Published: July 22, 2008 09:34 pm            

LUCINSKI: The flag of freedom: Made in China

In this space on Tuesday, one of our contributing columnists voiced a strong opinion about the American flag.

There are always strong opinions when it comes to the American flag. As a symbol of our nation, it evokes intense emotion, especially when the flag is defiled, disgraced or otherwise disrespected.

The latest opinion was expressed by columnist Bob Confer of Gasport. Confer (with whom I agree about 90 percent of the time) took issue with the fact that many U.S. flags being flown today were manufactured overseas, often in China. He said, “It’s only fitting that our flags should be made by American hands on American soil and not be tainted by ‘Made in China’ labels.”

This is one of the 10 percent of the times Confer and I part ways. He is right in the statement that the flag stands for the American way of life. The most important aspect of the American way of life is the freedom which we should cherish.

What the stars and stripes symbolize is the right to think what we want, write what we want and, yes, buy what we want. If somebody wants to save a buck and buy an American flag made in China, isn’t it the American way to allow him or her to do that? Sure, it seems unfair and unpatriotic. But is it worse than restricting an American citizen’s right to purchase an otherwise legal product of the consumer’s choosing?

Freedom of choice when obtaining goods and services is the fundamental concept which needs to be adhered to when operating under a free market economic system. It is the free market that has made the U.S. the economic engine that it is today. Sure, we’re in something of a slowdown these days, but the American economy will come roaring back. It always does.

It brings to mind the Buy American movement of the 1970s when it came to the automotive industry. It was the time when foreign cars, especially Japanese, were making serious inroads in the U.S. auto market.

Many considered it unpatriotic to buy Toyotas, Volkswagens and Datsuns (the forerunner of Nissan) when the domestic makers were struggling. But the American automakers had lapsed into the bad habit of producing junk. Even Chrysler Corp. Chairman Lee Iacocca had to apologize for making the Dodge Aspen/Plymouth Volare’ line of vehicles, they were of such poor quality.

I was one of those who refused to buy a foreign nameplate vehicle on the principle of supporting the domestic industry. Only later did I realize just how stupid I was.

It was the pressure of falling sales and a declining share of the market that forced the U.S. automakers to take a radical step: Build better cars. It took a while, but a number of American models now rival overseas car lines for reliability and quality.

Americans making individual decisions based on the free market were responsible for boosting the quality of cars and perhaps saving the U.S. auto industry. While car manufacturers now face a whole new set of challenges, they might not even exist now if buyers hadn’t rejected the junk they were building 30 years ago.

Of course the flag industry is in no way comparable with the car business when it comes to the impact on the economy. But its impact as a symbol of America is strong. To write restrictive trade laws limiting the choices of a free people is in direct opposition to everything the stars and stripes stands for.

Here’s an idea: Stateside flag makers heavily promote the fact that their product is made in the U.S.A. Then Americans will know they have a choice: Buy a cheaper flag made in China or India or wherever, or purchase a high-quality U.S. flag made by Americans in America. There just might be a market for a product like that.

It would be the best of both worlds: Keeping the symbol of our freedom on our home turf while living up to the promise of freedom that is America.



Dick Lucinski is the managing editor of the Niagara Gazette. His columns appear on Wednesday and Sunday.

        

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