Patriotism vs The Lowest Price
Made in Canada. Made in Germany. Made in Romania. Made in Poland. Made in Ireland. Made in Brazil, in a nutshell, buying locally.
If you have members of the family who were laid off some
time ago, you know the importance of buying locally, buying that table which
will take two weeks to make within your country, instead of getting the cheaper
pre-packaged one, from that mega furniture store.
It’s difficult to be patriotic when money is tight, even
credit. Yes, even credit has a
limit. Remember when the cashier said to
you: I’m
sorry sir. Your card has been declined.
The price is the determining factor for ordinary folks, that
is why they wait for Boxing Day or Black Friday sales. A friend of mine once accused me of being bad
news for the economy because I don’t go for 50% off. Let’s see, 70% is more my thing.
Buying locally means thinking about someone’s job, before
deciding on which table to buy, but that is the last thing on our minds. We look at the price and smile when the shop
assistant says there is a further reduction on the 50%.
It is ironic that governments want us to practise patriotic shopping
because they actively encourage foreign investment, which includes dollar
stores. It is called free enterprise. Consumers must have the choice of buying from
such stores or Holt Renfrew.
Where does that leave buying something because it was made
in Canada? Way back, at the end of the
line.By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.
Comments