| There's been a lot of talk lately about how our country | | | | we should also be very vocal with our dislike of |
| is headed towards socialism. As the signs and | | | | corporate socialism. However we must use our dollars |
| placards fly about warning America about this | | | | to speak the language of the corporation. Here are |
| impending evil the very people carrying them are | | | | three tips: |
| complaining about how slowly the government is in | | | | Whenever possible buy American |
| turning the economy around, cleaning up the Gulf spill, | | | | I'm a firm believer in buying American. I don't advocate |
| and reforming Medicare and Medicaid. | | | | just settling for poor quality just to buy from American |
| But that's not what I'm writing to address in this post. I | | | | manufacturers. Be an educated consumer and choose |
| want to know what's the difference between a | | | | your purchases with purpose and knowledge. Do they |
| government that is socialist and a socialist corporation. | | | | really make the products in the U.S.? Do they treat |
| Let me explain, as I understand it. When a government | | | | their employees well and provide a living wage? Buy |
| tries to provide its countrymen with good roads, good | | | | from companies that really want and deserve your |
| healthcare, a good environment, clean water, clean air, | | | | business. Companies that respond to consumer needs |
| and protection against consumer abuses that's | | | | and want to build a lasting relationship with their |
| socialism and that's bad. Real bad. | | | | customers are whom you want to do business with. |
| Yet when a corporation wants to control consumers | | | | Buy from small companies or retailers |
| and drain their wallets with monopolies, bad | | | | Smaller companies have less overhead, can respond |
| investments, inferior products, and humongous rewards | | | | faster to their customer needs, and usually will bend |
| for mediocre leadership, that's okay because that's | | | | over backwards to have your business. Whenever |
| free enterprise. I call it corporate socialism. After all | | | | possible buy local so that the taxes and revenue stay |
| aren't they doing the same thing? Aren't the big | | | | within your area. You might have to pay a little more |
| corporations treating us as dumb sheep and making | | | | but its worth it when you can go and talk directly face |
| our decisions for us? Don't they want to dictate our | | | | to face with someone when you have a problem |
| every purchase from cradle to grave so they can | | | | rather than being on hold for hours hoping to talk to |
| make over the top profits? | | | | someone overseas. |
| Here's an example. The American car companies | | | | Vote with your dollarsIn this tight economy most of us |
| over the last couple of decades have decided what | | | | are thinking long and hard how we spend our money. |
| the American consumer wants. They decided we | | | | We are doing more research before major purchases |
| wanted large, inefficient, poorly constructed vehicles. | | | | and are doing less impulse buying when we shop. We |
| They ignored the very consumer's they supposedly | | | | are also using more coupons than ever before. In other |
| served and then went running to the government to | | | | words we are doing what we should have done all |
| get bailed out when the consumer stopped buying their | | | | along. We are being wiser consumers. By voting with |
| products. The exception to this was Ford Motor | | | | our dollars we send the message to the corporate |
| Company which reevaluated their product line and | | | | socialists that we are no longer playing their game and |
| started giving the public what they wanted. Now their | | | | just accepting the next poorly thought out gadget that |
| sales are up 25% over this time last year. | | | | they dangle in front of us. |
| For too long, we the consumer, have bought into | | | | It's time for a revolution in this country. Not one of |
| corporate socialism. We have tolerated poor products, | | | | violence and war but one of breaking free from |
| lazy innovation, and high prices because we've been | | | | corporate socialism and the evil it has done to our |
| told buying from our U.S. manufacturers is patriotic. | | | | country. We do that by refusing to give them our |
| Even though they make the products off shore in | | | | dollars unless it's on our terms. Isn't that what a free |
| most cases. Buying American is a great thing if we | | | | enterprise system is all about? Next time you pull a |
| also use our heads and stop excepting the crap and | | | | dollar out of your wallet to spend it think long and hard |
| demand that the corporation serve us, not the other | | | | the message you are sending to it's recipient. Are you |
| way around. | | | | saying you are glad to support that business with your |
| So how does the consumer send the message that | | | | patronage or are you saying you don't care how |
| we are sick and tired of corporate socialism? Just as | | | | you're treated as a consumer? The choice is yours. |
| we voice our displeasure with governmental socialism | | | | Use it. |