I didn't say I would only buy US made products, Sue. I couldn't own a television or most any kind of electronics item if that were so.

PBS showed their program "Is Wal-Mart Good for America?" last week (I think that was the title on Frontline.)

Clearly Wal-Mart is focused on the price. When the kind of juice I buy (made in USA)- Ocean Spray Lite Ruby Grapefruit Drink - is $2.99/ half gallon at Super Wal-Mart and $3.99 everywhere else, why buy it for a buck a bottle more? Wal-Mart doesn't always have the lowest prices - but they'll match any other store's advertised prices (you have to ask.)

The PBS show talked about the pressure that manufacturers get from Wal-Mart to keep lowering prices on standard items. (Repeated in the Fast Company article.) Not being able to keep lowering prices drove Rubbermaid out of business and the PBS show pictured the auction of the company's equipment. The high-bidder for a huge injection molding machine was a manufacturer in China.

The pressure to keep buying cheaper isn't just because you can get it for less at Wal-Mart. It's also because we have an unrealistic minimum wage system in this country and a huge percentage of the population not covered by health insurance (and higher health insurance costs) and maybe because we're giving billionaires tax breaks and allowing oil companies to charge what they want for gas (up 15 cents a gallon here in the last two days.)

OK, don't get me started. (Too late.)