A not "Made in China" Christmas

All the cars are made in Japan and everything else is made in China. Does not bode well for the future of the US. $69 billion dollars more was paid out than taken in during the month of October alone, and we wonder why we have govt deficits everywhere? We can argue all day about this, but this is not free trade this is dumping.

 

And likely we will. Anyway this is just the way things have become. It's not a political thing, although plenty of people out there want to blame George W. Bush, or others that say Clinton screwed it up before he left office. But it's not. It's simple economics. It's cheaper to make it over there and ship it halfway across the word than it is to make it here in the US of A. Go figure. It's going to take a whole lot more than a new president or some other standard politocal rhetoric BS to change it too. As long as Wal-Mart wants to offer the lowest price possible, then it will continue. People often complain aboutthe evils of Wal-Mart, but then continue to shop there, becuase in the end their wallets win the argument. I myself have not been inside a Wal-Mart for many years now.

But this is just me picking on Wal-Mart (not that they don't deserve it), but it goes much deeper. Americans don't want to pay a lot of money for things. They want the best stuff at the lowest price. That means imports. Plain and simple. If America (all of it) suddenly decided to spen more for everything, then it maight help fix the problem, but they won't. They'd rather buy it cheaper so they can have more stuff.

 

I doubt it's "dumping." They are making a profit. If they weren't, they'd go broke.

China grabs market share by using virtual slave labor (same as in England at the start of the industrial revolution and America before labor unions) to keep prices way down, and Americans buy the stuff because minimum-wage workers cannot afford anything else. Japan grabs market share by building better products than American companies (witness the Prius).

Long-term impact: Japan and China are investing all that surplus money in U.S. treasury notes. The U.S. is like a compulsive shopper run amok with a credit card, spending like there's no tomorrow. And China and Japan are our bankers, lending us all the money we can spend, for now. Pretty soon they're going to start telling us if we don't want them to call in our debt we've gotta do this or that, and they're going to be setting our national policies, just like a farmer who wants to practice responsible agriculture by letting each field lie fallow in rotation, and the banker says, No, you have to plant every square inch so you can pay off your loan, or we'll foreclose.

When China and Japan start threatening to foreclose on us, we're in deep doo-doo.

 

Not quite. Especially in the case of Europe, China and Korea the government is underwriting the cost of goods in many ways: low-cost or free loans, transport help, or just flat out artificially surpressing the value of currency. etc. It is dumping if you are selling a product cheaper in the US than the home country, it happens constantly. Do a little research and I think you will be amazed.

 

I disagree, when 'Joe Six-pack' finds out what is happening to his standard of living by buying a 'chinese' made product look out, things WILL change and they will change fast.

 

In response to the original question, the answer is:
"Of course it's possible. Make your presents yourself."
Most people don't even consider making gifts by hand anymore but there are still many people out there who find this rewarding and appreciated.

 

Not shopping in (mainland) China is the No. 1 reason to not patronize Wal Mart.

 

Last Christmas I made a toy pirate ship for my kids, and there has not been a day that it has not been played with. Most gratifying present I have ever given to date.

 

All Wal-mart execs should have to wear a scarlet 'C' on their lapel.

 

I certainly hope so, but this has been in the news for a long time. I think Joe should have noticed by now...

 

I did a lot of shopping when I was in China a few weeks ago. Got a beautiful handmade silk rug in Douhuang for a fraction of what it would cost here. It won't be long before Prii are made in China simply because it will be more profitable for Toyota. And the quality will be as good or better than made in Japan cars. What is happening in China now is amazing and exciting and it will not be long before China's GNP exceeds the US. China already graduates far more engineers than the US. The Chinese are bright, energetic and optimistic. And they have a billion more people than us.

 

A level playing field is all that I ask for. The US cannot continue to be the 'dumping ground' for the worlds products or we are all in for a rude-awakening.

 

I expect Toyota to be very cautious with its expansion into China, the Chinese are still very agitated about Japanese agressions and atrocities during World War II.

 

Such is the consequence for living the bigger, faster, cheaper lifestyle that so many Americans are accustomed to... think fast food culture. same thing.

Attempting to resist or reverse the trend means more than just any political action... the American people will have to make a collective decision against their own individual short term economic welfare. That is something I don't see happening any time soon.

Given the choice between cheaper items at the supermarket, and the overall welfare of the American economic system, something rather abstract and vague feeling, I expect nearly all to choose for cheaper items.

There may be some approaches to reversing it. I do not know... start a campaign against cheap foreign made goods in the same vein as weight-loss. People spend more money for "low-fat" even though you're technically getting less for your buck. Spin it that way and maybe you've got a chance.

 

I respectfully disagree. The backlash will be triggered by something, maybe it has already begun with the Wal-Mart backlash. The process of trade just needs to be layed out in the open so Americans can determine if the 'side-effects' of ou-sourcing outweigh the benefits. WHEN that happens I promise you that there will be cries of pain emanating from all corners of the world.

 

Actually, Toyota has been making cars in China for some time. See article:

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2...tent_309508.htm

 

You are forgetting that it is the US corporations, and other foreign corporations that have flocked to China seeking cheap labor and vastly expanded profits.

 

Well, these products would not be "dumped" here unless there were people to buy them. From what i can see, there is no shortage of people waiting to buy these cheaper goods. There is a reason that Wal-Mart has become the largest corporation in the world.


I really wish you were right, but this "rude awakening" has been coming for quite some time, and I really don't see any break in the trend...

 

Too bad we couldn't make use of our staggering prison population to manufacture goods instead of China. Seems to me that would be a great way to make use out of prisoners. Keeps costs down, and they get the option to "contribute" to society.