We need to realize as a nation that buying Chinese goods is simultaneously destroying our economy and also our tax base, which funds our military. That same purchase also puts money into the hands of the non-democratic Chinese government which then invests it in military technology. On top of that, China can then can turn around and make even more money by selling that technology to our enemies. For any rational American, continuing on this path is criminally insane.

That is just our trade with China. Remember who we buy our oil from.

Most economists will say that Protectionism is a bad thing because the loss of exports from domestic manufacturing more than offsets the gains from favoring it in the first place. That's only true if you export more than you import, which clearly isn't the case anymore. Would it cost more to buy products made mostly within the United States? Yes, of course but as a developed nation we also place more importance on things like civil liberties, worker safety and environmental conservation. The other upside is that if you are buying American you are paying the wages of someone like you and they are doing the same in return.

www.cleveland.com/world/index.ssf/2010/08/chinese_aircraft-carrier-kille.html

The following is a letter I sent out recently:

Dear Senator, Assemblyman, etc,

Today I looked at a news article on Yahoo.com and I think you should take note of it. Here is the address:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/1962-glass-could-be-Cornings-apf-978849301.html?x=0

The main thing I want you to know is that Corning glass, a company headquartered in New York is making billions because of a special type of glass they invented which is very useful in cell phone screens and TVs. The sad part is the benefits of this product, which was invented in New York, are going to produce more jobs - in KENTUCKY and JAPAN. Nothing in New York. I think the reason for that is because costs are so high in New York for everything from taxes, utilities, regulation and even higher energy prices. We need leaders with the courage and the foresight to reduce these burdens on business, even if it means short term pain through budget cuts, because in the long run it will mean better and more jobs, so people won't need to rely on the state as much. Plus it will mean higher tax revenues to fund all the vital services that New York does do a good job of providing. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely,

Michael L
Hopeful Citizen

It is not the best example of my writing but in this case sending something imperfect is far better than not sending anything at all. We need to bring attention to these matters, and that means taking action. One letter is not terribly effective, but thousands might be. I KNOW we have the numbers on this one folks. We cannot afford to be silent anymore. Lets get going!

To make it easier, here is a convenient way to search for your elected representatives contact info:

http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml