site banner

Small-Scale Question Sunday for April 13, 2025

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

5
Jump in the discussion.

No email address required.

To what extent is it incumbent on a person who desires to see more US manufacturing to purchase already existing US made goods?

To what extent is it a fair critique to say "If you want to see Tariffs, buy all your t shirts and underwear from LAA, buy your shoes from Allen Edmonds, buy an American car, etc. And if you aren't already doing that, you aren't serious about Tariffs."

Or is that the participating in society meme?

Personally, I'm not really pro-autarky, but I do try to buy as much as possible from America. I had to giggle at some of the tariff takes the last couple weeks: I already buy American made socks (from Costco but that's too obscure I guess) and most days the majority of my outfit is American with LAA and Gustin handling most casual basics, Outlier pants, and a lot of things from Boathouse right where I used to row at Dadvails every year. Sneakers are the one thing I buy exclusively foreign, in that I only buy obscure Amazon minimalist-shoe knockoffs because they're the only thing that fits my weird feet. And that's pretty much my ideal: I should have the ability to buy American, and I prefer to, but I like having the ability to buy a vast variety of things that are exactly to my taste. If there were a MiUSA alternative to WHITN, I would buy them, even for a premium!, but they don't exist to my knowledge.

Or is that the participating in society meme?

In many ways the perfect motte and bailey question. You can own an iPhone and be a communist, but you probably can’t buy the latest iPhone every year and be a communist because - even if you think FALGSC is inevitable - communism is an international movement that sees even the lifestyle of the Western middle class as the product of grotesque exploitation of third world peasants and proletarians that would be swiftly corrected under a communist revolutionary movement.

Peace is often found when lifestyle and your worldview are in some alignment. It is possible to be an actively-gay-sex-having Catholic priest (albeit a bad one who, I imagine, is breaking his vows) who nevertheless advocates that gay sex is bad. I suspect there is some torment involved, though, no matter the undoubtedly complex knot of justification and self-deceit. If you believe in America, I suspect it feels especially good to buy American. Plus, if you have money, the quality is often better.