I meant 'as simple' -

Every level of the manufacturing process affects you, I don't see how you can say it's irrelevant to you just because it's a consumer hazard. Isn't that why you're boycotting?

Many North Americans have adopted a very right-wing way of thinking so they're unable to appreciate the conditions that lead to their experience. The following is a post from a discussion I had with a friend about price and quality issues regarding collectible statues made in China - its relevancy is parallel to what's being discussed at hand:


- Chinese factories really dont understand the concept of QC. The workers have no idea what the factory is being paid and no idea what the end consumer is paying. They just know what THEY are paid and it isnt much. Therefore they have a hard time distinguishing a $200 statue from a $5 action figure.

they also lead very primitive lives and cant understand that a statue of spiderman has any value to anyone when they are just struggling to keep food and shelter over their heads. You're refering to a culture of people that will eat virtually anything because its food and their 20 yr old bicycle is their most prized possesion...a statue is meaningless in their perspective.

In fact there is a lot of disdain from the workers about how much money they are making the westerners.

As for the guy who killed himself..theres a difference between understanding QC and making a mistake so big it destroys your life.. The govt closed his factory and most of these factories exist on very unorthodox lines of credit and 'people' would be looking for him. Im aware of at least two people who have disappeared after screwing up with others money in china. He took the easy way out..not necessarily the honorable way.

China is not a country that abides by laws..its literally the wild west out there. Especially in southern china provinces where toys are made. You go north to the business sectors and things run in a much more western style.

- Greed. The factory owners are not trained business people. Most of them were simply village leaders who got their people together and basically turned them into indentured servants. Its a completely different 'business ' style than any country like USA or in Europe.

i run into this type of mentality all the time in the sculpture world. Ive seen many great sculptors turn out poor sculpts because they keeping rushing to get through the current project to get paid and take on the next project. Their eyes are bigger than their mouths so to speak.

- Wages...USA companies have zero control over the wages there and the chinese factory owners arent going to let someone come in and audit their books (as if there were books to audit). Even if a company said 'Im going to pay you more so you can pay the workers more" theres no way of ever knowing if that extra money made it to the workers (and it wont).

- Making product in the USA. A typical $200 statue would end up costing about $1800 if made in the USA. And I didnt pull that out of my butt.. remember I own a sculpture studio and an FX company and I know what the wages are for those types of artists in the USA. Yes you can train USA workers who wouldnt cost as much but as soon as they realize what their peers are making they will quit and you'll be retrainging again..that business model never works.

- Theres one other point I should make. Factories are having a hard time finding and keeping workers these days. The workers are catching on to the fact that toy making is one of the lowest paying jobs in china. The workers making electronics and most other products (outside of plastics) make a lot more so the best workers are looking for those jobs.

They are also immigrating to northern china where the quality of life and the chances of opening their own small business is more likely.

So there you have it... you can choose to believe whatever you want. Thats human nature. But the above is truth based on a decades experience working with china (and having spent probably over a year there in combined trips).


If anything, people can complain all they want about the defective products being imported into our country. There's always room for improvement but don't feel that you're entitled to it automatically just because your 50 dollar Fisherprice bike broke down while your kid was riding it. There's alot going on overseas and their sh1tty lifestyle (relative to ours) contributes to our benefit so I think it's acceptable albeit not desireable.

I agree totally and you are right, this is something I CAN do. Of course, the boycott is for personal safety of myself and those around me. I can still try to reduce the risk by not purchasing made in China when I have a choice.

Man, I'm so old I still remember when it used to read Made in Hongkong....:lol:

Emily I would never consider buying anything that I would eat that was made in China nor would I consider buying fish food or food for my other pets.
I make a point of telling the shops that I would prefer to see Canadian or US products and products from other countries that I can trust.

Keep up the good fight Emily B. The world needs more people like you.If more people cared, the world would be a better place.

Thank you so much.