"Made in China"

[Loopulse]

Chinese workers are paid little (lots make no more than $200 per month), live in horrible conditions, are stuck in dirty and small dorms if they're not at home, and have hard labour, but allow us to buy things for cheap prices.

So, should we buy their products in your opinion?

[Zack]

Maybe they don't know any better? If they do that for a living and don't know what it's like to be "wealthy", then how is it hurting them? I don't know much about China but I can say that for sweatshops in other countries. We look at them and feel bad because we imagine how our lives would be like that. But in reality, when Nike and other brands open shops over there, people get excited because they are able to get a job. If we stop buying all the stuff they make, then they will be out of a job.

I saw an interview with someone who worked in a sweat shop, they said they liked it and when they found out students were protesting to stop the sweatshops, she became upset. Yes I can agree and know that some people do not have the greatest working conditions and are constantly being put into more debt as the days go by, but I'm referring to ones that aren't exploiting people at a high degree.

Doesn't even have to be a sweatshop, just a "low paying" job in general.

[Joker]

Chinese workers are paid little (lots make no more than $200 per month), live in horrible conditions, are stuck in dirty and small dorms if they're not at home, and have hard labour, but allow us to buy things for cheap prices.

So, should we buy their products in your opinion?

I've thought about this for awhile but if china stopped producing extremely cheap things the economy in Canada Us and europe would instantaneously die....
it sux that those are the lives of allot of people over there and that they get treated like shi ..... if only in a perfect world...things could be better :(

Oil companies on the other hands... they get paid amazing amounts to drill for oil... but the extra prices they put on the prices of barrels is extortion.... gas places do it to.... for each 1 cent* they sell per litre... they make roughly another million dollars.. of "profit" a year

[Loopulse]

Maybe they don't know any better? If they do that for a living and don't know what it's like to be "wealthy", then how is it hurting them? I don't know much about China but I can say that for sweatshops in other countries. We look at them and feel bad because we imagine how our lives would be like that. But in reality, when Nike and other brands open shops over there, people get excited because they are able to get a job. If we stop buying all the stuff they make, then they will be out of a job.

I saw an interview with someone who worked in a sweat shop, they said they liked it and when they found out students were protesting to stop the sweatshops, she became upset. Yes I can agree and know that some people do not have the greatest working conditions and are constantly being put into more debt as the days go by, but I'm referring to ones that aren't exploiting people at a high degree.

Doesn't even have to be a sweatshop, just a "low paying" job in general.

More hate it than like it. See, the reason behind the protests, is to increase their pay and working conditions, because it's clear that they can't be stopped completely. Imagine you in a small apartment, with three other people, with no other bed than a couch or a mattress. They're underpaid completely.

[Seviraph]

If you stop buying from them

You make those people jobless

Think about it

[Loopulse]

If you stop buying from them

You make those people jobless

Think about it

Did you read my second post?

[Seviraph]

Did you read my second post?

Yes, and? What about it

[Loopulse]

Yes, and? What about it

Do you honestly believe that 100% of us would stop buying? If a good let's say, 10-20% of us stopped, they'd realize, especially if the government or the people told them why. In fact, Walmart is already taking action. Short term loss, long term gain.

[Sekwaf]

Major industries have been outsourcing labor for a long time (really took off around the 70s). This is because of the simple fact that less skilled laborers in other countries such as China, Mexico, etc. do not need to be paid as much as more skilled workers in developed countries (and yes, according to the UN and most standards, China is NOT a developed country). Because of the automation of the production process and the assembly line mentality adopted by most producers, it's very simple to realize that even unskilled laborers (which once again, require less pay) can do these tasks. Where else to find a TON of these laborers than in China, a country with one of, if not the highest populations on earth. Within the country, there are only so many jobs involved in management and research, and this number is far lower than the population. The rest of the country still needs to work though, so they'll take any job available.

If their wages were to be raised, it would no longer be efficient for manufacturers to produce goods over there. You see, when choosing a spot to produce an item, you have to take into account a few things: Labor cost, cost to transport raw materials, and the cost to transport the finished product to the target market (in this case, the USA). As long as the labor cost is so low, it justifies the cost of shipping materials over, and shipping products back. If that were not the case, we would simply move industries to the USA, where the shipping would be significantly reduced, this would also leave the majority of the people previously working in China, completely out of a job.

As you can see, their pay cannot be raised, as doing so would actually put them out of any form of job. However, better working conditions could still be a possibility. It could actually be viewed as an investment, because people working in a good environment tend to be more productive.

Sorry to bore you with the long post, just thought I'd give my view based on current economics.

[Loopulse]

Are you aware that placed like Walmart could easily increase their prices, and still be cheaper than other competitors while still making a profit? They've already forced the companies they're getting cash from to improve their living conditions. In addition to this, those factory owners are filthy, filthy rich, and could pay the employees more, or at the very least allow them decent living conditions.

Do you believe it is okay that children are forced to work in swear shops just so their families can get by?