Amazon e-book reader

[Ravenflight]

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

And the Chinese make two different classes of workers,

What kind of factory do they manufacture these workers in? Are the workers treated better if they're manufacturing export workers?

[Tom Swift]

Every day I see thousands of young girls trudging to the factories, filthy clothes, chains dragging in the dust.

Actually, they are all smiling and joking and holding hands because they have a job instead of having to work in a field or in a brothel. Close down the factories over here and they go back to work as prostitutes or in the fields. They get paid about $150-$300 US a month, which is a good wage over here. I can get a nice meal for under a dollar and living expenses are incredibly low. Calling it slave labour is unfair.

[nekokami]

The accusation of slavery is being made within China itself: Scores held over Chinese slavery

While there are many decent factory jobs in China (and I've seen some of them on my visits there), there is also a genuine problem with slavery in some "illegal" factories. Let's not over-simplify-- in either direction.

[JSWolf]

And a lot of illegal look-alike drugs come from China and these drugs cause all kinds of health issues.

[RWood]

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

Yes I agree that labor in general suffers, but in our case we're talking of a whole different sector of industry. And the Chinese make two different classes of workers, those who work for internal markets and those who work for export where everything made is followed by our inspectors with specific criteria in mind.

Such as assuring that there is enough lead in the paint on kid's toys.

[Ravenflight]

Originally Posted by RWood

Such as assuring that there is enough lead in the paint on kid's toys.

Yes and the FDA recommended daily allowance of antifreeze in your toothpaste.

[yvanleterrible]

Originally Posted by RWood

Such as assuring that there is enough lead in the paint on kid's toys.

Yeah that was a biggie! But compare that error to the thousands of reliable chinese products you already own and use. Compare it again to the flawed designs we do here like 4by4 tires blowing up.

My business is suffering from the influx of cheaper products coming from China but I do keep an objective eye towards them. Most are well done and frankly, more efficiently than I could ever manage!

If we were to eliminate everything coming from Asia, services included, there would be nothing complete left to buy, not a single car, truck, TV... Even the furniture I make, in part from local woods, would lack most of the hardware to keep it together; and what of the machines to make it!

We have to stay objective and keep our minds clear on such touchy subjects. Nothing is black, nothing white, just shades fo grey...

[HarryT]

Astronomy is my main hobby, and that's been absolutely revolutionised by Chinese-made optical instruments in the last 10 years. One can buy telescopes made in China today which cost a quarter of the price that European or American-made ones did 10 years ago, and are just as high a quality. Of course there are a few "bad apples" in the Chinese manufacturing world, but I'm sure that's true of every country.

[nekokami]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Of course there are a few "bad apples" in the Chinese manufacturing world, but I'm sure that's true of every country.

Indeed, perhaps the issue is that there are so many "apples" in China that even quite a small percentage going bad tends to be noticeable.

[Ravenflight]

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

Yeah that was a biggie! But compare that error to the thousands of reliable chinese products you already own and use. Compare it again to the flawed designs we do here like 4by4 tires blowing up.

I'd have to agree with you there- I swore off buying 'American Made' automobiles a long time ago simply because of the poor build quality and bad reliability. Of course the whole concept of what is an 'American Made' car has been turned upside down what with 'American Made' Fords being manufactured in Mexico and Japanese Honda's and Toyota's being made in the United States.