seanwestusa

iKnow

iKnow

iKnow

doctor_cos

Pick one.

doctor_cos

china is an anomaly in today's global market. they have repeatedly circumvented attempts by the WTO, the UN (& its various committees) & member states to float their currency, clean up their humanitarian & environmental acts, uphold IP rights, & eliminate government subsidization of their markets. at the same time, they have been hugely successful at using these same global organizations to sanction protectionist acts in the US, EU & elsewhere, open the floodgates for chinese goods around the world, & pillage the periphery for resources to fuel their fiery growth.

the very reason that chinese production even exists is b/c they systematically violate virtually every law in the book. if the chinese were required to play by the same rules as the rest of us, they wouldn't be manufacturing a grossly disproportionate amount of the world's products.

the way i see it, we can bite the pillow & hope for a reach-around while they have their way with us OR we can suck up the fact that prices are going to go up b/c we demand that production must meet the standards that we've grown to expect. personally, i'd opt for #2. hell, there may even be some side benefits, like increased quality, or maybe even an increase in domestic production when companies realize that china ain't as cheap as it pretends to be.

mac-phisto

Oh, people also forget that US personal savings rate has been down to around negative territory, guess who is footing the bill? China now is a leading creditor to US. Don't be a hypocrite when the majority of American people still enjoy the low mortgage rate and the low inflation rate. Take an example of the gas price. People constantly complain about it, yet most people here still perfer large size vehicles. Just look at how popular the large SUV/trucks are. I hate hypocrites. If you complain about the gas price or the dependence on foreign oil, stop driving the gas guzzlers; otherwise, stop whining and bite the bullet.

BTW, capital always pursues low cost and high profit. That's how capitalism works. America is a capitalist society and the people here are mostly proud of it and in turn hate its opposite (socialism or communism). Unfortunately, globalism is the global maximization of capitalism in the modern world. That's the price you have to pay for sticking with capitalism. You just can't play it both ways.

DragonAwake

Oh, people also forget that US personal savings rate has been down to around negative territory, guess who is footing the bill? China now is a leading creditor to US. Don't be a hypocrite when the majority of American people still enjoy the low mortgage rate and the low inflation rate. Take an example of the gas price. People constantly complain about it, yet most people here still perfer large size vehicles. Just look at how popular the large SUV/trucks are. I hate hypocrites. If you complain about the gas price or the dependence on foreign oil, stop driving the gas guzzlers; otherwise, stop whining and bite the bullet.

BTW, capital always pursues low cost and high profit. That's how capitalism works. America is a capitalist society and the people here are mostly proud of it and in turn hate its opposite (socialism or communism). Unfortunately, globalism is the global maximization of capitalism in the modern world. That's the price you have to pay for sticking with capitalism. You just can't play it both ways.

DragonAwake

Fast, cheap, good. Choose two.

FreonTrip

mac-phisto

"Also consider how have the embargoes (sic) on Cuba helped to end the Communist tyranny (sic) there?"

you are aware that cuba is still a communist state, right? & that despite 50 years of an economic embargo by the united states, they trade with virtually every other country in the world.

mac-phisto

Yeah, people want things cheap but no one is asking to be poisoned. I assure you there is no demand for lead paint or anti-freeze toothpaste.

Rectilinear Propagation

The fact that China is the world's worst polluter is scary. Other than direct embargoes, there isn't too much the rest of the world can do to stop it. Remember, China is still very much a communist country, and in the past have been considered an enemy of the free world. Also consider how have the embaroes on Cuba helped to end the Communist tyrany there?

Unless China wants to manufacture quality products, they will continue to flood the market with hazardous materials. Since their government is ultimately responsible for import/export of goods, couldn't the UN order independant 'evaluators' for their quality control and health and safety issues. China is a member of the U.N. afterall.

I wonder if Mattel could in turn sue the Chinese government and have the U.N. enforce the ruling?

dualityshift

The Chinese? Like any good capitalist, they are merely supplying what is demanded. Namely crap that can kill people.

How many times must it be repeated that you get what you pay for?!

miborovsky

"There is no excuse to kill people." Damn. Buran wins AGAIN.

doctor_cos

Trai_Dep

EthnicRedneck

In other words, what the Chinese are doing, with the unhindered assistance of a servile and corrupt American government, is the equivalent of a home invasion robbery.

For which we are supposed to be grateful.

I see.

Whatever happened to hot girls who kept their mouths close for fear that the helium would escape?

Elviswasntmyhero

Nemesis_Enforcer

Nemesis_Enforcer

silverundertone

Trai_Dep

ARPRINCE

Buran

Buran

And yes, I do acknowledge some people need cheap stuff because of limited means. The real problem is that people who don't need to shop at Walmart do; how many times have you seen some movie star say in an interview they love to shop at Walmart? That's ridiculous. But even if you need Walmart, it doesn't change the fact that the products are made with child/cheap/slave labor, cause harm to the environment and could be dangerous products.

Adam291

Jean Naimard

Youthier

Definitely. Something people don't seem to realize, unfortunately.

A) Dirt cheap
B) Mass Produced and easy to get
C) High Quality/Reliability

Pick two. ONLY two.

Sidecutter

quantum-shaman

Crusty-Os! Now with 30% less metal fragments!

Front_Towards_Enemy

Lebo (in exile)

MENDOZA!!!!!

@miborovsky: Keyword is LIVING

Rectilinear Propagation

Jaysyn was banned for: http://consumerist.com/5032912/the-subprime-meltdown-will-be-nothing-compared-to-the-prime-meltdown#c7042646

MalichiDemonos

Christ, when did putting your family's health at risk become a good tradeoff for saving a buck?

shiznannigan

Regardless, When you look at the entire amount of Chinese products imported into this country, all these weird things going on are quite minor. It just so happens that the proverbial shit is all hitting the fan at once as opposed to occuring over a longer duration of time.

And obviously product from China is cheaper; why else would we purchase so many goods from them? Almost everything we buy gets imported in from some country or another, very much of which comes from China. I can't think of anything that's made 100 percent in the United States. We want to pay low prices for everything. In order to do this, you need cheap labor. Cheap labor does not come from the United States. And in order for business' to stay in business, they have to have competitive pricing. Thus, more outsourcing. It is a nasty cycle.

I don't really understand why people are surprised by this. I hear all the same stereotypes about workers in China as everyone else. And much like most people, I don't know if they are true or not, so I will assume that they are. Which is why I am not surprised by the fact that a few things have gone awry.

Musician78

catnapped

ZekeSulastin

"If China was to devaluate our currency..."
Are we making up words? One thing I'm pretty sure of, if China does 'devaluate' our currency and our economy collapses, theirs will follow rather quickly.

doctor_cos

Like, say that the quote ended "So I would say China is our greatest friend right now. They're keeping prices low. And today's America wants low prices. Ask your average discount shopper if they're willing to pay 15% more for a product, even if that product is less likely to be poisonous/less efficient/whatever, and don't be surprised to find out what they're response is. For some people, the difference that cost difference is the difference between buying that product or going elsewhere for a cheaper deal."

I mean that kind of quote would be a debate point. But the quote in that video clip is given without the accompanying question and cuts off right after the contraverisal quote. I'm not saying this Erin Burnett (who I never heard of before today) is incapable of making such a negatively copious claim, but I'm surprised that almost all the commenters here have jumped on her without asking for more context.

Duskit

Why is CNBC still on the air?

OnceWasCool

While she's sipping Fiji bottled water and shopping at 'up-class' stores, which sell organic pet food or other non contaminated products the rest of us should 'take our chances'. This chick needs to run for office, something tells me she'd fit right in.

shades_of_blue

Darkest Daze

Uriel

Uriel

The West would get the sniffles. China would catch pneumonia.

Oh, then after the dust settles, we'd be fine, China's sole comparative advantage - low cost - would be largely eliminated. It would sting, but destroy China. Hee hee hee - and Wal-Mart.

There should be a rule that any time anyone says something this stupid - poison - OK!, or some woman's reproductive system living in another state - MINE to control! - a Federal law should kick in enforcing that person, and that person's children having to live by those stupid rules.

Trai_Dep

As far as China goes, props to OMERHI.(read above)

for the rest of you: GO TAKE AN ECON CLASS.
or read a book.

krakbuste

Of course that would bring the prices up like 5% so I see that not coming soon...

Aldoman

3drage

Some of us DO care, but when some of us are just trying our best just to survive buying the necessities of life (yes... tubesocks would qualify as a necessity.... I am not talking about ipods & crap most people buy that they dont need). Its hard to care when you are you are just doing your best to survive. True... we arnt living in ramshackle shacks like some 3rdworlders are. Go ahead & bash people who buy all kinds of useless cheap crap they REALLY do NOT need, but dont lump us all in the same bunch.

nctrnlboy

The reason why outsourcing is so cheap is because ethics are expensive.

Adam291

NickRB

So you think everything would be fine and dandy if it were three times the price?

Bring that on and grab some popcorn.

Onouris

superlayne

Meg Marco

acambras

ptkdude

Appreciated CNY = Low purchasing power of USD = less stuff can be bought by Americans = LOWER STANDARD OF LIVING

miborovsky

kingdom2000

Wake up America.

miborovsky

times like these & the "collapse of capitalism" foreseen by karl marx seem to make sense.

mac-phisto

Oh no, wait. It did.

WV.Hillbilly

Somehow that URL got mangled (since when are commas in URLs bad?), let's try again with TinyURL:

[tinyurl.com]

BrianH

[www.spiegel.de],1518,461828,00.html

One of the main reasons it's so cheap to manufacture in China is because they're sacrificing the environment (theirs & ours) to get market share.

Lead based paint? Maybe they won't notice. Under spec'ed electronic components that catch fire because they're not up to the task? Aw shucks, must be a bad batch of chips.

Wake up America.

BrianH

bohemian

ironchef

ironchef

SybilDisobedience

superbmtsub

zolielo

charmaniac

I volunteer all my poisonous food to her. She can have as much as she wants. I'll stick with the nonpoisonous variety, thank you very much.

manevitch

timmus

jerseyjokeboy

jerseyjokeboy

chihuahuamama

Anybody second the nomination?

bluegus32

humphrmi

nctrnlboy

chihuahuamama

verbalk

And with China's one child per family causing a huge disparity between males and females coupled with a huge increase in education levels causing a dearth of lower tier workers, things are gonna get pretty hairy.

hubris

Yes we can(and we had in the past). Products made in Taiwan, Mexico, Malaya, etc. are much better quality products at reasonable low price. Its just that every damn companies move their factories to china now.

rikkus256

VnlaThndr775

BTW, not to do w/ anything, but the thing at the top that tells me I'm logged in has an avatar of Krusty the Klown. Is Consumerist trying to tell me something?

The Walking Eye

rikkus256

And dear god, that anchor woman is just retarded. Does she listen to the words that come out, or is she just on auto spew?

hubris

GiselleBeardchen

hustler

or China is to start making, say, toys that don't have lead in them or food that isn't poisonous, their costs of production are going to go up...

FOOD = POISON = GOOD?!?!?!

Lady, feel free to eat all the poison food you want. The rest of us wanna live.

Rectilinear Propagation

mrjimbo19

Fl3shy

These 'news snippet' programs never cease to amaze me with the level of short sightedness many of these people seem to exhibit.

dugn