Is Your iPod Unpatriotic? Why America Shouldn't "Buy American"

Is your iPod unpatriotic?

Its 451 parts are made in dozens of nations, and creating the little doodads employs thousands of foreigners. Final assembly is done in China-a country that right-wingers and left-wingers alike fear is an economic threat to the U.S.

As the recession worsens, maybe patriotic Americans should be smashing foreign-made iPods in protest. Or at least hiring bikini-clad American women to do the job, which is exactly what Reason.tv did. Our patriotic, sledgehammer-wielding bikini bandits headed to California's Venice Beach to smash some foreign-made iPods to make a political statement about saving American jobs.

Maybe the United Steelworkers Union (USW), one of the biggest "Buy American" backers would like to hire these patriotic ladies for their next rally.

"Every other nation during this economic downturn is directing their stimulus money inward," thunders USW's Billy Thompson at a rally in West Virginia. "Now if they can do it, why in the hell can't we?"

Actually, we are. President Obama's $800 billion stimulus package came equipped with a "Buy American" provision, and more than 500 state and local governments have signed "buy American" resolutions. And that may be just the beginning of the protectionist push.

Reason.tv went to a Washington, D.C. event where business owners and activists learned how to lobby for more protectionist laws. "If you want to sell it here, build it here," says one participant who referrs to those who ignore the "buy American" imperative as "uneducated, ignorant people."

And shouldn't we be patriotic purchasers? That's what car ads, draped with Old Glory and heartland visuals, suggest. What could be more patriotic than buying a Jeep Patriot? With American automakers hurting so badly, that's got to help America.

"That's nonsense," says George Mason University economist-and Cafe Hayek blogger-Donald Boudreaux.

"The Jeep Patriot, despite it's name is actually less American than some Toyota products. It's literally impossible-at least in any practical sense-to buy American.'"

Boudreaux argues that Americans should buy whatever products they choose; neither guilt nor laws should push them to buy American. "The thing that is most distinctively American is freedom. To insist that Americans should not be free to buy good from foreigners that's very anti-American."

And what about your iPod?

Even though plenty of foreigners have jobs thanks to it, so do 14,000 Americans whose duties include designing and marketing the little buggers. So the iPod is a product of America and the world, and these days that describes nearly all the items we buy.

Welcome to the iPod economy, where just about everything is made everywhere.

After hearing the whole story, Reason.tv's bikini bandits decided to put down their protectionist sledgehammers. Will America's people, pundits, and politicians follow suit?

"Is Your iPod Unpatriotic?" is written and produced by Ted Balaker and hosted by Nick Gillespie. Field producer is Hawk Jensen and director of photography is Alex Manning.

Associate Producers are Meredith Bragg, Paul Detrick, and Dan Hayes, with additional photography provided by Nathan Chaffetz and Dan Haas.

And introducing reason.tv's Bikini Bandits: Alexandra Fulton, Chuki Lord, and Amber Waddick.

For iPod, HD, and audio versions, go to http://reason.tv/video/show/834.html

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• bikini bandits
• ipod
• apple
• steve jobs
• america
• unpatriotic
• barack obama
• reason.tv
• foreign
• made in america
• buy american
• trade
• globalization
• nick gillespie
• donald boudreaux
• steel
• workers

[9971explorer]

Union members are not the most productive workers.

[geico1212]

you still bought the ipods so those countries are getting money regardless if you smash them or not

[BangalorVanguard]

america cant even make its own language so how the hell can it expect to make its own products lololzz.

[BangalorVanguard]

my car is british my language is english my pissa is italian my curry is indian my taco is mexican my hotdog is german my tv is japanise my wine is australian my chocolate is belgian my noodles are chinise my watch is swiss my syrup is canadian and breath...............

[WTF2BlueTiger]

Ironic how americans are the fattest in the world is it not???

[ProIndividual]

@ultramutt can you explain how to respect property rights and yet stop me from hiring who I want, trade with who I want, regardlss of dotted lines govt draws on maps, or some tyrannical violent law to keep from doing what I want with my property? No, it's impossible. Plus, can you show how any trade makes the traders less wealthy? Every trade is making both traders more wealthy, or they wouldn't trade! Are we really to believe in govt non-sense like "trade deficits"? Bastiat debunk=19th century.

[ultramutt]

Freedom. American's should buy foreign goods because of Freedom. Just say the word Freedom and people shut off their brains in this country. That's the most over simplistic argument I've heard in my life.

[timkingiooo]

none of the american products he mentions were american inventions.

[rinkumiah]

"America is free".On my own,We should be free.We WILL buy any products from any country!.Most of the American products are not good,they dont work hard on that.I am agree that Apple devices made in America but they write down on the back,"Made in China".I live in America and i will buy things from foreign if i like it.Stop me!

[mehiael]

If you buy American "Brands" you only support Greedy CEO's, not the hard working american economy!

[tphillip66]

@MrBS4 I'm aware of this but do you travel to America to "buy software"? I can see buying software if it is something very specialized, etc, but I've lived with three Taiwanese students and they stated quite matter of factly that they would never pay for software.

[MrBS4]

@tphillip66

Why not, did you know lot of software use English as interface language is more robust than those localized into complex character counterpart?