Buying American Products and Dots

 

 

Living in Europe and speaking French with a heavy accent that is either identified as American or British, I often have to declare that I'm Swiss/Canadian.

I had no need to do that today when I went to see my dermatologist. He knows me well. I've been his patient for over 30 years. During those times, we've had many discussions on American politics. 

He was a student at Clark University in my birth state of Massachusetts so he knows both cultures. We've also talked about the wonderfulness of eating baked stuff lobster, to the point I brought him an article on the delicacy, published in Yankee Magazine.

Today I was there to remove a mole on my head that I'd discovered when I became bald after chemo nine years before. The only problem was a week ago, the mole had decided to take its removal under its own control and had disappeared.

Some appointments we speak in French, other times in English. Today it was French.

He immediately jumped into a conversation about the American political situation and the dangers of Trump. This was not a surprise. I find almost all of my Swiss and French friends share the opinion that Trump is a danger not just to the U.S. but the world. They bring up the topic as if hoping that they are wrong and were looking to me, to corroborate their errors. I can't.

He went straight into not buying American products and how the Swiss can determine if a product is American based. He told me that many stores now put little black dots on American products so people can make easy decisions on what not to buy. 

Colored dots are not new. Depending on the country, the color dot can give warnings about sugar, fats, additive and other health reasons not to buy them. Political protest dots are new.

I didn't want to admit to him, although we try not to buy American, that I had given into a blueberry muffin at Starbucks, even if the franchise owner is probably Swiss. It had more to do with hunger and the fact the Starbucks was only a few steps from the doctor. Rather than walk through the driving rain to another tea room, I gave in. 

I also didn't admit that I give into my Coca-Cola addiction, which I've had since a child. But almost everything else? We've find substitutions.

I know our selective buying, will not make Trump go away or stop the destruction of my birth country, but I was pleased to hear that citizens of other countries are trying to do their part. 

The next blueberry muffin I buy will be locally made.

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