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To: Jeff Head
IMHO, we need to change and take up policies that are more atune to keeping us on top of the production world

You can always volunteer to work in a sweatshop making shoes, toys, etc. if you really want to. But most Americans don't want to. Do you yourself want to? Probably not. And why did US firms set up factories in low-cost China in the first place? Answer: Because their US customers have an insatiable, endless lust for low-priced goods. It's US consumers' own lust for bargains which has motivated US companies to set up factories in low-cost China in the first place. China doesn't force any American to shop at Wal-Mart, but Americans flock to Wal-Mart every day of their own free will. You and some other Americans may not like how America now is economically dependent on China, but it's a situation you yourself created because of your bargain-loving ways. That is why your book is so ridiculous. Instead of getting angry about America's lust for cheap goods, you want to somehow blame China for an economic-dependence situation your own bargain-hunting ways created.

116 posted on 07/11/2002 4:40:32 PM PDT by AIG
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To: AIG
And when should we look for your books at amazon.com? Thought so...
117 posted on 07/11/2002 5:37:43 PM PDT by Treebeard
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To: AIG
There are a lot of places in the world with low labor costs. Why so much investment in China. It's not like communist countries, along with some others, don't a have a bad rep for confiscating "foreign" assets about the time they begin to make a profit.

How many of those factories are foreign owned anyway. I suspect most are majority owned by the Chinese government, with the "foreign" partner providing the technology and reaping only a share of the profits. Much of the rest goes directly to the PLA. (Peoples Liberation Army). In fact the part of the government that owns the majority stake often is the PLA.

You also didn't address the issue of "slave labor". Many of the factories are staffed by political prisoners. Nobody "volunteered" to work in those. This is less likely to be the case in a weapons facotry of course, too much potential for sabotage or turning the "product" on the "management".

120 posted on 07/11/2002 6:00:47 PM PDT by El Gato
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To: AIG
You display your ignorance about me personally when implying that I helped create the problem ... and about the American public in general in thinking that such a situation either must or will continue.

In addition, you have ignored the sentiment that economic pressures most assuredly can lead to war ... World War II in the Pacific is the perfect example. If we are not carefully, history may indeed repeat itself.

But that's Okay. I am glad for you to voice your feelings and concerns in this regard. It allows more people to read this thread and come to their own conclusions. I have faith that the more American citizens who understand how utterly dependent we are becoming, the more they will desirte and begin to do something about it.

You see, before the "lust" for bargains, trinkets and toys ... we had an even more instiable "lust" for indpendence and liberty. That second is much older and much deeper rooted. It will carry the day ultimately. acth and see if it doesn't ... don't bet gainst it.

125 posted on 07/11/2002 10:36:51 PM PDT by Jeff Head
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