Require more goods be made in the U.S.

Restoring the economy is not going to come about from stimulus as far as the eye can see. Priming the pump of our depleted well will, at best, reduce unemployment short term, followed by higher unemployment numbers when stimulus is withdrawn.

A declining dollar may benefit the economy through exports, but currency wars from competing exporting nations are sure to follow. Anyway, we have mostly abandoned the idea of making things in the U.S. Look around. We are a nation of warehouses stocked with things made in faraway places. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than five million manufacturing jobs have been lost since the year 2000.

A radical solution: Require a minimum of half a company's consumer goods sold in this country be made in this country. Radical? Other countries have been doing this right along. Example: China requires 75 percent of the contents of solar panels sold in China be made in China.

A plan to require a percentage of goods be made here would not undermine "free trade". It would rather encourage responsible free trade. It would give us a much-needed oversight of a company's manufacturing process and content. The blending of products made in the U.S. and in foreign sites could benefit overall quality standards.

Restoring manufacturing is key to a real recovery. The alternative is likely to be a long-term perpetual recession.

Joel W. Jenkins

Medinah