Re: China's iClone

Originally Written by
Bernie
Here in the U.S. we are having a huge backlash against Chinese made products. It's appalling what they are getting away with, but it's even more our fault for risking our welfare and our children's for low prices on crappy products.
Exactly. Anyone can blame the big corporations for outsourcing, but people tend to forget that the power is ultimately in the hands of the consumer. Boycott brands who outsource their manufacturing process, and insist on buying foods that contain no imported gluten, tomato paste, corn starch, various additives or chemicals, and you'll not only have a positive control over your health, but also the economy and employment rate, as well as, may I suggest, the crime rate (the guy who's working in a local factory all day is less likely to burglarize your home). As far as foods and drugs are concerned, no domestic company could afford to face the legal and financial responsibilities of knowingly incorporating the types of poisons the chinese do in their products.
Manufacturers tend to be pragmatic. If they lose sales to cheaper imports, they'll have to go cheaper too, usually by importing for less what they used to buy or produce domestically, or outright build a factory overseas, or south of the border. As long as the only negative effect to such actions is the thus unemployed domestic ex-workers' demonstrations, everything is for the best. But if those demonstrations were to be accompanied by a massive boycott of the company's products on the grounds of Joe Public's reaction to relocated production, their policy would obviously have to change. But that would mean patriotic militancy on the part of customers. Fat chance for that to happen for now, as being a patriot seems to mean to most, displaying an American flag sticker on the back window of their Toyota...

Originally Written by
Bernie
I'm genuinely in shock as to how much is made in China nowadays. Hardly anything is made in the U.S. anymore :-(
...and I'm afraid it's only the start. My late grandfather wouldn't have been caught dead in a foreign car, even a rental. All appliances in his home, his clothing etc. were US-made US brands (as long as those options were available). His attitude was quite common among his generation. I'm afraid I don't know anybody like him in more recent generations.... As long as production remains cheaper overseas, and country of manufacture is no longer a governing factor in consumers' choice, that trend will have no reason to reverse.
...Boogie Boogie Boogie Boogaaaaaay.....
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