Today, many Americans regard globalization as a significant threat to our work force, and to our very way of life. As unemployment soars, the automotive and manufacturing industries crumble, countless jobs continue to ship overseas, and the retail sector faces the worst slump in decades, cries of “Buy American” have grown louder and louder. But at a time when an Italian company has bailed out one of our most iconic automakers; a French-German consortium is closing in on a multibillion dollar military contract; companies based around the world are stocking our grocery aisles; and the assets of some of our most venerable financial institutions have been stripped down and bought up by banks from Hong Kong and London, what does “Buy American” mean any more?
Is the influence that foreign companies are exerting on our economy making us more competitive in the global marketplace, or less? Creating jobs for Americans, or importing their own workforces? A threat to our national security, or a