FranktoidTM No. 5 - America: Made in China?

The other day I was having lunch at an American restaurant, located in an American city, with a very distinct American theme. While I was mowing down my American cheeseburger, I overheard some lawyer looking types talking in the booth next to me. They were worried about the current global debt crisis and the impact it could potentially have on the American economy. When one of them said the largest single holder of U.S. government debt was China, with 26 percent of all foreign-held U.S. Treasury securities, I was shocked. I know 26 percent might not seem like a huge percentage to everyone, but let me put this in perspective.

Some of the most recent studies put the total of imported Chinese goods that are sold in America at less then 3 percent! I know, it's hard to believe. (I think 2.7 percent was the exact figure)  Now I don't know about you, but it seems like everywhere I look all I see is "made in China". Take the MiC (Made in China) challenge yourself. The next time you go to the store check the items in your cart. I'll bet at least 99% of it is MiC. Getting back to the perspective part, if all the acres of MiC stuff that I see are only pegged at 2.7%, that 26% mentioned earlier now looks ginormous.

Not that there is anything wrong with Chinese goods. After all, this is America, land of the free, home of the brave and the First Amendment. Nothing says America like baseball, Chevrolet, and apple pie, right? Judge for yourself. I snapped the following pictures at the American themed restaurant I was at. It also purportedly had some of the best apple pie around. I just hope it wasn't made in China...

Nothing says "American" like a flag made from baseballs...

Unless the baseballs are made in China!