The checkout line is where American dreams crash into American paychecks. Beneath the sterile glare of fluorescent lights, surrounded by shelves stacked with promises, ordinary Americans reach not for what they want, but for what they can afford.

And they do it again and again and again.

The woman ahead of you examines two identical-looking coffee makers. One bears a small "Made in USA" sticker and costs $89. The other, manufactured somewhere in Asia — most likely China — rings up at $29. She holds the American-made model for a moment, reading the label twice. Then she sets it back on the shelf and takes the cheaper one. Her face says it all. What looks like apathy toward American jobs is nothing but cold, merciless math — the difference between putting dinner on the table and making excuses to the kids.

No wonder support for “Made in America” has fallen from 60 percent to 50 percent in just two years. That 10-point drop is more than a shifting consumer taste; it’s a national ideal smashing up against everyday reality. For generations, the phrase carried real weight. It was pride forged into steel, stitched into seams, etched into every surface. Then it slipped.

“Made in America” stopped standing for quality and started standing for cost. Corporations learned........

© The Hill