03-21-2018, 11:40 AM
Good question.
Buying Chinese products (and contributing to the loss of jobs in this and other countries) is a tough call. I believe in NOT buying Chinese stuff where possible but that may be a naive attitude. Sometimes it's not possible to obtain a specific item any other way and that's the classic illustration of other companies being bankrupted by inexpensive imports.
But, that is capitalism at work and the result of so-called "globalism" which, it strikes me: is that really a "word" ?
Personally, I am a hypocrite about boycotting goods that aren't manufactured in North America (BTW Canadian and Mexican products are just fine as far as I'm concerned although some would say that they are in the same category as Chinese and Indian imports). I buy cheap products occasionally just for the reason that they don't cost much.
Every time I do this, I feel a slight sense of shame because I am vocal about these things with friends and associates. As an example, the protractor that was discussed in this thread previously. That device was made in China and I didn't even NEED the thing yet I purchased it without a qualm. That's a classic case of conveniently ignoring my convictions !
If pepi's question is a serious one and if I was faithful to my convictions, no it wouldn't be OK to buy offshore products when the "brand" lives in this country. It's tempting to blame the greed of corporations with offshore manufacturing for the loss of their employees. But that's not the whole story and we know it. It's possible - even likely - that ALL of their employees would be out of work should the company not be competitive.
The situation is just as complex as decisions I (and others) make when we consider a purchase. As I said, I'm sometimes a hypocrite.
Buying Chinese products (and contributing to the loss of jobs in this and other countries) is a tough call. I believe in NOT buying Chinese stuff where possible but that may be a naive attitude. Sometimes it's not possible to obtain a specific item any other way and that's the classic illustration of other companies being bankrupted by inexpensive imports.
But, that is capitalism at work and the result of so-called "globalism" which, it strikes me: is that really a "word" ?
Personally, I am a hypocrite about boycotting goods that aren't manufactured in North America (BTW Canadian and Mexican products are just fine as far as I'm concerned although some would say that they are in the same category as Chinese and Indian imports). I buy cheap products occasionally just for the reason that they don't cost much.
Every time I do this, I feel a slight sense of shame because I am vocal about these things with friends and associates. As an example, the protractor that was discussed in this thread previously. That device was made in China and I didn't even NEED the thing yet I purchased it without a qualm. That's a classic case of conveniently ignoring my convictions !
If pepi's question is a serious one and if I was faithful to my convictions, no it wouldn't be OK to buy offshore products when the "brand" lives in this country. It's tempting to blame the greed of corporations with offshore manufacturing for the loss of their employees. But that's not the whole story and we know it. It's possible - even likely - that ALL of their employees would be out of work should the company not be competitive.
The situation is just as complex as decisions I (and others) make when we consider a purchase. As I said, I'm sometimes a hypocrite.