Boycott "Made in China"
Boycott the "Made in China" label
By Larry Kuck, site Webmaster
I have begun leaving things on the shelf if they are made in China, and I want to share with you my reasons and urge you to buy an alternative product to the ones made in China, if you can. I am not alone in this view. There are some well-written pages on the topic posted by others, which back my assertion. You will find links to those resources below.
Why I boycott Chinese goods
I do not like the thought of the need for all of the recalls for lead paint in children's toys, cribs and bibs. American toy companies doing business in China apparently can't guarantee the quality of the goods made on their behalf over there.
I do not like the filthy air pictured in news reports from mainland China. The government there doesn't crack down on dirty air as is done here in America. Child labor and sweatshops are another reason to boycott Chinese goods.
Even though they have adopted a free-market economy, they are still a land of Communism and no individual freedom of speech. The people are not empowered there to speak up against the filthy air and the potential health concerns that lie ahead. They cannot speak out against long hours and poor pay. The Tiannamen Square protests encouraging a move toward democracy got put down over there, and there is the Chinese stranglehold on Tibet.
By buying Chinese goods, this country supports the Chinese economy, making the Communist Party rich, fat dumb and happy. They have the money to develop their own space program with travel to the moon and Mars, and while the United States led the way in space with a view of scientific investigation, not the militarization of space, one can not trust the Chinese to not put a military outpost out there and control the future of space travel, for after all, theirs is not a government of, by and for the people.
Then of course, the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing
The foreign athletes that want to attend these Games are instructed to leave their Bibles and other religious teachings at home. If one wants to privately practice his or her religion while on the road to China, that should be allowed, with the Holy Bible and similar personal religious materials permitted. I do not intend to even watch the Games on TV, simply for this reason alone.
The Chinese government may feel threatened by the Word of God, and its powerful message. That they don't want the idea of any Authority that is bigger than their government to be exposed to the people, must speak volumes.
Won't you join me?
I am an individual shopper, and while I don't individually make much of a difference in choosing not to buy a $1.49 kitchen scraper or even a $5.00 household item, there will be a small downturn in the Chinese economy if we all look for and avoid the Made in China label.
A true story
I will share a true story: I was in need of a can opener, and a handle-crank type suits my needs just fine. I don't need an electric can opener.
I went to Wal-Mart and, not seeing the American made Swing-A-Way brand, I bought not the cheapest can opener on the shelf. Made in China, but what isn't these days.....
It lasted one week before the clutch let go, leaving the handle free-wheeling. I took it back and got a direct replacement. With very judicious and careful use, that one lasted a whole month before the clutch failed again.
I returned it and looked for something by another maker. I found the Swing-A-Way, Made in the USA! Not only that, but I also got money back from Wal-Mart because the American Swing-A-Way was cheaper than the brand made in China. In my previous experience with this brand, I can expect it to last five years before the blades are dull.
The NewsHour Tumbler free gift for supporting PBS
I recently contributed to my favorite PBS affiliate, and they sent me a free gift, a stainless steel insulated travel mug that will keep hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold, and prevent spilling in the car. My Thank-You gift was, guess what: Made in China! So my first question to ask when I donate will be to ask if the gift is made in Ghina, and if it is, I don't want them to send it. Send a message: Boycott Made in China.
Republic of China (Taiwan)
If we cannot buy "Made in USA," then I buy Made in Mexico, Made in the Republic of China (Taiwan), Made in Canada, Made in France. Any alternative to Made in China.
Taiwan used to be the China that America recognized, and which sat at the General Assembly of the United Nations, but during the Nixon Administration around 1970, this country opened trade talks with the mainland Chinese Communists, and they, of course dictated that we cut ties with Taiwan, which is, in their eyes, a wayward province of China, not the independent nation that we recognized as a stalwart ally of America since World War Two.
I have never forgotten that, and I do patronize the Made in Taiwan label without hesitation, and will continue to do so as long as Taiwan remains an independent state not under the control of the mainland.
Other Boycott "Made in China" resources
Here below are some good pages written by others. The link below is how one American family instilled some good moral values in their young son by explaining to him the meaning of the Made in China label on toys.
How to Boycott China
Additional links found in a Google search: