Reviewer Michelle Kaye Malsbury:
Michelle was born in Champaign, IL. Currently, she resides in Asheville, NC
and is in her second year of doctoral studies at Nova Southeastern
University in Ft. Lauderdale with specialization/concentration in
conflict resolution and peace studies. She has over six hundred
articles published on the web and one book published thus far with
many more in the wings. Hobbies include; reading, writing, music, and
playing with her Australian Cattle Dog, Abu.
Author: Alan Uke
Publisher: Select Books
ISBN: 978-1-59079-230-8
Author: Alan Uke
Publisher: Select Books
ISBN: 978-1-59079-230-8
In the introduction of Buying America Back, Uke states “…60% of the manufactured consumer goods we buy are imported from other countries.” (2012, intro.) And, “The economic foundation of our country has been severely eroded over the past forty years…consumers must demand to be more honestly and completely informed about what they are buying and where their money goes…Consumer spending makes up seventy percent of the US economy.”
Chapter one is titled The Way Back. Uke says “…we must change our buying habits and purchase products that are manufactured her…purchase products from foreign countries that have balanced trade alliances with the US.” (2012, p.4) [paraphrase] If we changed our spending from outside the US to within our borders by a mere $1 per day we might recoup $100 billion dollars from our trade deficit. And a $10 per days shift may create 13 million jobs.
[paraphrase] Millions of jobs were lost between 2000 and 2013. (2012, p.10) “…steady employment instigates and enables spending; spending bolsters the economy...” (p.13) “For the bottom 90% of earners the average pay has grown just a few hundred dollars since 1980…the money is only going to the top 10% of earners…as imports have increased, employment opportunities for all-important middle class have decreased.” (p.15)
Uke states that “…in 1968 there were sixty-two lobbyists in Washington…Today, there are 34,000.” (2012, p.16) “It is estimated that one manufacturing job creates four or five indirect jobs elsewhere in the economy…jobs in manufacturing pay an average of 20% above the pay of jobs in other sectors…our imporats are 17% of the gross domestic product wihle our entire manufacturing sector makes up only 11.5%...America’s trade ratio, the ratio between imports and exports, is one of the least balanced in the world at 1.24 to 1.” (p.17) “…America’s current trade deficit with China…in 2010 reached $210 billion…each $1 billion in a trade deficit translates to about 13,000 lost jobs…” (p.18) He surmises that “…where manufacturing goes, innovation follows.” (p.21)
As a potential solution to these issues Uke offers the following. “There are two everyday choices we can immediately apply that will boost our economy. One is buying products from countries which we have an even trade balance, which means an equal amount of exports going to these countries as is being exported to them…support manufacturers that specifically benefit their local economy.” (2012, p.27)
Want to know more about these problems and how we might collectively create solutions? Read this book! I enjoyed the information Uke used to support his arguments and premises. I think you will too.