July 04, 2002
GRAND OLD IMPORTS
GRAND OLD IMPORTS: John J. Miller thinks it's sad that imported star-spangled banners outsell domestic flags (LA Times account and password both "laexaminer"-- thanks, guys!). Why is this sad? It means three things:
1) American workers are too prosperous for textiles-- their labor is allocated to other, more efficient sectors, where they are well-payed.
2) Foreign workers earn sustenance-- the antiglobalists myths about "exploitation" notwithstanding, the average Southeast Asian laborer is a whole lot better with his "low-paying" job than without it.
3) Those foreign workers spend all day looking at the stars and stripes, a pretty concrete reminder of just who the friendly folks paying their bills are.
Happy 4th of July, and here's to Freedom-- including that of trade.