Still Buying Chinese Products?

[Heightsite]

Geez, it seems everything the Chinese exports to the US (and we buy) is going to kill us or make us sick. From lead in toys to drywall, it just doesn't stop. Check the labels, you'll find most of the frozen fish in grocery stores is also Chinese. Wonder what might be lurking in that product!?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091015/ap_on_re_us/us_chinese_drywall

[kylejack]

There's a book called A Year Without China where a person tried to buy no Chinese products for a year. Turns out its practically impossible.

[SchwinnChopper68]

It's a Red plot. Check out Dr. Strangelove to get up to speed.

[sevfiv]

I get the part about insurers not being responsible for defective building material - the only recourse though would be to make the drywall manufacturer and/or the builder responsible. Good luck with that

[ricco67]

I go out of my way to NOT buy things made in china (which includes not shopping at Walmart), and I have to agree its hard to do.

It does give me a certain satisfaction when I buy "local" as opposed some dictatorship.

[kylejack]

[sevfiv]

Yep just a quick survey around me:

Lexar jump drive

Dell keyboard, mouse, and monitors

Ikea coffee cup

One Touch meter

OfficeMax paper clips

[editor]

I remember back when Wal-Mart's big ad campaign was that all of its products were American made. Shortly after they stopped that I noticed my Sam's Club card said "Litho in Mexico." Shortly after that, the border factories became a big deal. Shortly after that, it was China.

Maybe Wal-Mart could set aside a corner of the store for its American-made products. Just a shelf or two, that's all it should take.

[AtticaFlinch]

The quality standards are considerably lower in China than the US. The factory conditions are horrible there too. Life, in a country of over a billion people, is not at all of any value and therefore totally expendable. The attempts to organize and demand better working conditions and implement safety programs are squashed abruptly with violence. If you try to improve your position or the positions of those around you, then you're either killed or imprisoned (where you'll die anyhow).

[kylejack]

I remember back when Wal-Mart's big ad campaign was that all of its products were American made. Shortly after they stopped that I noticed my Sam's Club card said "Litho in Mexico." Shortly after that, the border factories became a big deal. Shortly after that, it was China.

Maybe Wal-Mart could set aside a corner of the store for its American-made products. Just a shelf or two, that's all it should take.

Yes, this all started happening after Sam Walton died.

[AtticaFlinch]

I remember back when Wal-Mart's big ad campaign was that all of its products were American made. Shortly after they stopped that I noticed my Sam's Club card said "Litho in Mexico." Shortly after that, the border factories became a big deal. Shortly after that, it was China.

Maybe Wal-Mart could set aside a corner of the store for its American-made products. Just a shelf or two, that's all it should take.

If you ever want a surreal experience, next time you're in Wal-Mart, stop in their Yay America section. It's not hard to find. Toby Keith's usually being piped in at that one little spot. While there, turn all the pro-USA stuff over and look at the fine print on the back. Everything, absolutely everything, from the American Flag dinner plates to the American Flag shot glasses or the American Flag napkin rings will be emblazoned with the words, "Made in China."

[editor]

You made a lot of broad statements. Broad statements usually aren't very useful because they mask the truth behind rhetoric. I'll address a couple.

The quality standards are considerably lower in China than the US.

The quality standards in China are exactly what the U.S. companies specify. Would an iPod made in the United State be of any better quality than the ones made in China? No. Because Apple specifies what it wants and the Chinese factory produces it. My last computer was a 2003 PowerBook (still in daily service at my mother's house). It was built in Ireland. My current MacBook Pro was built in Shanghai. The Shanghai computer is actually of better quality, because of advances in technology. Geography has nothing to do with quality. Corner-cutting does.

The factory conditions are horrible there too.

In some factories, yes. But not all factors. And what is a "horrible" living situation to an American is a dream come true to the average Chinese. I've been to a number of apartments in urban China. You an I would call it squalor. But to the people who live there, it's a paradise. Many of these people are just happy to eat. Americans have long forgotten the notion of famine. People in the developing world live with the specter of hunger every day. It's like the way someone living on the streets of Houston may pray for a room at a Montrose flophouse while someone in a McMansion in Sugar Land would call the flophouse life "horrible."

Life, in a country of over a billion people, is not at all of any value and therefore totally expendable.

You cannot sum up the experiences and attitudes of 1.5 billion people in one sentence. Life's not that easy. Your statement implies that you think Chinese parents don't love their children as much as American parents love theirs. That's a pretty awful thing to say. In my opinion, life in a country of over 300 million people is not at all of any value and therefore totally expendable. Guess which country has 300 million people? The United States.

The attempts to organize and demand better working conditions and implement safety programs are squashed abruptly with violence.

Yes and no. In the big east coast cities that get a lot of attention from the Western press, yes, this is often true. However, in rural China and in smaller cities (and a "smaller" city by Chinese standards is the size of Houston) many organizational movements have been successful, especially when it's a specific factory or business that's targeted for treating the people unfairly. America took 200 years to make its transition from an agrarian culture to an industrialized society. China is trying to do it in 20. There are going to be growing pains.

If you try to improve your position or the positions of those around you, then you're either killed or imprisoned (where you'll die anyhow).

This is 100% not true. If it were true, then Shanghai, Beijing, Guangdong, Shenzhen, and hundreds of other cities wouldn't be full of glittering residential skyscrapers, BMWs, and the Chinese equivalent of yuppies. China has a larger middle class than the United States. Just one of its three cell phone companies has more customers than America has people. This is not a sign of a nation where you are imprisoned or killed for trying to better your life. The fact that you could even make that statement shows that you've never been to China. I have.

[Heightsite]

And to think "we" illuminated the Empire State Building in red & yellow to commemorate 60 years of communist China rule. Who's idea was THAT? Disgusting!

[IronTiger]

Actually, I went to a Kmart this last summer (Florida) and a surprising number of products were USA-made, from mop heads to Martha Stewart tumblers. Unfortunately, the nearest Kmart to me is in Killeen. For you, I don't know...maybe Louisiana?

[LTAWACS]

The quality standards are considerably lower in China than the US. The factory conditions are horrible there too. Life, in a country of over a billion people, is not at all of any value and therefore totally expendable. The attempts to organize and demand better working conditions and implement safety programs are squashed abruptly with violence. If you try to improve your position or the positions of those around you, then you're either killed or imprisoned (where you'll die anyhow).

I know I might get flamed for this but... I could care less about the living conditions or other factory issues in china. It means very little to me. And yes. I do my very best to avoid chinese products. Granted there is very little made here bit I always make it a point to check for the country of origin. If there is one made in the US, I'll buy it instead.

Too bad we don;t know where our meat comes from. Oh and those tilapia you see at your local grocery store? Guess where they import that from... you guessed it. China. Ugh.

Actually, I went to a Kmart this last summer (Florida) and a surprising number of products were USA-made, from mop heads to Martha Stewart tumblers. Unfortunately, the nearest Kmart to me is in Killeen. For you, I don't know...maybe Louisiana?

There is one in san antonio or very near it somewhere.

[LTAWACS]

Life, in a country of over a billion people, is not at all of any value and therefore totally expendable.

Dont forget the middle east/arab countries with their incompetent despots.

[LTAWACS]

This is 100% not true. If it were true, then Shanghai, Beijing, Guangdong, Shenzhen, and hundreds of other cities wouldn't be full of glittering residential skyscrapers, BMWs, and the Chinese equivalent of yuppies. China has a larger middle class than the United States. Just one of its three cell phone companies has more customers than America has people. This is not a sign of a nation where you are imprisoned or killed for trying to better your life. The fact that you could even make that statement shows that you've never been to China. I have.

Perhaps. However, I think a fundamental aspect of this the trade deficit, the value of the dollar and the yuan, and other economic factors... would those same people still drive BMWs and such if we (the US) did not purchase as many chinese products and if the chinese government would stop exporting unemployment? Probably not.

[SchwinnChopper68]

I'll tell ya one thing. They have their criminal justice system down to a science. I flew into Kai Tak in 98 on the very last day it was open. (WHOA, 6 flags has nothing on a Kai Tak red checkerboard landing in a 747!) A short KTR to Shenzhen and I was at my hotel. Now what was on the front page of the paper. A huge photo of 2 men and a woman being lead by 20 guards to the firing squad. They were convicted of stealing $5,000 from the government. And yes, there are some words you cannot mention in China. I mentioned some to my taxi driver in an offhand way and the driver bout had a heart attack.

In many ways other people in other countries just have no idea what life is like there 75 miles outside the main cities. Count your blessings that you can afford cheap walmart crap. Most of the world can't.

The places I hung out I might as well been in NYC or Miami. The club scene and all the rest of 24/7 commerce was not quite what I was expecting.

[AtticaFlinch]

You made a lot of broad statements. Broad statements usually aren't very useful because they mask the truth behind rhetoric. I'll address a couple.

The quality standards in China are exactly what the U.S. companies specify. Would an iPod made in the United State be of any better quality than the ones made in China? No. Because Apple specifies what it wants and the Chinese factory produces it. My last computer was a 2003 PowerBook (still in daily service at my mother's house). It was built in Ireland. My current MacBook Pro was built in Shanghai. The Shanghai computer is actually of better quality, because of advances in technology. Geography has nothing to do with quality. Corner-cutting does.

In some factories, yes. But not all factors. And what is a "horrible" living situation to an American is a dream come true to the average Chinese. I've been to a number of apartments in urban China. You an I would call it squalor. But to the people who live there, it's a paradise. Many of these people are just happy to eat. Americans have long forgotten the notion of famine. People in the developing world live with the specter of hunger every day. It's like the way someone living on the streets of Houston may pray for a room at a Montrose flophouse while someone in a McMansion in Sugar Land would call the flophouse life "horrible."

You cannot sum up the experiences and attitudes of 1.5 billion people in one sentence. Life's not that easy. Your statement implies that you think Chinese parents don't love their children as much as American parents love theirs. That's a pretty awful thing to say. In my opinion, life in a country of over 300 million people is not at all of any value and therefore totally expendable. Guess which country has 300 million people? The United States.

Yes and no. In the big east coast cities that get a lot of attention from the Western press, yes, this is often true. However, in rural China and in smaller cities (and a "smaller" city by Chinese standards is the size of Houston) many organizational movements have been successful, especially when it's a specific factory or business that's targeted for treating the people unfairly. America took 200 years to make its transition from an agrarian culture to an industrialized society. China is trying to do it in 20. There are going to be growing pains.

This is 100% not true. If it were true, then Shanghai, Beijing, Guangdong, Shenzhen, and hundreds of other cities wouldn't be full of glittering residential skyscrapers, BMWs, and the Chinese equivalent of yuppies. China has a larger middle class than the United States. Just one of its three cell phone companies has more customers than America has people. This is not a sign of a nation where you are imprisoned or killed for trying to better your life. The fact that you could even make that statement shows that you've never been to China. I have.

Long story short, I was hyperbolizing. You caught me.

[BryanS]

USG. UNITED STATES GYPSUM. Made in the USA, stamped on it. At Lowes and Home Depot. Believe it or not copper wiring, switches, outlets, etc... Also made in the USA - look for it. Unfortuanely, a lot of the plumbing fittings... made in China. I try to avoid the Chinese stuff, as much as I can help it. Sears still has many tools that are made in the USA. God save Sears - and Craftsman.

I might have said this before... but when I was remodeling my home... I replaced a 1980 vintage light fixture with a new one.

The old one: "Made in the USA. Union Proud. Oakdale, Illinois." Or something to that effect. It had a union label!

The new one: "Made in China"

I was sad. I held one fixture in each hand and just shook my head.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHXaEpUwt0s

[editor]

Too bad we don;t know where our meat comes from.

While I agree with you that meat should be labeled like other products, I don't think you understand where most of your meat comes from. It's not China. China imports meat, it doesn't export. The majority of meat imported to America comes from Australia, New Zealand, and to a lesser degree Argentina. Of course, America doesn't import meat as much as it used to before the 1980's.

Oh and those tilapia you see at your local grocery store? Guess where they import that from... you guessed it. China. Ugh.

I'm not sure what the problem is there. It's not like there are American tilapia farmers going hungry.

[editor]

Perhaps.

No "perhaps" about it. These things exist. I have seen them with my own eyes. You can use a Google Image Search if you want to see them from the comfort of your home.

However, I think a fundamental aspect of this the trade deficit, the value of the dollar and the yuan, and other economic factors..

Jargon, jargon jargon. This sentence has no meaning.

would those same people still drive BMWs and such if we (the US) did not purchase as many chinese products and if the chinese government would stop exporting unemployment? Probably not.

Actually, they would. I hate to break it to you, but the United States and China aren't the only countries in the world. And China's manufacturing and export industry with the United States isn't its only source of income. China dominates Africa, the Russian Far East, and Southeast Asia; and it's growing rapidly in South America. Even Mexico is welcoming expanded trade with China. You know that whole US-China import thing that you hate? It's going on between China and every European country, too; as well as every African and Middle Eastern country. Even countries where American companies can't (or aren't supposed to) trade. The world is much larger than you realize. Americans are less than 5% of the world population. We're practically a margin of error. So even though we have the biggest buying power by far, a country like China can make up for that by selling to more of the remaining people. It's basic furniture store economics. "Stack 'em deep and sell 'em cheap!"

As an interesting aside, China exports flip-flops by the billion to Africa. Freaking Africa. China can make flip flops so cheap that even poor people in Africa can afford them.