Wealth increases with the amount of trade, not the other way around. Yet, the editorial board at Cornwall Standard Freeholder, goes with the truthiness answer:
Cornwallites over the next few days will be spending the gift money they've received over Christmas and the holidays on boxing week bargains.
Some in search of better deals will head across the border where books and electronic items are often cheaper.
In the past few months, Canadian retailers have done much to encourage Canadian shoppers to buy at home.
Sears Canada and Best Buy, for example, slashed the cost of many big ticket items and clothing.
Chapters (which also owns the Coles bookstore in Cornwall Square) has put up posters in their stores that proclaim they don't set Canadian prices on books. On just about all books sold in Canadian stores there are two different prices: U.S. and Canada.
But since then the loonie has soared and Canadian retailers have at least attempted to respond - either by slashing prices or educating consumers on why the prices are marginally (or dramatically) different.
So as Canadians set out to buy over the rest of the holiday season, we encourage them to spend that money at home.
When tempted to stray across the border, keep in mind that when that hard-earned cash or gift money is spent at home, it helps keep our local and Canadian economy strong.
--First of all the statement that spending money in Canada keeps the economy strong is false. However, ignoring that fact, we should all have to ask our selfs if the people living on the other side of the world have any less to do with you than the people living across the country. Many of these people who like to brag about buying things locally also claim to be progressives. My question to you is, "if you are so progressive why do you only care about the people who live inside a ultimately artificial border?"
1 comment:
I think the last point you make is entirely wrong. A good number of people who "buy Canadian" are conservative by nature (I know I am). We "buy Canadian" because we still believe in the importance of supporting our neighbours.
However, I would recognize that in the modern market we have to reevaluate our ability to do so. We may prefer to buy chips and soda at a locally-owned corner store, but also have to recognize how few of them exist any more. Even when they do exist, the products they sell invariably are produced in other countries.
Perhaps buying locally simply isn't any more pactical than it is pragmatic.
I also disagree with your assertion that wealth increases with the amount of trade. Logically, trade also increases with the amount of wealth, as people import luxury goods that are often produced abroad. The effect is clearly cycical in nature.
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