Our industry, right or

Remember "My country right or wrong"? Isn't "Buy American" the same sort of thing? Never mind how bad the product might be or how expensive it is, it's your patriotic duty to choose it over that evil foreign product. But it's not always that easy:

For example, some Ford Focus automobiles are actually produced south of the border, at a factory in Mexico, and Nissan Altimas are built right here in the United States - in Tennessee.

Isolationism has never been the way for America to deal with the possibility of military and political threats from outside our borders. The world would just go on getting more dangerous, and we would have no influence on the developments making it so. Economic isolation, which is what "Buy American" really is, isn't the answer to economic threats, either. Our businesses have to stay -- or, in some notorious cases, become -- competitive. Rewarding them for inferior or overly expensive products won't help at all.

Elkhart, meanwhile, is kicking it up another notch:

Elkhart Mayor Dick Moore and the Greater Elkhart Chamber of Commerce launched a “Buy Local” campaign, designed to stimulate the economy in the Elkhart Region.

Recent job losses were the catalyst for today's announcement. Chamber President Phil Penn said local buying, by both businesses and consumers, can help save jobs.

“Whether you buy a new lift truck for your company or Christmas gift for your spouse, buy locally,” said Penn. “That one purchase might save a job. Then that person can buy locally and keep the ball rolling.”

But everything the average person needs isn't produced in Elkhart, let alone everything that person might want. To really "support" Elkhart through this campaign, Elkhart residents will have to settle for less and pay more, accepting things that don't quite fit the bill. It is not a nice thing for Elkhart officials and businesses to ask residents to endure.

In the "Buy American" story, it is noted how few toys offered at one outlet are made here, and it quotes the owner: "Well, I love it when I can buy a very good toy that's made in the United States, but I would not buy a bad toy because it was made in the United States." Exactly so. You want my business? Make what I want at the price I want to pay. That's the only reason for your existence.