Peddling Fear And A War Economy

Minnie Bee's Rant

     The news lately has been all about the presidential and vice presidential debates. However, hardly any mainstream media coverage has been given to the major foreign policy speech made by former Governor Mitt Romney, Republican presidential nominee, to students at Virginia Military Institute on Columbus Day.  In it, Romney criticized President Obama for failing to have a national security strategy in the Middle East.  Romney backed up his criticisms by citing the President's handling of the recent attacks on the American embassy in Libya which resulted in the deaths of American Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans. 

     One of the most important duties of the President of the United States is to ensure the safety of the United States and its citizens. The President's first priority must be to ensure national security and to minimize the loss of American lives.  This includes acting with prudence at all times, and not always making sensitive information public immediately.  When Romney politicizes United States national security strategy by publicly criticizing it, he endangers our government's diplomatic and foreign service communities, intelligence communities, and military communities far more than any security failure on the part of President Obama.    

     In his foreign policy speech, Romney also sowed seeds of fear, saying that countries such as Syria are "destabilizing," that violence is "on the march," and conflict in the region is now  "higher than when the President took office."  Beyond the fact that this is not accurate,  and that Al-Qaeda's iconic leader, Osama bin Laden, is dead as a result of President Obama's leadership, another important job of the President is to inspire optimism and hope.  Romney does neither, and, in fact, proclaimed in his speech that "hope is not a strategy."  While this is certainly true, hope is a powerful motivating force.  Most of us hope for a positive outcome, hope that the better nature of human beings will prevail, and that, regardless of whether we are Christian, Jew, Muslim, Buddhist, or nonbeliever, hope that mankind will choose love over hate and peace over war.

     It appears from his words, that if he were our President, Romney would not necessarily choose peace over war.  In fact, it sounds as if Romney's plans for accelerating our economic recovery, which is happening under President Obama, but not fast enough for many people, might potentially include another war...or two.  In his speech, Romney alluded to this by saying "no enemy that attacks America will question our resolve to defeat them," and "no one anywhere, friend or foe, will doubt America’s capability to back up our words."  In order to back up our words, Romney said that, if President, he would "make clear through actions, not just words," that the United States will not tolerate Iran's pursuit of nuclear power, install permanent aircraft carrier task forces in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Gulf, increase military assistance to Israel, and build 15 ships per year, including three submarines.

     The impact of all of this military spending on the U.S. economy would more than likely have some positive effect, but how much is questionable.  Some jobs would be created, although much of the manufacturing would be outsourced overseas.  Certainly, the big winners would be Romney's friends - the wealthy heads of multinational military-industrial corporations.  They would enjoy the fruits of Romney's big military spending, as well as Romney's signing of new free trade agreements - making it easier for American profiteering.

     And the losers?  Once again, that would be the working and middle classes.  They are the ones whose sons and daughters would be sacrificed on the killing fields.  They are the ones who would see more competition from foreign countries and more outsourcing of American jobs to foreign countries, and they are the ones who would be stuck with footing the bill for Romney's hawkish big spending.

***********************

Be a jobs creator with your shopping cart! We create and keep U.S. jobs when we demand, promote, and buy "Made in USA" goods and products. Check out our shopping list below and replace one, two, or three of the products you usually buy with one, two, or three of these "Made in USA" products. As always, check labels before buying, and feel free to post your own research to this blog. Remember, "distributed by" or "manufactured by" does not mean that it was made here, regardless of the company address. It must state that it was made in or a product (produce) of the USA!

 

Note: We will continue to add categories, as well as make new recommendations for "Made in USA" products with new blog posts.

Minnie Bee's "Made in USA" Shopping List:

* = new recommendation

**= new category

Baby Food

· mom to mom - Product of USA by Lucerne Foods, Inc., Pleasanton, CA

Beer, Wine

·         Yuengling Lager, Light Lager, Light Beer, Black and Tan, Premium, Porter, Lord Chesterfield Ale - Made in USA by D.S. Yuengling & Son, Inc., Pottsville, PA

Beverages  (non-alcoholic, not including coffee)

· Inko's 100% Natural White Iced Tea - Made in USA by Inko's White Iced Tea, New York, NY

Candy

· Necco Wafers, Clark Bars, Mighty Malt Malted Milk Balls, Mary Janes, Canada Mints, Valentine Conversation Hearts and other candy products - Made in USA by New England Confectionery Co. (NECCO), Revere, MA

· AmeriCandy - Made in USA by AmeriCandy Co., Inc., Louisville, KY

· Bissinger's Candy - Made in USA by Bissinger's, St. Louis, MO

· Hammond's Candies - Made in USA by Hammond's Candy Factory, Denver, CO

· See's Candies - Made in USA by See's Candy Shops, Inc., Carson, CA

· Stewart Candy - Made in USA by Stewart Candy Co., Waycross, GA

· Sweet's Candy - Made in USA by Sweet Candy Co., Salt Lake City, UT

· Wolfgang Candy - Made in USA by Wolfgang Candy Co., Inc., York, PA

· Red Vines - Product of USA by American Licorice Co., Union City, CA

· Mike & Ike, Hot Tamales -Made in USA by Just Born, Inc., Bethlehem, PA

Canned Vegetables

          · Margaret Holmes canned vegetables - Product of USA by McCall Farms,

            Effingham, SC

· Del Monte canned vegetables(check labels, not all cans bear the "packed in USA" statement!)- Packed in USA by Del Monte Foods, San Francisco, CA

Cereal (Hot)

· Safeway Instant Oatmeal - Made in USA by Safeway, Inc., Pleasanton, CA

· Maypo Maple Oatmeal and Wheatena hot cereal - Made in USA by Homestat Farm, Ltd., Dublin, CA

· Old Wessex Creamy Oat Bran, Irish-Style Oatmeal, and 5-Grain Cereal - Made in USA by Old Wessex, Inc., Providence, RI

· Nature's Path Hot Oatmeal - Made in USA by Nature's Path Foods, Inc., Blaine, WA

 

Cereal Bars

· Eating Right Oats & Peanut Butter Bars - Product of USA by Lucerne Foods, Pleasanton, CA

· Safeway Variety Pack Chewy Granola Bars, Safeway Chewy Pretzel Bars - Product of USA by Lucerne Foods, Pleasanton, CA

· Eviro Kidz Bars - Product of USA by Nature's Path Foods, Blaine, WA

· Annie's Organic Granola Bars - Product of USA by Annie's, Berkeley, CA

· Nature's Path Granola Bars - Product of USA by Nature's Path Foods, Blaine, WA

Cheese

· Sargento's cheese - Product of USA by Sargento Foods, Inc., Plymouth, WI

Clothing

· Beyond Clothing - Made in USA by Beyond Clothing, Seattle, WA

· Eagle Sportswear - Made in USA by Eagle USA, Wendell, NC

· Red Ants Pants - Made in USA by Red Ants Pants, White Sulphur Springs, MT

· Wearable Integrity - Made in USA by Barbara Lesser, Los Angeles, CA

· Bayside Apparel- Made in USA by Bayside USA (union), Anaheim, CA

· icantoo Resort Classics - Made in USA by Pacico, Inc., Industry, CA

Coffee

·         New England Coffee - Made in USA by New England Tea and Coffee Co., Inc., Malden, MA

·         Green Mountain Coffee, Caribou Coffee, Gloria Jean's Coffee (K-cups) - Made in USA by Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc., Castroville, CA

·         Millstone Coffee (K-cups) - Made in USA by Millstone Coffee, Inc., Orrville, OH

Coffee Creamer

· Silk Creamer - Made in USA by WhiteWave Foods, Broomfield, CO

Computer Printer Paper

· Printworks Multipurpose Paper - Made in USA by Paris Business Products, Westhampton, NJ

· up & up Multipurpose Printer Paper - Made in USA by Target Brands,
Inc., Minneapolis, MN

· Hemmi Papilio Decal Paper- Made in USA by Hemmi Papilio Supplies LLC, Decatur, TX

Condiments (ketchup, mustard, mayo, relish, salsa, BBQ sauces& marinades)

· Original Juan Mayonnaise, BBQ Sauce, Hot Sauce, Salsa – Made in USA by Original Juan Specialty Foods, Kansas City, KS

· French's Mustard - Made in USA by French's Foods, Reckitt Benckiser, Inc., Parsippany, NJ

· Heinz Tomato Ketchup ((check labels, not all bottles bear the "Mfd. in USA" statement!) - Manufactured in USA by H.J. Heinz Co., L.P., Pittsburgh, PA

Cooking Oil

· California Olive Ranch Olive Oil -Product of California, USA by California Olive Ranch, Inc., Oroville, CA

Cookies

· Safeway Chocolate Teddy Bear Cookies, Grin & Bear It! - Product of USA by Safeway, Inc., Pleasanton, CA

· Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Baked Graham Snacks (all flavors) - Baked in USA by Pepperidge Farms, Inc., Norwalk, CT

Crackers

· Pepperidge Farm (all crackers, Goldfish crackers and pretzels, and crisps) - Baked in USA by Pepperidge Farms, Inc., Norwalk, CT

· Westminster Crackers - Made in USA by Westminster Cracker Co., Rutland, VT

· Ry-Krisp Crackers - Made in USA by Bremner Food Group, Princeton, KY

· Breton Crackers (all except Vinta and Breton Minis) - Made in USA by Dare Foods USA, Spartanburg, SC

· Streit's Matzo - Product of USA by Aron Streit, Inc., New York, NY

Dips, Hummus

· Sabra Hummus -Product of USA by Sabra Dipping Co., LLC, White Plains, NY

Dried Fruit

· Craisins - Made in the USA by Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc., Lakeville-Middleboro, MA

Fruits and Vegetables

· Fruits and vegetables that are "Product /Produce of USA," including "locally grown" fruits and vegetables (as they come into season.)

· Clem'n Tina's Mandarin Oranges - Produce of USA by SunWest, Parlier, CA

· Classic Dover Strawberries - Product of USA by Mike Lott Farm, Seffner, FL (also other FL strawberry farms-check labels)

· Cuties Mandarin Oranges - Produce of USA by Cuties Cooperatives, Bakersfield, CA

· Ranier Apples/Pommes, Sweet Cherries - Produce of USA by Rainier Fruit Company, Selah, WA

· Stemilt Sweet Cherries - Product of USA by Stemilt Growers, LLC, Wenatchee, WA

· Top Brass Premium Quality Grapes - Product of USA by Vignold Farms, Deland, CA

Fruit and Vegetable Wash

· All Natural Veggie Wash Fruit and Vegetable Wash - Made in USA by Beaumont Products, Inc., Kennesaw, GA

Hair Care Products

· California North Hair Care Products- Made in USA by California North, Sausalito, CA

· J Beverly Hills Hair Care Products- Made in USA by Juan Juan, Beverly Hills, CA

· Pureology Serious Color Care - Made in USA by Purelogy Research LLC, Irvine, CA

· Alterna Professional Haircare - Made in USA by Alterna Professional Haircare, Beverly Hills, CA

Mac n' Cheese

· Annie's Macaroni and Cheese - Made in USA by Annie's, Inc., Napa CA

Meals/Frozen Dinners

· Annie's Skillet Meals - Made in USA by Annie's, Inc., Napa, CA

Milk and Milk Products

· Silk Soymilk - Made in USA by WhiteWave Foods, Broomfield, CO

Notebook Paper

· Roselle notebook paper - Made in USA by Roselle Paper Co., Roselle, NJ

· Top Flight 81/2 x 11 spiral notebooks (only) - Made in USA by Top Flight, Chattanooga, TN

· Smart Living notebook paper (only)- Made in USA by American Sales Co., Lancaster, NY

Notebooks, Spiral

· up&up spiral notebooks - Made in USA by Target Brands, Inc., Minneapolis, MN

· Basic spiral notebooks; Norcom composition books; Basic notebook paper, Norcom notebook paper - Made in USA by Norcom, Inc., Griffin, GA

Paper Products

· Vanity Fair Premium Napkins - Made in USA by Georgia-Pacific Consumer Products, LP, Atlanta, GA

· up & up paper plates, bowls - Made in USA by Target Corp., Minneapolis, MN

Pencils and Pens

· Pilot Easy Touch retractable pens (only) - Made in USA by Pilot Corp. of America, Jacksonville, FL

· USA Gold "The Write Dudes" wood case pencils (only) - Made in USA by USA Gold (Mega Brands), Lewisburg, TN

· General's wood case pencils- Made in USA by General Pencil Co., Jersey City, NJ

Pizza, Frozen

· Freschetta Pizza, Red Baron Pizza - Made in USA by Schwan Food Co., Marshall, MN

Plates, Tableware

·         Fiesta Dinnerware - Made in USA by The Homer Laughlin China Co., Newell WV

Power Bars

·         Eating Right Nutrition Bar - Product of USA by Lucerne Foods, Inc., Pleasanton, CA

·         Kind and Kind Plus Fruit and Nut Bars - Product of Kind Healthy Snacks, New York, NY

Salad Dressing

· Annie's Salad Dressing - Made in USA by Annie's, Inc., Napa, CA

· Bragg Healthy Vinaigrette - Product of USA by Bragg Live Food Products, Inc., Santa Barbara, CA

Skin Care Products

·    St. Ives 100% Moisturizer - Made in USA by St. Ives Laboratories, Inc.,

Los Angeles, CA

·         Mario Badescu Skincare (all products) - Made in USA by Mario Badescu, New York, NY

·         Neutrogena Body Oil - Made in USA Neutrogena Corp., Los Angeles, CA

·         *dr dennis gross skincare (all products) - Made in USA by Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare, LLC, New York, NY 

Snacks

· popchips - Made in USA by popchips, San Francisco, CA

· Pretzel Crisps - Made in USA by Snack Factory, Princeton, NJ

· Pepperidge Farm Goldfish, Baked Naturals, cracker chips - Baked in USA by Pepperidge Farm, Inc., Norwalk, CN

· Stacy's Pita Chips - Made in USA by Stacy's Pita Chips, Dallas, TX

· Boulder Canyon Garden Select Vegetable Crisps - Made in USA by Boulder Canyon Natural Foods, Boulder, CO

Soups, canned and packets

· Nature's Promise "Naturals" soup - Product of USA by Foodhold USA, LLC, Landover, MD

· Campbell's Chunky, Select Harvest, and Condensed soups (canned and microwaveable) - Cooked in USA by Campbell's Soup Co., Camden, NJ

· Shore Lunch soup mix - Made in USA by Sportsman Recipes, Inc., Rome, GA

· Streit's Matzo Ball and Soup mix, and Egg Drop soup mix - Product of USA by Aron Streit, Inc., New York, NY

· Manischewitz Ball Soup, and Matzo Balls in Broth (canned in glass jars), and Matzo Ball and Soup mix - Product of USA by The Manischewitz Co., Secaucus, NJ

· Safeway soup mix - Product of USA by Safeway, Inc., Pleasanton, CA

Soup Bowls and Cups

· Maruchan Ramen, Instant Lunch, and Yakisoba soups - Made in USA by Maruchan, Inc., Irvine, CA

· Annie Chun's soup bowls - Product of USA by Annie Chun, Inc., San Rafael, CA

· Eating Right soup cups - Product of USA by Lucerne Foods, Inc., Pleasanton, CA

· Dr. McDougall's soup cups - Product of USA by Dr. McDougall's Right Foods, San Francisco, CA

Soup Stocks

· Kitchen Basics Vegetable, Chicken, Seafood, and Beef cooking stock- Product of USA by Kitchen Basics, Brecksville, OH

Storage Bags and Wraps

· Glad Press'n Seal - Made in USA by The Glad Products Co., Oakland, CA

· up & up storage bags - Made in USA by Target Corp., Minneapolis, MN

· up & up aluminum foil - Made in USA by Target Corp., Minneapolis, MN

Syrup

          · locally-made syrups - Made in USA by farms in VT, NY and PA

· Archer Farms Pure Maple Syrup- Product of USA and Canada by Target Brands, Inc., Minneapolis, MN

· Wegman's Organic Maple Syrup- Product of USA and Canada by Wegman's Food Markets, Inc., Rochester, NY

Toaster Pastries

· Nature's Path Toaster Pastries -Product of USA by Nature's Path Foods, Inc., Blaine, WA

· Pantry Essentials Toaster Pastries - Product of USA by Lucerne Foods, Inc., Pleasanton, CA

 

Vinegar

      · Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar - Product of USA by Bragg Live Food Products, Inc., Santa Barbara, CA

Vitamins

          · vita fusion calcium gummy vites - Made in USA by northwest natural products,

         Vancouver, WA

      · up&up adults' gummy calcium dietary supplement with vitamin D; up&up calcium + vitamin D chews - Made in USA by Target Corp., Minneapolis, MN

      · Citracal with vitamin D plus magnesium tablets; Citrical calcium + D3  caplets; Citracal calcium gummies with D3 - Made in USA by Bayer, Morristown, NJ

Blog Sources:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/10/08/full-transcript-video-of-mitt-romney-s-foreign-policy-speech-at-the-vmi.html

http://www.columbian.com/news/2012/oct/14/romney-speech-thoroughly-dishonest/

http://www.voanews.com/content/romney-first-major-foreign-policy-speech-campaign/1522214.html

http://www.defensenews.com/article/20121013/DEFREG02/310130002/Romney-8217-s-Foreign-Policy-Stance-Tough-Vague?odyssey=nav%7Chead