Poisonus Products from China and Ect:

I think there is a lot of paranoia and over-reacting, let the regulatory bodies and customer awareness do their work...

After all it isn't so long ago that all our countries were using these chemicals and producing odd batches of faulty product...

Wasn't there a big Goodyear Tire cover-up a few years back.

What can we do about it? The more we liaise with them, especially if we are keen to use their cheap labour (which the bean counters do), the better for all concerned?

After all weve all been here before with emerging industrial powers... in the 50's who'd buy Japanese?

I keep hearing the phrase "Cheap Labor" in reference to companies having products made in China.

THINK!

Almost everything made is done by automatic machinery.

Not a whole lot of labor to be saved and what little there is will be taken up by shipping costs.

The real reason for setting up plants and making products is twofold.

1. No EPA or OSHA. They save LOTS by not having to worry about killing off a few workers or facing fines for polution.

2. $$$$$$$ Hide that money so that IRS cannot get it.

This is why so much stuff is being made in China, not because of "Cheap Labor". Cheap labor sounds reasonable and is easily digested by the masses.

The true reasons are too ugly for people to accept.

Yes I was raised on the un-varnished "Truth" as it was known at the time. Since then the society has evolved to express that only when cornered and life is in danger.

Knowing the truth can make you socially un-acceptable today. Expressing the truth can get you tortured or worse. It still fascinates me how so many can support a structure that is rotten at the core and defend it to the death. When starting over with out all of that baggage could make everyone win. I think that the new generation is now so motivated by reality shows that actually doing some real thing themselves looks like two much work? I dun-know?

It still fascinates me how so many can support a structure that is rotten at the core and defend it to the death,

Errr. Which country are you talking about ? USA or China...?

Both I imagine.

In regards to item 1.) No EPA or OHSA, it is certainly true that safety and health conditions in the US workplace and environment are improved; however, the cost to the workforce is not really worth it.

Anyway, I keep wondering to myself at least: Once the majority of manufacturing jobs in the US (or other developed countries for that matter) have vanished to other lands, who will have the money to buy all the crap being made?

"Almost everything made is done by automatic machinery."

what about agriculture, have you thought about that.

I tried looking for stats on the figures of employment in the agriculture, but it is rather difficult. some trade information is ready available, but thats what china chooses to release.

I remember back in the 70's when china was making a push to be an "economic powerhouse" by limiting family size, and the farming practices where no were near the U.S. When estimates at that time were just a few acres (hectares) per person. I sure it change since then.

I like to add to the earlier post I had about farming practice.

"and the farming practices where no were near the U.S."

With the technology of mechanization remove.

Ask this question, would the U.S. (Or any other country ) still be exporting food if the availablity of chemical fertilizer, herbicides and pesticides be remove.

No.

And the term organic, thats just a political buzz word.

I agree, it may be unfortunate, that China is taking short cuts to bring itself into the industrialize world and basically a super power in such a short time. You can't blame them entirely

Each industrialized nation went through things similar (and still are). China may have outgrew faster that it can handle, and the media today exposes it all. And as Del touch off on a problem.

China's day of reckoning may be near, (as in environmental problems) Massive as it is they do try to correct it's problems. One may have to think twice about the added responsibility (actually liablity) as becoming a director of any program in this corruption. When it has adverse effects to its economy, they are expendable.

<Poisons are pouring in>

Given that the LD50 for water in humans is around 18 gallons, is this an over-reaction?

Yes I just wanted some more opinions on the subject. My own Lead intake when young was two much for today's standards, and aside from a few twitches I cannot see any lasting harm.

The news was pretty big on the subject, and like all bad things including Politics when the bad thing is shown it's just the very tip of the Iceberg. It was interesting that a plant manager over there wound up taking extreme measures when pined on the subject.

If Politicians did the same thing to themselves after being found out we would loose quite a few of them, have better public services, and not be at war with the whole world.

f Politicians did the same thing to themselves after being found out we would loose quite a few of them, have better public services, and not be at war with the whole world.

Yes! It would definitely be an improvement.