Again: nobody is REFUSING to do anything. The author is ELECTING to buy American. I'm not sure I see why a citizen of any given country should feel obligated to buy products from other countries that are less fortunate, simply *because* they are less fortunate. I don't buy Kobe beef, either; it's got nothing to do with its country of origin. I don't eat meat. Don't subscribe me to motives I don't hold.

"Bottom line: how can anyone else buy our exports if we don't send them dollars by buying their imports?"

How about building an economy that does not rely entirely on spending power from abroad?

Look, I'm not here to sing the praises of the American economy, in theory or in practice. Nor do I want to get into an argument about the dependence of the rest of the world on American dollars. But if the author wants to buy American, it doesn't make her heartless or xenophobic; nor does my running her letter make me either of those things. Manufacturers in developing economies may choose to use sweatshops; consumers in *this* economy may in turn choose not to patronize companies that may avail themselves of those sweatshops.

We don't know what Pointy's attitude was; it's not relevant in any case. And my "friends" aren't in the habit of attributing ignorant beliefs to me, so you'll need to stop it with that.

To take the second point first: Yes. Some people in poor countries work in sweatshops. But so long as they are free to walk out the door, they must be working there because it's their best option. The alternative must be something worse, or no job at all–and even worse poverty.
A hundred years ago, when this country was poor, we had sweatshops too. It sucks. But this is how economies grow. India and China may have had (and still do have) poor working conditions. But we know from the headlines that their people are developing skills and becoming richer. And that's something to be encouraged, not stunted.

As to the American economy. When Americans buy something from abroad, the dollars they spend don't just vanish. The foreigner who received that dollar spends it to buy something from a US manufacturer, or buys an American stock or bond from somebody (making that dollar available to be borrowed and spent here). Bottom line: how can anyone else buy our exports if we don't send them dollars by buying their imports?
And if it hurts a country's economy when its people buy from abroad, shouldn't Americans feel guilty for hurting foreigners every time we export anything?

One last point, since I implied you are "close-the-border racists." What, exactly, should workers in poor countries do when people in rich countries refuse to buy from them? Emigration sounds like a pretty good idea.

Anyway, I know this is entirely off-topic and this letter is about to drop off the homepage. But I hope you post this, because I think your comment about me was unfair. "Ol' Pointy Elbows" is probably entirely well-meaning. But her attitude (which lots of people here and abroad share) is not just misguided; it hurts people. And it should be called out.

P.S. I love your work, and I've been a TWoP fan from the beginning. Friends?

Reasons why a sweatshirt shopper could want to buy American may include:

1. Buying goods that are made in the U.S. is understood to help the U.S. economy. It is understood to provide jobs here, which provide wages here, which are then spent here. The American economy is, as you may have read, in the shitter at present; I'm not an economist and can't speak to how much good buying American really does at the end of the day, but it is something people like to do to keep the system oiled here at home.

2. When it comes to clothing items in particular, buying goods made here reduces the likelihood that they have been manufactured in a sweatshop, or under other conditions unfair or dangerous to the workers. The U.S. does not have a perfect record in this arena, but certainly American Apparel has a reputation for non-sweatshop production.

Economic policies like this one can be and have been used to advance xenophobic agendas; to say that's the case here is, I think, a deliberate misread of the original letter, which did NOT say, "I don't want a sweatshirt made by stinky furriners," or anything even close. Given that she specifically mentioned American Apparel, I have to think the author's reasoning for buying American is a political interest in working conditions and a desire to support those companies who treat their employees fairly and respectfully.

Thanks for implying that we're both close-the-borders racists, though. Love that.

Regarding the sweatshirt letter, whose writer only buys 'made in the USA'…

I imagine you wouldn't publish a letter demanding that an item be made only by people of a certain race–after all, it's pretty obnoxious to refuse to buy from someone because he/she happens to have been born with a particular skin color.
So why publish a letter from a person who refuses to buy from someone because he/she happens to live in a different country?

I know most people think getting t-shirts hemmed is excessive, but insteqad of hunting all over for the one company that's not making extra-long t-shirts, you might as well just buy something you like, and get it hemmed (or hem it yourself if you have a sewing machine). Just make sure to remind the tailor to use a stretchy thread.

It isn't as pretty of a site, but it does the job.