Bruce, you're right that we ought to acknowledge the "limited but actual conflictuality" between the university and other non-identical and potentially incompatible sites.

I am reminded of Spivak's anecdote over dinner about a student who wondered why she had to read books when her father, who was an immensely successful pillar of society, didn't, and her reply that for some reason, her father felt it important to send his daughter to this school in order to read books.

I hadn't heard the language of "unfair trade practices" as a form of national comparison and blame yet, but it does sound scary, especially since it seems to draw on the "fair trade" language that suffuses "ethical consumerism."

In terms of "buying foreign," are there any movements that take up parallel messages?

I wonder if the Comedy Central's critique of Fox's fairness and balance is itself mirrored in Colbert's arguing against himself in the "Formidable Opponent" sketches:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Tree_Biting_Conspiracy/The_Colbert_Report_recurring_elements#Formidable_Opponent