Just try to buy something that is not made in China. There are a few things, but really, next time you go shopping for anything, see if you can get one not made in China...
I dont fully understand the chicken/egg process of our economy but I do get the general cause and effect idea. Take jeans just as an example. There used to be several jeans companies - American jeans companies that made the comfortable pants in the USA and Canada. Ofcorse workers that worked there enjoyed making good wages (some of them union wages), and expected increases, we all want them. Cost of living goes up, plus saving for childrens college, we want new cars et al.
So that drives the per-unit cost of the jeans up a few cents every year.
But we dont want to buy our jeans for 80$/pair - the cost of North American (meaning canadian/usa) hands making them ourselves. The company needs to continue making jeans (we want to buy them)- but cheaper - and the owners of the company still want to make a good profit - their stock portfolio demands it.
So the company shifts the manufacture of the jeans to Mexico or Asia where the workers make 1 cent per pair.
I know its more complicated than this, but ultimately I think we have created this ourselves, just trying to stay alive and create a better life for ourselves (not to mention the pressure from share holders who demand and expect 20% returns on investment). Oversimplifying? Damn right, because I dont understand the bigger picture - of which there are so many different facets all interwoven to help things continue down this path.

This post started as a simple dare - try to buy something not made in China. Gads i get sidetracked easy.

~ Marty

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