posit: <U>Since you didn't buy American, you are not supporting American workers, American companies (</U>no such thing anymore<U>) and you are selling out just to get something with better quality and value. To blazes with everyone else, they can buy the American pieces of junk, my one purchase of a foreign car isn't going to matter. My Honda was made in Marysville, Ohio so it's kind of an American car anyway. Other people are buying foreign cars so why not me too?
This is in line with the 'group mentality' (like with an angry mob) wherein people suddenly lose their values and relinquish them to the group and therefore they feel they are not responsible anymore for their actions. I am more likely to break a window if there's a mob with me doing the same thing.
"But this is good for competition"; it will make American automakers get their asses in gear and start making quality products so that they may compete. A copout if I ever heard one.
</U>But it turns out competition is good, even if your self-serving purchase was rationalized by this fact. Competition fosters lower prices, better quality and envy among your neighbors (capitalism).
People will always do things that are in their own self-interest, even if it means putting their country second. Besides there are plenty of Americans employed in foreign car dealerships and factories. "Buy American" seems to be a phrase promoted by unions and governments for tax purposes.
If you've purchased a foreign car, America forgives you 😉 [/flamesuit]