RICKAMAVEN wrote:when it was time to buy his kids their swing set, his shoppers came up with two. choices.
one of the choices was an american manufacturer, a small company in wyoming that had a set that was perfect for his kids. the cost was $225.00.
the other choice was a chinese knock off, same configuration, the same kind of wood and no paint that could contain lead. it cost $125.00.
either one will be paid by the people's taxes, through the allowance given him by the nature of his office.
which one should he buy?
Well, since you want to look into this,......
First, if he is buying the swing set, he will be using his own monies from his salaries (or personal wealth, or profits from a book deal ...whatever), so the money is NOT taxpayer money. It is his. And no reporter worth even the pen she or he writes with would dare ask where the money for the swing set came from. Cuz it'd be a stupid question and they'd get a "that was a friggin stupid question" response.
Second, if it is to be installed at the White House, since that building is a National Historic Landmark, there are higher than usual standards and regulations about what can and cannot be built there. So, therefore, the swingset would be being built at his private residence in Illinois (or elsewhere) and thus it is no longer a public matter.
Third, the simplistic choice offered does not begin to tap into the various factors that would be in play with the economics and monies involved.....Swingsets are more simple in this regard, but let's take cars...Is he buying American if he buys a Pontiac instead of a Honda? I say no - even though Pontiac is made by an American owned corporation, it is mostly manufactured in other countries and shipped here. A Honda bought in America is generally a car made in a plant in America that is owned by a Japanese corporation......Same with most any manufactured goods. I care where the actual job to create the thing is. Odds are pretty good that the "American swingset" has just as many foreign parts as the "made in China" swingset" - just with higher markups.
Fourth - I **** hate hypothetical questions cuz one can always add some other minor piece of info or factor to make it ridiculous. Let's have some fun with this one...
The American swingset is produced by a company that donates tens of thousands of dollars every year to abortion clinics and the Chinese company spends tens of thousands of yuan every year supporting gun control......Now which does he pick? What's that? The CEO of the Chinese company is a blind concert cellist and the CFO of the American company has only one leg and skis on the PAralympic gold medal winning team?
Lord Almighty.......
For the record, I have equal disdain for both major political parties - I don't lik eor dislike President Obama any more than I like or dislike President Bush or President Clinton.....