stuff while the American steel industry slowly rolled over to die, taking massive sections of our manufacturing base with it. In the meantime, every chemical, volitile compound and hazardous material that the EPA and environmental socialists could drive out of our country simply moved to be used in other countries. Rather than moving their efforts to protect other human beings from poisoning, the militant environmentalists took to lashing themselves to trees instead. You see, they don't care nearly as much about your world as they care just about themselves.

Minimalist stylists attacked the home furnishings industries. Again, steel and wood were replaced with plastics. Furniture lost its corners, with much of it becoming just blobs of frameless cushions. Trendy was the watch word of the day and craftsmanship was a concept becoming reserved for little old men in foreign countries making fine wines and clocks. By the 90's, cars no longer had frames and televisions were no longer consoles. Homes were covered in vinyl rather than wood. A telephone could fit in any pocket. As products became lighter and easier to produce, the Asian fleet of cargo ships slowly grew larger. Japan built manufacturing ships and began to produce cold rolled steel just out side of American controlled waters. Through all of this the unions were crying "buy American" while the Teamsters slowly began networking the globe. I'm sure that was just because they were concerned about the workers' welfare and not because they wanted places to draw dues from in case their American interests went belly up. Perhaps they saw their own writing on the wall.

What this whole little story comes down to for me is this: If you really want to have a positive affect on America's trade deficit and help to bring it down, then pay some attention to what you're buying and up-size your aspirations a bit. Buy a car that's a little larger than you planned. Buy a bigger television. Buy a telephone that will sit on a table in addition to the one in your pocket. Buy a picture frame or a lamp which is wood or metal instead of all plastic. When you buy items which have more weight, substance and volume you are sending a direct message to manufacturers that bigger is better. To us, bigger means fewer items that the competition can load onto a cargo ship. As a simple defensive move to help support and protect your American economy, profits and jobs, bigger is still better and it always will be.