Borrowed from FaceBook(again)

And now I must rant (this is the same reason most of my friends turn off my feed)
I hear people on the TV saying "buy American, shop local" and I sit here and wonder how easy it is to do. Since the advent of Wal-Mart and other massive chain and big box stores Main Street,USA is all but shuttered. I know I'm lucky to live in a smaller town where they are really trying to bring small business to the forefront. The sad part of this is some of the local businesses sell items similar to what you can buy in Wal-Mart but they have to sell at a higher price. Why? you ask. Wal-Mart (and others like them) are able to buy in much larger quantities - and they aren't just buying for your town they get HUGE discounts because they buy for ALL their stores. Wal-Mart is also big on knock-offs. Why pay $100 or more for boots that you can get for $12? The $100+ boots are made in the USA & good quality. The $12 are made in China & are ok quality. Sure you can buy more stuff if you buy the $12 but (this is my view) the $100+ boots will last more than 1 season AND put money back into the complete USA economy - and pay American workers a living wage. My boots have a larger and more lasting impact on America, small businesses and American workers.
That's Part 1 - I will return with more you can ignore at a later date.