I agree with much of what you say builder. But those trade agreements are a whole different issue and the only thing we can do about stupid politicians is to try to get them out of there.

Now I'm going to really step in it - but there's not a lot of difference between a bad trade agreement and some of the deals American unions have in place because of political influence. Same thing with agricultural subsidies, not the mention all of those other subsidies (like the "green jobs" stupidity).

As for paying $7 for a ball cap that I can get for $3 - that's not something I would do. After all, I don't want to put the purchasing agents, shippers, longshoremen and truckers that handled that $3 hat out of work. I'll take the $3 hat and put the other $4 toward a pound of (made in the U.S.) GOEX. Or spend the $4 on one of those "donation" chocolate bars my granddaughters sell for their school.