Stratosphere From United States of America, joined Sep 2007, 1614 posts, RR: 3 Posted (5 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 3374 times:
I for one am getting damn sick and tired of the Chinese crap infiltrating this country. Actually I am sick of our country allowing it to happen. From lead paint in the crap toys then the thousands of animals killed from the poisoned Chinese crap pet food now the multi million dollar drug industry can't do business without going to china to get cheap crap so they can pad their bottom line...I have to laugh when the Bush administration got their panties in a wad because seniors were going to Canada to get cheaper prescription drugs all the while the US drug manufactures are going to china on the cheap.
NeilYYZ From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 1, posted (5 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 3355 times:
Welcome to capitalism. I'll fully admit to being part of the problem shopping at places like Wal-Mart. God knows stuff from China is cheaper, and while it'd be nice to see jobs being kept in country (or continent), I'm not likely to pay up for those products. I do agree though that there should be tougher testing of products coming from China to ensure that they're safe.
KhelmDTW From United States of America, joined Jun 2007, 269 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (5 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 3256 times:
Quoting Stratosphere (Thread starter): I for one am getting damn sick and tired of the Chinese crap infiltrating this country. Actually I am sick of our country allowing it to happen. From lead paint in the crap toys then the thousands of animals killed from the poisoned Chinese crap pet food now the multi million dollar drug industry can't do business without going to china to get cheap crap so they can pad their bottom line...I have to laugh when the Bush administration got their panties in a wad because seniors were going to Canada to get cheaper prescription drugs all the while the US drug manufactures are going to china on the cheap.
Welcome to the club dude, we have jackets.
That is why I no longer shop at Wally-World. That, and their employees creep me out.
HAWK21M From India, joined Jan 2001, 31201 posts, RR: 58 Reply 4, posted (5 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 12 hours ago) and read 3166 times:
As a consumer you need to decide if you want cheap goods or quality.Your country administration will need to listen.
India may not be as financially sufficient as most nations,but Chinese goods have got a typical reputation out here of inferior & not long lasting & gradually a choice is being made by citizens.
Elite From Hong Kong, joined Jun 2006, 2760 posts, RR: 10 Reply 5, posted (5 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 11 hours ago) and read 3130 times:
The Chinese government has announced a while ago that they are going to start improving the quality of their exports, and they hope to restore confidence in their products. However, I don't think that any country would stop importing Chinese goods because they are so cheap and stopping these goods will mean a much higher price and it can't balance out the supply and demand.
Some countries have subsidiaries for home grown products but those are usually exported and there is no way they can fulfill the demand. The few things countries can do is pressure the Chinese to improve quality, trust them that they are improving, or do rigorous tests (although this might have a negative effect on the consumers).
Welcome to the "greed is good" world, more likely. When toys may cost more than $1.50 again and corporations aren't killed anymore for making less than a 10% bottom line, "Made in China" will become less wide-spread. But as long as the only thing that counts is quarterly profits, that won't happen.
Walk together, talk together all ye peoples of the earth. Then, and only then, shall ye have peace.
Mt99 From United States of America, joined May 1999, 6354 posts, RR: 7 Reply 7, posted (5 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 8 hours ago) and read 3005 times:
Japanese electronic were once called "crap", Toyota cars were "death traps".. how times change!
Quoting Airfoilsguy (Reply 2): Stop buying the "Chinese crap" and they will stop importing it.
Quoting Stratosphere (Thread starter): can't do business without going to china to get cheap crap so they can pad their bottom line
So its not the fault of the Chinese. It the corporation's fault. The same corporation whose stock you own, the same corporation whose dividends you collect...
If drug companies *actually* had to pay all those taxes and regulations, if no tax havens and tax loopholes existed, no one would be able to afford drugs. And that includes governments because they don't have a bottom-less pocket, either. Point is: you have no one but yourself to blame. You are repelling these companies away.
When I say you, I mean your politicians. The ones you probably vote for.
[Edited 2008-02-14 07:46:11]
"If goods do not cross borders, soldiers will" - Frederic Bastiat
PPVRA From Brazil, joined Nov 2004, 8492 posts, RR: 43 Reply 10, posted (5 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 8 hours ago) and read 2991 times:
Quoting Aloges (Reply 6):
Welcome to the "greed is good" world, more likely. When toys may cost more than $1.50 again and corporations aren't killed anymore for making less than a 10% bottom line, "Made in China" will become less wide-spread. But as long as the only thing that counts is quarterly profits, that won't happen.
You've gotta blame the people who buy the cheap crap not the companies. The companies do one thing: they serve people what they want. The quartely profits will come whether it's $1.50 or $100.
"If goods do not cross borders, soldiers will" - Frederic Bastiat
Max999 From United States of America, joined Dec 2005, 906 posts, RR: 0 Reply 11, posted (5 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 8 hours ago) and read 2958 times:
I for one am getting damn sick and tired of the Chinese crap infiltrating this country. Actually I am sick of our country allowing it to happen. From lead paint in the crap toys then the thousands of animals killed from the poisoned Chinese crap pet food now the multi million dollar drug industry can't do business without going to china to get cheap crap so they can pad their bottom line...I have to laugh when the Bush administration got their panties in a wad because seniors were going to Canada to get cheaper prescription drugs all the while the US drug manufactures are going to china on the cheap.
A woman decided to live an entire year without Chinese-made goods and she wrote a book about it: A Year Without "Made in China." http://www.newsweek.com/id/61501 To summarize...the positive was that she really had to think hard about buying quality goods, but the downside of course is the high costs.
All the things I really like to do are either immoral, illegal, or fattening.
Aloges From Germany, joined Jan 2006, 8357 posts, RR: 47 Reply 12, posted (5 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 8 hours ago) and read 2934 times:
Quoting PPVRA (Reply 10): You've gotta blame the people who buy the cheap crap not the companies.
I'm blaming greedy shareholders, mostly. I don't think that A) corporations outsourcing to China pass all the savings on to their customers and that B) everyone really wants to go there, but some have to because shareholders expect unethical profit margins. A and B are of course closely related.
Walk together, talk together all ye peoples of the earth. Then, and only then, shall ye have peace.
AGM100 From United States of America, joined Dec 2003, 5407 posts, RR: 17 Reply 14, posted (5 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 7 hours ago) and read 2893 times:
Me too ! I bought a new pair of Georgia boots last weekend ... MADE IN China .
I took them back. I love China ! I have no problem with the Chinese people , I just have a problem with everything being made their and marketed as American product.
My old pair of boots (Georgia) were not made in China , so they have changed in the past 5 years.
You dig the hole .. I fill the hole . 100% employment !
Confuscius From United States of America, joined Aug 2001, 3634 posts, RR: 2 Reply 15, posted (5 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 5 hours ago) and read 2812 times:
VonRichtofen From Canada, joined Nov 2000, 4621 posts, RR: 40 Reply 16, posted (5 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 5 hours ago) and read 2796 times:
What pisses me off are the corporations using dirt cheap labour in China but then keeping the prices for their products the same as they were before.
It's one thing if a company moves production to China and then slashes prices for the consumer, but it's something else when a company moves to China and keeps prices the same or even higher.
Roots is a good example. For years they were all about the "We're 100% Canadian!" and it was true, even their socks and T-shirts were made in Canada and they were good quality. But now they've sold out, their stuff is shite, and still just a expensive as when it was made in Canada.
MD11Engineer From Germany, joined Oct 2003, 13342 posts, RR: 64 Reply 17, posted (5 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 5 hours ago) and read 2783 times:
The main point is that the "People's Republic of China" now resembles England of around 1850.
There exists a huge mass of lumpenproletariat migrant workers, who are forced to work for peanuts (or to starve) and no rights at all.
I seriosly think that the Chinese government deliberately refuses to develop the areas away from the rich coastal provinces to keep a ready supply of cheap labour (and China btw. receives development aid from e.g. Germany).
China is one of the few countries, where the factory boss can be at the same time head of the trade union and who can call armed thugs, police or military if his workers make demands.
The same boss is also proteced by his government (with which he often is related) from the enforcement of intellectual property laws.
Quote: The sad reality today is that there are fewer available suppliers in Canada, and certain products can no longer be made in Canada. It’s a shame that free trade, globalization and the saturation of the Canadian market by major US and European companies manufacturing overseas have made this situation worse. The result: the technical capacity simply no longer exists in Canada to make certain categories of merchandise (i.e. luggage and backpacks).
So you are to understand that a company with "estimated sales of about $300 million in 2003" (wikipedia only, but they sure aren't small) cannot provide suppliers with enough orders to keep operating. Right, and Santa Claus will soon ask for Peking Duck.
Walk together, talk together all ye peoples of the earth. Then, and only then, shall ye have peace.
HAWK21M From India, joined Jan 2001, 31201 posts, RR: 58 Reply 19, posted (5 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 4 hours ago) and read 2765 times:
Quoting MD11Engineer (Reply 17): There exists a huge mass of lumpenproletariat migrant workers, who are forced to work for peanuts (or to starve) and no rights at all.
isn't thats because its a communist state.
regds
MEL
VonRichtofen From Canada, joined Nov 2000, 4621 posts, RR: 40 Reply 20, posted (5 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 3 hours ago) and read 2711 times:
Quoting Aloges (Reply 18): So you are to understand that a company with "estimated sales of about $300 million in 2003" (wikipedia only, but they sure aren't small) cannot provide suppliers with enough orders to keep operating. Right, and Santa Claus will soon ask for Peking Duck.
That was one of finest examples of PR bullshit I've ever seen. Nice
Ps76 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 21, posted (5 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 3 hours ago) and read 2707 times:
Hi,
I don't know about the US but I think definitely here there are 2 kinds of Chinese goods. Firstly, I think many Japanese electronics (maybe Korean electronics too?) are made in China (and looking at my Panasonic walkman from 1996 seem to have been made there for quite a long time). There quality is very good. On the other end there's stuff which is just put out really cheap by factories and companies from Europe etc. go shopping to huge trade shows, pick what they want and have the label put on it - again the quality may be excellent or it may not. The there's the real low end 99c store kind of thing.
But X-box's are made in China, Ipods are made in China. I don' think I could last 2 minutes without something made in China!
Also, reading the book by Akio Morita who founded Sony, he describes how after the end of WW2 when they started Japan was famous for making cheap crap too and the reason they started making the company was because they wanted to make something of good quality, to get rid of that image. I don't know if it's natural progression but I wonder if Chinese manufacturing has started to or will start to go through this phase?
PSA53 From United States of America, joined Aug 2003, 3004 posts, RR: 4 Reply 22, posted (5 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 2 hours ago) and read 2701 times:
Clearly adjustments need to be made to bring the balance back.
The questions are:
How do you stop cheap labor and better human rights for them?
How do restore the middle class standard of living in the US and other nations?
How do you stop dependence of socialist type programs in the US and restore financial independence?
How do upgrade standard of living for workers abroad like China,Mexico,India and South America?
How do restore "Made In USA? and fair competition.
Quality of products?Fair pricing?Health insurance and other benefits?
Answer: Organized labor.Start at the source.China and the like.Here at one time in the US, we had no competitors and could form the unions without any fear of being undermined in pricing.Take the fight to them and organize labor within those nations.
By no means,I'm not anti-corportation,anti-captitialised.But the balance of power has been grossly shifted and abused.And one time,in this nation, unions and corporations did co-exist.Why not start on a global labor level,IMO?
MD11Engineer From Germany, joined Oct 2003, 13342 posts, RR: 64 Reply 23, posted (5 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 2 hours ago) and read 2699 times:
Quoting HAWK21M (Reply 19): Quoting MD11Engineer (Reply 17):
There exists a huge mass of lumpenproletariat migrant workers, who are forced to work for peanuts (or to starve) and no rights at all.
isn't thats because its a communist state.
regds
MEL
I wouldn't consider China to be communist anymore, they are definitely totalitarian, but economically they are in the phase of what we in Germany call the "Manchester Capitalism" like existed in England during the mid-19th century,exactly the conditions which sparked the communist movement.
China today is communist only in name, since the same people, who are claiming to fight for worker's rights are the main force behind the exploitation.
Lincoln From United States of America, joined Nov 2004, 3887 posts, RR: 8 Reply 24, posted (5 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 2 hours ago) and read 2683 times:
Quoting VonRichtofen (Reply 16): What pisses me off are the corporations using dirt cheap labour in China but then keeping the prices for their products the same as they were before.
Part of the equation is sometimes that other costs (insurance, raw materials, etc) are rising so in order to mantain pricing (rather than rasing it) they need to cut labor costs... especially in states like CA, one of the only ways to cut labor costs can be, in some cases, to just leave (i.e. move off-shore)
CO Is My Airline of Choice || Baggage Claim is an airline's last chance to disappoint a customer || Next flts in profile
25 Aloges: Yes, sort of. I fully agree with MD11Engineer's reply 23, the only thing that "communist" China has in common with the "dictatorship of the proletari
26 Rara: Absolutely. They're selling their own people. It's the ugly face of unregulated capitalism we're looking at. Us Western consumers demand cheap goods;
27 A380US: First of all its not just that easy because many things come from there. And then well just open in like Cambodia or Vietnam and this will happen the
28 CaptOveur: It's not the employees so much as the customers. The wally world I buy bullets at is in a decent part of town and it is STILL a freak show, even at 9
29 ReidYYZ: I too have had enough of cheap crap, particularly kids toys. My son's are not too tough on their toys, but if there is a new deposit in the "Daddy's f
30 AF340: Go to Tilley. Mind you, they are very expensive, but everything is made at their Don Mills store/factory. I agree with you, I used to really like Roo
31 VonRichtofen: What's Tilley? I don't think we have that in Calgary. Kris
32 EvilForce: China is awesome. Do they have "cheap" commodity goods? Yup. Do they also manufacture high quality goods? Absolutely! As I have said before I source a
33 AF340: Oh man! Tilley is a chain store we have in Canada's major cities and in partner stores all over the world. They sell travel and old man clothing. Som
34 AC777LR: You should have watched 20/20 tonight, it was about China and how they are using human bodies plasticize for the body exhibitions. These bodies could
35 Andz: I work in the medical equipment industry for a GE Healthcare distributor and we are seeing an increase in equipment from China in our market. Recently
36 Babybus: I don't know about America but in the UK all the "Made in China" products are not too bad on quality. (Somebody stop me if thats not true). Clarks, th
37 Francoflier: Funny we should ll bitch and wine about China... We had coming. We all pretty much support a liberal economic system that defends and encourage a free
38 Mt99: I agree. Do not doubt that the Chinese governments know what they are doing. They are fully aware of the backlash that may come from the US. Some boo
39 EvilForce: China has been investing heavily into Latin America. I've never understood why the US Govt has been so cavalier towards our southern neighbors. We've
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