Think Globally, Act Locally – Opinion

Our sister site PJ Media published a fantastic piece on China’s retail spending. You don’t invite the man who batters your sister to dinner, so why do we continue to feed China, which batters us economically, culturally, and now our very health, daily? Sometimes small steps are all that’s needed to be part of the solution.

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to not only limit my Amazon purchases (Chinese or no), but to cut off support of organizations that actively support Uighur slave labor, and increase my support of small business and Made in the USA.

Athena Thorne at PJ Media gives some great tips, so I won’t repeat them here—go give it a read. Mad props to Athena Thorne for highlighting The Grommet which promotes U.S.-based artisans as well as small businesses. Their support was a huge part of Christmas shopping that I did, and it made me proud. However, I’d like to take it a step further to not just the products we buy, but why we buy them.

Some substitutes can be difficult. If you’re a true outdoor person (I am not), then a brand like The North Face is not easily replaceable. A good place to begin is to examine where and how you shop. SaveUighur.org lists a wide range of Uighur clothing companies, retailers and manufacturers that use Uighur slave labor in order to make their products. While not all are the same, some of them are. Target, Walmart, Sephora, and Walmart are all on my list for 2022. Local retailers are on my list.

It is important to remember that mindfulness is an essential principle of Yoga. Focusing on your breath alone will help you be more mindful of all aspects of your life, including your breathing. When we as American consumers couldn’t get stuff via one-click, we actually had to take the time to research where and how we would acquire it. It also gave us the opportunity to get to know both the people we were dealing with and the people behind the product. There is weight to that, as well as appreciation, and we’ve been lacking both in our culture for far too long.

Also, there’s the abandon-culture mentality that is causing a lot of problems in our daily interactions. Mike Lindell of MyPillow is now fully direct sales because Kohl’s, Walmart and other outlets don’t like his politics. He’s a big name—how many smaller companies that we don’t know about have experienced the same, and quietly slipped into obscurity? Many conservatives and patriots who support freedom of expression and speech are moving quickly into maker economies. They are promoting one another through their efforts to promote and support each other. You can also lend, trade, and gift items through groups such as the Buy Nothing Project. My Buy Nothing group gave away an oven and washer/dryer to a mom of three toddlers. The three appliances were provided at no charge to us. We moved into an apartment that no longer required them. It felt great to give back to those in need.

Are there any industrious people who are able to compile lists of artisans and craftsmen in your area? Perhaps you’re one of those people, and have not offered your services to make a profit. In this moment in my life I’d rather spend more to support a company or person who does a great job with craftsmanship and really needs direct commerce than it takes to fill the pockets of Amazon, Walmart or some other CEO that I’ve never heard of.

If you don’t mind buying foreign, but want to support actual artisans and good causes, organizations like Ten Thousand Villages, Shop with a Mission, and Shop with a Mission Heavenly Treasures use the micro economy to promote fair trade and help refugees (a good majority women) start their own businesses and sell the goods they produce. They have also gifted me beautiful treasures.

Mindfulness requires planning, because this means you just can’t pull it off the shelf or click on it to add to your virtual cart. You may not be able to add it to your virtual cart. However, you will need to plan ahead in order for it when it becomes available. Three quarters of my cleaning supplies are delivered to me from a company called Grove.co, and I have an automatic subscription; but I do need to take the time to review these items before they are sent to me to make sure I am not being duplicative or getting an item I don’t need.

I’m all for a different way of shopping that helps China undercut and puts money back in small businesses and those who really need it. Here’s to a Happy New Year that involves more mindfulness in our shopping and our politics.

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