Today in class we talked about Paul Revere and what his portrait says about him and the culture and people of his time. He was probably a middle upper class gentleman because he had a respectable trade, yet did not have a lot of decorative or ornate clothing or furniture to show his status. Someone mentioned that the portrait makes him look like an average citizen, a familiar face. People would see this painting and think, "Hey, he looks like my local silversmith". Then we talked about the value of buying a product locally or from overseas, and if it is worth it to buy local or not.
For me, the environmental consequences of buying most products from overseas is enough to want to buy locally. This is especially important for food because so much energy is used and wastede in food production, preservation, and transportation. Also, we get much of our energy from the Middle East, so if we produced more sustainable energy in the U.S. we would not only be a more independant and safer country, but one that provides more jobs to people too.
Usually I know I just buy something based on the price. If one product is similar to another but is cheaper, I'll buy it. But since you often "get what you pay for", the quality may not be the best and the conditions under which it was made may be lesser than the product that cost more.
Karin,
ReplyDeleteYes. You suggest in your comment that price, quality, and ideals are intertwined. What is the origin of your judgment that paying more for something local is "better" than paying less for something imported? Are there products that reverse that pattern; that is, are there products for which you are willing to pay more for the imported item because it is imported or because the quality is better? LDL