Friday, September 18, 2009

Made in China

I believe in free trade. Free trade is a major tenet of capitalism, the very system that makes the "American way of life" possible, and though I have plenty of issues with that way of life (and capitalism), I've clearly benefited from it. I oppose protectionist measures such as the tariffs the Obama administration has levied on tires from China, and I'm even more opposed to industry subsidies, such as those we dole out to the agricultural industry. Why do we pay farmers to grow corn that we then buy from them at the store? Why pay them twice?! If your industry is competitive, it shouldn't need government subsidies or tariffs to succeed. If it can't compete against China or Ethiopia or France and is in peril of going under and putting thousands of Americans out of work, well, that's capitalism at its finest. I don't mean to be heartless, but if you want to reap the benefits of a capitalistic society, then you have to accept that failure is a possibility, too.

It probably won't surprise you then to learn that I am also a proponent of globalization. It has its drawbacks, namely environmental degradation and human rights abuses, such as the sweat shops that Nike and Wal-Mart like to think don't exist; still, overall, globalization has the ability to increase the quality of life of millions of people worldwide. Many Americans don't like the offshoring (otherwise, but incorrectly, known as "outsourcing") of jobs that has been a result of globalization, but it doesn't bother me too much. I mean, if I owned a business and some American union demanded that I pay my employees twice what I would have to pay employees in Mexico, I'd just have to tell that union "adios." Capitalism. It's the American way.

I am, however, bothered by the fact that I can't find "Americana" that isn't made in China. Once in Monterey, CA, I went looking for a gift that was representative of the area, and I quickly learned two lessons: 1) if I wanted an affordable gift, it would have to be something made in China; and 2) the only gifts I could find that were made locally were in pricey galleries. I settled on a hand-crafted, wooden sea otter that was made in Mexico, which, I reasoned with myself, was OK since Mexico is closer to Monterey than China. My biggest beef is with holiday ornaments. Those really are products that should be made in the U.S. A few years back, I came across some nice Pilgrim figurines in a local shop, but to my chagrin they had been made in China. Pilgrims made in China? That ain't right. Every Christmas season, I go on a quest to find ornaments or decorations not made in China. I might as well be searching for the Holy Grail! I wonder what the Chinese think about Santa and Frosty and Rudolph. Next Fourth of July, I encourge you to take a look at the American flags and patriotic paper- and plasticwares that you buy at Wal-Mart to see where they were made. Bet you it won't be Dayton. Alas, that's capitalism.

It's our fault, of course. When we shop at places like Wal-Mart, we increase the demand for cheap products from China and other countries. Our lust for low prices encourages U.S.-based companies to take their plants and products overseas, and then we have the gall to get all upset about offshoring. American-made products are generally more expensive and of inferior quality than their imported counterparts, and truly free trade would force American producers and manufacturers to get with it or go under. It's sad that many U.S. industries are afraid to compete fairly in the open market. But it's also sad that I can't seem to find a manger scene that's not made in China.

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