In 2006, the NZ Green Party launched the "Buy Kiwi Made" campaign. You don't need us to tell you that it failed dismally. It was touted by Central Planners as the answer to all sorts of economic ills--including avoiding the "evils" of open border trade (or free trade) for which the Greens have a long professed loathing.
Whenever politicians introduce "Buy Local" sentiments or policies you have a strong indication they have not understood Economics 101; they are obscurantists.
Consider the following: before us are two cell phones for purchase. One is made in New Zealand; the other China. The Chinese one has many times more capacity and twice the features. It is also a third of the price. Which consumer will buy the New Zealand made option. Only a fool, who is soon parted from his money. Most people are not that foolish.
The Christian faith, when consistently understood, always drives to maximise personal freedom and personal responsibility. Why? Because the Christian faith insists that belief in God is a matter of conscience; faith which saves is a matter of each individual heart. Salvation is not racial, political, or the decision of a collective. It is individuals who are saved and reconciled to God: their salvation is a matter of personal conviction and choice. Therefore, the Christian faith always drives for liberty of conscience and maximum individual freedom to think, choose, and act. People are free to choose to repent and believe; they are also free to go to Hell in their own way.
Consequently, the Christian faith and "free-market economics" are related--such that consistent Christians will normally argue and agitate for human freedom and liberty of conscience. "Free markets" are an adjunct of personal, human freedom. To put it boldly, but crassly, the consistent Christian is always going to argue for the individual to be able to choose freely as to whether they will purchase a Chinese or Kiwi made cell phone.
In the same manner we have a measure of how ignorant the Democrats in the US are of the most basic rudiments of economics, of markets, and of consumers. Of free people--in other words. Realising that "stimulus" has become a negative they are reportedly planning to change the "framing" around this week's much heralded speech (yes, another one) by President Obama to the nation on jobs.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Democrats have dropped the word "stimulus" from their vocabulary. Though the House minority leader and her caucus are still pushing an economic stimulus agenda to save the economy, they’ve radically changed their rhetoric with the hope of winning over voters who saw "stimulus" as close to a dirty word. . . .The slogan, "Make It in America", like the Greens "Buy Kiwi Made" will fail economically and, therefore, politically--in time. It demonstrates the economic ignorance of the US Democratic party. It also illustrates how Central Planning is always the reflexive response of the Left. When it comes to economic matters, individuals are just not that important. The preferences of the individual are irrelevant. We will tell you what is good for you, becomes the order of the day.
The Democrats’ signature “Make it in America” platform aims to create jobs by increasing infrastructure spending, providing financial help to struggling states and expanding tax credits for businesses, all of which were key elements of their 2009 economic stimulus bill. Recognizing the unpopularity of the 2009 package, however, Democratic leaders have revised their message with less loaded language – “job creation” instead of “stimulus” and “Make it in America” in lieu of “Recovery Act” – in hopes of tackling the jobs crisis.
What is it that Einstein said about insanity? Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Ah, but this time it will be different. Yeah, right.
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