Citizen

Citizen, rise against MacDonald's
Rage against Walmart
Tear down the Malls
Build up the local farmer
Buy a burger from Bob's Drive In
Buy your shoes from someone who can fix them

In 1940s a good bench drill press made in Canada cost a man a weeks wages. Today a good bench drill press made in Canada still costs a weeks wages.

The trouble is, there is a huge selection of substandard but workable merchandise made by poor working people all over the world in environmentally terrible circumstance that "will work" for the average person for a while. It is impossible for a person to choose the good Canadian made product as it makes no sense to buy the best when less will work. And it make no sense to make things that last forever.

Wait! Does it make sense?

If you buy the good item made in Canada then:

- a person in your country has a job (people in other countries deserve jobs too but at a fair wage that would of course drive the price of the product up)
- the products manufacturing will likely be done in a environmentally sound manner (not necessarily but in Canada we do have laws and restrictions)
- you will pay much more for a product but that product will last for ever (I have a 1940's drill press and it is as good today as it was the day it was built) (building products that last means that less are built and this has a huge positive impact on the environment)
- the person who manufactured to product is available to you to troubleshoot and advise.

If you buy the inexpensive item:

- you will someday need to buy another one and your children will buy several thus causing the need to manufacture more creating more jobs . (but the cost to the environment will be high and the jobs will substandard and sometimes dangerous.)
- you will save a lot of money (see the point above)
- you will need support for the product and you may get it?

What is the bottom line? What should you do? How about living with less, how about buying those things that are important to you, only at a fair price based on quality and not every whim that takes you. Focus your work and hobbies. Rely on others to do some things for you (don't buy a drill press for one job a year go to a pro and pay to get it drilled) hey that creates jobs.