Made In America silliness

The U.S. military buys flags. Stars and Stripes. Lots of them. They fly over military installations, ships at sea, etc. News this week is that the military will now purchase flags only if they are 100% made in America... right down to the fiber, even the dyes that color them.

Of all the silly things I have ever heard, this easily rates as the silliest. More than that, I consider it a fraud against American taxpayers.

The military should set some standards as to quality of manufacture. We wouldn't want to fly a flag over a military base if the red, white and blue colors ran together in a sudden rain shower. Or, would we want those colors to fade. And the flag should stand up to wind and sun for some reasonable amount of time.

Then, we should seek the best price. If a manufacturer in Thailand or Brazil can produce the quality flag at a lower price, that is the one we should buy. This idea that buying only flags made in America will support American jobs is nonsense. It is just another taxpayer subsidy for American manufacturers and labor unions.

We fuss at the flow of foreigners into the U.S. Why, we ask, don't they stay at home and work to improve their own country? But if they do, we refuse to buy what they may manufacture - even if it is a better value!

Competition is good. And today, competition is and should be worldwide.

I bought a bunch of flags this past year. Very nice flags; embroidered stars, individually stitched stripes, bright colors. Great price. I have no idea where they were made, and I don't care. They look beautiful on my flagpole!