The strength of a nation-state is twofold: the capacity to commit to sustained-violence outside of its respective borders; the ability to produce and thrive within its own borders with access to the limited resources there.

I do it all the time (when I can). It has little to do with 'patriotism.' It has a lot to do with pragmatism. Buying products made with hard earned labor benefits all of us in this country. Buying cheaper stuff harms the American laborer. Unfortunately, it is sometimes hard to get things made in this country.

For me the answer is fairly simple and it comes down to quantity versus quality. It is better to pay more for a product that is going to last longer and it saves time and the expense of having to replace it more frequently....