Originally Posted by dalparadise

Even a Japanese auto purchase keeps a lot of Americans at work. The dealership that sold you the car is most likely American owned. The salesperson who earned his commission is an American. The service guys and make-ready staff are all American. The local advertising guys are too. The national ad guys, who are paid by a charge embedded in the sticker price are most likely Americans, as are their bosses.

The tires can come from a variety of countries -- many come from the USA -- and have their own chain of dealers, sales and marketing staffs ans such who are connected to this country. The XM subscription supports a US company. The oil and gas you run through the engine may be sourced overseas, but ultimately finds ways to profit Americans working for American companies -- including the initial fill-up you get "free" with your new car. Most likely that came from a nearby station or perhaps a local distributor who pays an American trucker to bring in gas to the dealer's on-site tank. If they buy it from the corner station, there's another chain of distributors, truckers, brokers and such who are Americans and lined their pockets with your Japanese purchase.

Of course little things like light bulbs, hinges, filters, belts, hoses may or may not be sourced from here, but if they are, each can lay claim to a long chain of Americans who depend upon that purchase for their livelihood.

And don't get me started on the insurance and financing required to drive the thing off the lot in the first place. A lot of Americans feed their families from those parts of this "foreign" purchase.

Fact is, you couldn't make an exclusively foreign car purchase in this country if your life depended on it.