Buy American Act?

After what seems like a lifetime after I left active duty in the Coast Guard, I earned my degree in Environmental Biology and Management from U.C. Davis and worked as a project manager for several environmental firms. The worst project I ever had was a lead paint removal project from the roof of a Federal Building in California. Everything about this project was bad, the project bid, the plans, the specs and most importantly, my project management. All this aside, I recall an item in the contract that threw me for a loop. This was the "Buy American Act" clause. In order to be in compliance with our contract, we could not purchase foreign steel or foreign magic lead paint remover stuff (we could use all the foreign labor we wanted -- funny that). However, my beloved Coast Guard has no trouble contracting with EADS, a French-owned firm, for the design and production of the HC-235A, a medium-range, surveillance, maritime patrol aircraft. I posted about EADS way back in June 2005 and I am still shocked. Aren't the French the people that wouldn't stand by us in Iraq? Aren't the French that stood beside Russia and propped up the Iraqi economy for years? Suppose the Frech get pissed at us again for turning the croissant into the croisandwich? Would they stop production of important spare parts in the time of urgent need.

I can hear it now, "Hurry, we need more infrared HUDs for the HC-235A!"
"But I am le tired."
"I shall smoke and have le nap."

Unbelievable.

Open Post Thanks to The Mudville Gazette, Right Wing Nation, Stuck on Stupid and Third World County.