Sure, Boycott China, If You Want to Walk Around Naked

North Star Writers Group ^ | April 15, 2008 | Lucia de Vernai

[Invisigoth]

Not shopping at Wal-Mart is inconvenient and costly, but just as I was weaning myself off Sam’s Choice animal crackers, it turns out that avoiding the only place that will sell you The Breakfast Club for $5 is not enough. The liberal yuppie peer pressure has moved on to boycotting all products made in China.

Would you like me to stop breathing to not pollute the environment while I’m at it too? Actually, don’t answer that. The new pet project of the J.Crew-clad Inquisition has the right foundation – China’s record of human rights abuses in prisons and in the workplace is grounds for boycott. But the economic reality, and growing guilt most Americans are experiencing, makes the call for a boycott of the country’s biggest trade partner fall on deaf ears.

No large U.S. retailer is willing (read: stupid enough) to not carry Chinese products. In the year following their 2004 joining of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and consequent release from quotas, the volume of Chinese clothing exports increased over 500 percent, and prices dropped almost 50 percent. If that’s just numbers to you, do this experiment: Check the perimeter to see if your boss is out of the way, duck in your cubicle and start checking your tags. Even if the leather on your shoes comes from Italy, the sole is Chinese. Your shirt? Yes, Made in China. Your underpants? Ditto.

[Caramelgal]

Until China starts dumping their T-Bills

Yep. China has financed so much of our debt that, forget about the lead toys and cheap clothing because that's not the real problem.

[1rudeboy]

It's important to remember that, even if we stopped buying Chinese products tomorrow, they'd still finance our debt because our politicians in DC spend too much money. That's the "real problem."

[CPOSharky]

China and these other nations can produce things cheaper, partly because they are not bound or ignore the global climate/green-type whines, etc. The US has legislated the death of manufacturing through mandatory regulations -- some good; many, too costly to meet.

Don't forget unions.

[bperiwinkle7]

I don’t buy Chinese and I am not Liberal or a Yuppie.

I think the stuff they make, from travel coffee mugs to quilts, is TRASH. They used shoddy materials and faulty workmanship.

I disrespect EVERYTHING about them and all that comes from there. I always look at tags and country of origin for everything.

[Tax-chick]

you couldn’t kill the stuff no matter how hard you tried

We still have some. However, I think it gets more fragile after a million trips through the dishwasher, because my 4-year-old broke a plate recently. He took it off the table, held it out, and dropped it flat on the wood floor. *shatter* Then he said, "Oh, I need a new plate!"

[daku]

just checked ...

Levis : made in Egypt
shirt Cherokee (from Target): made in Guatamala

shopping for my nephews first birthday found a ball of suitable size labled made in China, left it there on the shelf.

I pay attention and have avoided Chinese goods for some time now.

[Malsua]

Hanes and FOTL are made in Honduras and El Salvador, respectively.

Thanks for summing it up. I read this article and I'm thinking "What the heck is this guy smoking?". My factory(not textile related in any fashion) is located next to an Anvil clothing factory on one side and Fruit of the Loom underwear on the other...in Honduras. I get to Honduras all the time and buy underwear and shirts, all made there and not in China. I purposefully don't buy anything made in the people's communist republic of China if I can help it.

[CodeToad]

I don’t think I have ever purchased clothing at Wal-Mart. Why does the author of the article assume everyone buys from Wal-Mart? I actually have clothes from Canada and Italy. If the US consumers want cheap junk from Wal-Mart they are only hurting themselves. My clothes may cost 3-5 times as much but they wear better and last far longer. Being penny wise and pound foolish is just dumb.

I can understand for childrens’ clothing cheap can be a best buy as kids wear out and grow out of clothing very quickly, but not for adults.

[raybbr]

How is the vacuum created in the first place? Marketing.

Ads are used to convince people to buy things they don't need. Quality clothing, made in the USA, lasts longer hence no need to keep shopping. But, that wouldn't create the vacuum would it?

[Toddsterpatriot]

That would be a great scenario. Until China starts dumping their T-Bills.

Why would we care?

[Caramelgal]

The Chinese are willing to finance our debts today but for how much longer? What happens when they decide to say no or call for payment?

I absolutely agree that our Government spends way too much money – we all do. And that is the problem.

[USS Alaska]

I really think there’s a market for a new chain of stores called, “Made in America” which obviously would sell all American made products.

Look for the union label.

High prices and bad quality are not what makes me want to buy American.

My previous car was a Ford, {currently Toyota} and I'll never buy another Ford. Bad quality, 3 recalls for faulty parts, oh yeah, look for the union label.

[Caramelgal]

Wolfie: That would be a great scenario. Until China starts dumping their T-Bills.

Toddsterpatriot: Why would we care?

FYI – two articles you may want to read.

Time for candidates to address U.S. debt and deficit

US - China: Approaching Economic Divorce?

[Publius Valerius]

Sam Walton’s audiobiography, which is available in every Wal-Mart, is very interesting on the subject of “Made in America.” You should check it out sometime.

[Toddsterpatriot]

What happens when they decide to say no or call for payment?

Call for payment? If they own a 10 year Treasury, they can wait until it matures or they can sell it. They can't ask for their money early.

[1rudeboy]

If the Chinese (or anyone, for that matter) decide to stop financing the federal budget deficit, then interest rates on Treasury notes will rise until someone does.

I am not saying that that is a good or a bad thing.

[spectre]

http://www.madeinusa.org/nav.cgi?data/clot

[Toddsterpatriot]

FYI – two articles you may want to read.

Time for candidates to address U.S. debt and deficit

It is no surprise that the countries with the highest savings rates and trade surpluses are the biggest buyers of U.S. debt. China and Japan own about $1 trillion each.

Do you have any articles which don't have such huge errors in them?

[FreeAtlanta]

My choices are "Made in America", then "Made in Mexico" << helps keep illegals from becoming illegal, "Made in (name American Ally", "Made in any country other than China or PRC <Finally, when no other choice and I can't make it myself, then I buy from the communist or do without.

[FreeAtlanta]

Made in PRC = Peoples Republic of China?
I think it is a new trick to try to get around the boycotters.