There are, of course, ways to save money in this business. Many US clothing factories run on what's known as a "piece rate" system, where workers are paid per operation, not by the hour. This system allows factories to skirt minimum wage laws.

It's also how we get US sweatshops

It's hard to help Americans left behind because so much of US identity is rooted in individualism. The average American conservative holds all three positions at once:

— Virtue signals about supporting US manufacturing
— Against raising the minimum wage
— Buys foreign imports because they're cheap