The American Spectator

Reader Mail

CHECK IT BEFORE YOU WRECK IT
Re: Doug Bandow's Christmas Card Check:

Obama will be remembered as The Potlatch-by-Proxy President. That is to say, he will enhance his own reputation by giving away the property of others.
-- David Govett
Davis, California

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This article is slanted anti-union and misses the greater picture, in my opinion.

Unions have their place; they come about from natural causes, and they die from natural causes too. During their lifespan they can become diseased from all sorts of ailments, both internal and external.

The larger picture would address a vibrant and healthy business structure, competing with others of similar nature. However, life is not so ordered, just ask your buddy K. Marx and others.

Dynamic and natural conflict.

Read Epictetus for enlightenment, perhaps.
-- R. Philiips
Corrales, New Mexico

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LOCAL YOKELS
Re: Ryan Young's The Myth of Buying Local:

Mr. Young makes a very valid point about the necessary ubiquity of foreign products in our stores, but he TOTALLY misses the point about buying local. The “buying local” goal has nothing to do with the origin of the products as much as with who is selling the product: Joe at the local electronics store or Amazon.com. Money spent with Joe helps the community. Money spent with Amazon helps Amazon and is a drain from the community. No myth there -- cold hard fact.

So, good point about the globalization of the economy -- but it has nothing to do with the central thesis: that buying local is a myth.
-- Jim Luptak
Bismarck, North Dakota

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Of course buying "local" helps the community. The profits, if any, stay with local owners and operators. The local framing shop doesn't have to pay a percentage of its gross revenue to a home office to use to support "administration and executive oversight." I made a choice for convenience and price and bought many Christmas gifts online this year. I bought some personalized jewelry at a local shop. Most of my other purchases were done at chain supermarkets and stores; I supported non-chain restaurants. "Buying(entirely) local" is probably difficult if not impossible in some locales and may be the equivalent of killing a few flies to help the local pest situation. But my mechanic, my barber, my jeweler, my framing shop, and my fishmonger all appreciate my business. The local Wal-Mart might, but until they started asking if the cashier greeted you on the debit/credit card keypad, it seemed local and out-of-town management wasn't interested in my returning to the store.

I manage restaurants at a local, privately-owned resort hotel. After I ensure that the guests' meal is "okay," I thank them for coming and telling them that we appreciate their patronage.