A post from /r/BuyFromEU got my blood boiling. I don't have an account there any longer, so I have to vent here:
Personally, I am not buying into this idea that you should support a certain business just because it is based in your vicinity. I will buy the product that comes at the best price for the quality I desire. If it is Japanese or American or Chinese, so be it.
In my opinion, the BuyFromEU movement will fail unless the governments of EU countries make a serious attempt to understand the reasons why businesses struggle in the EU and address the structural issues preventing them from scaling up.
Essentially, it is the government's job to fix the reasons why people weren't buying from EU in the first place. Unless the government cuts down on regulations, unless they makes it easier for people to grow their wealth by working hard and not having to pay 50% of their paycheck in taxes, unless they make electricity and gas cheaper, unless they fix the housing shortages in all major cities of Western Europe - this movement will FAIL. Buying Paturain instead of Philadelphia cream cheese is never going to help your economy grow strong.
My choice to not buy Nike and buy Adidas instead will only help the top bosses at Adidas. I am going to still be taxed at 50% of my income, so I might as well buy the cheapest product. The government should give me a serious incentive to buy European, then I will.
The Reddit OP shows a perfect example of:
- Deflecting towards the government instead of taking personal responsibility
- Complaining about taxes and greedy cooperation, while only looking for a personal financial benefit
We as as Europeans must be willing to be uncomfortable again. We ARE the system. So to change the system, we are the ones that must change. Stop whining, start winning.
I think what a lot of people don't realize is that they often don't use the best products or services for them. They simply use what everyone else uses, or what they believe is best for them. I recently changed my operating system, video editing software, cloud service provider, e-mail provider, ... For me, the switch was difficult, but as a result I believe I'm now more happy with the services I use. Think of WhatsApp, I'm not using it because it's actually better than other messaging apps, it's way worse, but since everyone else uses it, I don't really have a choice but to use it.
I wholeheartedly believe that for 95% of the population, switching products and services to local providers can improve not just their experience with said products, but also save them money. It's obviously not true for everything, but if the movement focuses on the actual improvements that local services can provide, rather then sacrificing something "better" just for something local, more people could be convinced to take the initial step to change something.