Curious how people feel about manufacturing of just about EVERYthing is/has moved to China. Is this a good thing? As for price, there is no comparison. If low price is the end all, then the move to China is a good thing. However, piracy is rampant, they don't seem to care at all about patents, trademarks or copyrights.

My main instrument is acoustic guitar and the quality of cheap Chinese guitars is amazing. But, if you're looking to buy, say, an American brand such as Martin or Gibson, best be careful... lots of fakes exist.

But, even if one wanted to "boycott" Chinese goods, could you? It seems that every friend I have who deals with any hard goods has made a trip to China in the past few years.

EDIT: And I would be curious to hear from members in other countries.

[This message has been edited by SemiLiveMusic (edited 01-02-2011).]

http://labornotes.org/blogs/2010/04/nikes-love-affair-sweatshops-still-doing-it
http://www1.american.edu/ted/nike.htm
http://www.freeessays.cc/db/11/bmu295.shtml
http://www.mathaba.net/news/?x=622906

I think this is a far more important issue then having a go at China. One should always start in his own backyard.

Taike

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Bo pen nyang

They have no labor unions.
They have few or no environmental regulations.
They pay little or no attention to international patents, trademarks, and copyrights.
They pay next to nothing for employee health care.
They have an educated work force (See news stories about how Shanghai students were #1 and the US was below average in an international test of high school students)

My wife is from Mexico, and she told me that many "crafts" traditionally made by Mexican Indians are now made in China. That will give you an idea about how cheap Chinese stuff can be.

The Chinese government is against freedom of expression and supports dictatorships like North Korea.

It's all kind of scary.

I do not know about the feasibility of boycotting Chinese. Something must be done about allowing the Chinese to compete freely when they have no labor or environmental laws and allow piracy to run rampant.

Beaky,

Boycotting the Chinese, pick anything up you buy turn it over and BAM it's made in China, I think it is out of control, we want cheap goods, we have lost our manufacturing capabilities, our people don't want to sit on a machine and punch out things by the 1000 every day, that's a fact, it happen to the cotton industry in the UK in the 60s, sure there must be something in the USA that did the same

See, were I to say ONE negative thing about the US you'd all be on my back. But how you love to criticize other countries.

Ever think that other countries don't like to be bullied by the US? Why is it that whenever the US implements a trade embargo it forces every other country to follow suit yet no one can tell the US what to do.

Environmental issues:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_carbon_dioxide_emissions

Just because the US is number two now doesn't mean it's all fine and dandy. Where was the self-criticism when you were number one? If you take into consideration the size of China, the size of its population, wouldn't it be fair to say that you're still number ONE?
http://usliberals.about.com/od/environmentalconcerns/p/KyotoProtocol.htm Remember this one?

It surely doesn't stop you from moving your polluting factories abroad.

Come on, be honest...how many dictatorships did or does the US support? How many dictators got the support of the CIA because it benefitted national interests?

You might as well call all Germans Nazis although you'll find more Nazis in the US.

Why not just admit that you want everything your way and that you don't give a rat's ass about what other countries think.

You wanted globalization...why? Because it would benefit you but not the poor nations.

I have lived in a Communist country for two years and will be returning on Wednesday. Never felt happier there than in any capitalist country. The thing is, none of you even have a clue what Communist countries are like, North Korea probably being the exception.

All I ever hear is whine, whine, whine, whenever you don't get your way.



[This message has been edited by Taike (edited 01-02-2011).]

Its nothing new..

Japan did the same in the 60's and early 70's..

But then Japan respected human rights (Not whale rights) and became a respecable econnomy where people make good money when they work..

China is a different fish, all money they make goes to the state. And that money they loan to the US government to pay their wars with..

Uncle Sam is allready owned by China, people just don't know it, but most of the US state depth is to China.

So Mister Bush allready sold your country, and now you blame it all on Obama instead of on China.. I'd blame China, because they made that money by treating their own people and workers unfair...

Its really time to boycot China, untill they respect human rights and freedom of tought and speech. Its the only way to save our western civilization.

Taike,

I worked in Russia for a while, went into MB for a burger, could not believe it cost me 1/3rd of that in the UK, there was a English chap there and I said why is this, he said if MB put the cost up anymore than that people would just no eat at MB. �Power to the people�. Taike, I think I understand what you are on about, I love my country too, wouldn't live anywhere else, even though petrol is �6.00 a gallon, UK is a great Country that why half of the Europe wants to come and live here. What the hell if KB are made in China, perhaps the will work!

HNY Taike you give it to them!

Laughable is all I can say.

Come one, you're talking about human rights while ignoring basic human rights at home. Talk to the Native Americans about human rights and you'll hear quite a different story.

Are you willing to compensate all those you've raped and murdered, or all the land you stole, usually by breaking treatments? Nope, don't think so. You even balk at returning looted artifacts to the country of origin. Yet here you are talking about human rights. The lame excuse that there was no central government or that you brought civilisation is so pathetic. Why not just accept that every country has its own civiliazation and that your concept of civilization isn't the standard everyone else has to follow.

And if China was owned by the US or The Netherlands no one would have a problem, right?

Bachus, did the Indonesians invite the Dutch to colonize their nation? Did the Zulu Nation in South Africa? Did the natives of Suriname, Dutch-Guyana, the Dutch-Antilles? How convenient history is. One can simply ignore it.

Why don't you just admit that you're scared of the rising economic power of China and other Asian nations? You did it your way, they do it their way. You just don't want them to succeed.

Whose human rights have you respected? Native Americans? African Americans? Hispanics? Asians? It even took you till 1920, when women finally won the vote throughout the nation. You still have a the gender pay gap, men are still preferred over women in the work force, etc. Not even your Constitution guarantees women the same rights as men. Once again, first take care of your own backyard.

The main thing is, as long as it benefits you, you don't give a rat's ass about anyone. Not now, not ever!

Taike,

Wow take it easy, most of this is far too complex, people should not judge other countries from what they see on TV etc or what they read, they need to go there and live for a while. Taike what kind of KB do you have.

Regards

Tony

It has nothing to do where I am from. It has to do with looking at oneself and see that what they're critizing others for is in fact something they have been doing and are still doing all along.

Maybe it's better to take care of the rising obesity because before you know it, China gets the blame.

Wersi keyboards made in China will be made according to Wersi's (German) standards just like a Sony made in Malaysia will be made according to Sony's (Japanese) standards.

Whenever a country is unable to solve its own created problems it looks for a scapegoat but never at itself. Some countries are particulary good at whining and being arrogant. It's all about THEM and screw the rest!