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Factory Conditions Sicken Chinese Workers
The fact that lead-laced toys put kids at risk is bad enough, but Chinese factories also cause big problems for another population—workers.
A few of the ways factory employees risk their lives to produce goods bound for the U.S., according to the Salt Lake Tribune's series on the hazards of manufacturing plants in China:
*Making Char-Broil grills and gas stoves: Experts estimate 4.4 million Chinese workers have silicosis, a fatal lung disease caused by inhaling metal particles.
*Assembling furniture and household accessories: Millions of workers have lost limbs and fingers while using outdated factory equipment.
*Painting furniture: workers who inhale solvents like benzene, toluene and xylene suffer from a range of health problems (one interviewed for the article had myelodisplastic anemia, a precursor to leukemia).
*Making batteries: inhaling cadmium dust, a carcinogen, can cause "severe bone pain, kidney failure and death."
The conditions that cause these health problems (old equipment, loose regulations, lack of protective gear) will most likely take a long time to improve, but the Tribune points out that it might speed things up if American consumers think twice about that new Char-Broil grill.
When the rest of the develop world complains about the lack of environmental concerns, lack of worker/product safety, artificial currency manipulation, China yells "it is an internal matter, go away."
Well, it is not an internal matter. It affects everyone, and it time for us to stand up and be counted by not buying from WalMart and not supporting candidates unwilling, or without the backbone, to stand up for us.
It's not an internal matter - if a company refuses to look after its personnel what hope is there that it'll look after the environment.
We all - not just Walmart - should care more about the products we buy; the bottom line is deeper than just the cost.
Our government should demand that any product brought into our country be produced in compliance with American laws and regulations. This should include safety, health, wages, consumer protection and more.
As a matter of national security we cannot allow the lose of the means of production. American factories won World War II as much as the soldiers. Can we depend on China to supply us in the next war. What if they are our enemy?
Corporations, no longer being able to pollute (as much as before) the environment while manufacturing in the US, have out-sourced the pollution to developing countries. It is truly unfortunate that the governments of those countries (Mexico, China, etc.) allowed these corporations to bring their filth into their countries. Of course, greed is the reason.
You can blame China (everyone's favorite scapegoat) or Mexico, etc. but it is the uncontrolled corporations who are responsible. There is no reason to get into a nationalistic frenzy and blame the Chinese, etc. But, I do agree that boycotting products from corporations that pollute and don't protect or treat their employees well (whether Chinese or American) is probably the best way to bring about change.
Transparency in manufacturing is as important as transparency in government and, at present, we have very little of either, so it is difficult to make informed decisions.
This is pretty revolting, but it's true about every nation going through the industrial revolution. In England in the 18th and early 19th century, gilders and makers of mirrors were poisoned by the mercury they had to use, and matchstick dippers by their phosphorous. In the U.S. later in that century, Pullman workers were underpaid and nickeled and dimed so that some received a check for only a few cents for a week's work. Those are only a few examples out of thousands.
But to declare a situation to be wrong and leave it at that is to reduce it to nothing more than handwringing, a feeling of helplessness and an opportunity to feel morally superior. This is a problem with many dimensions, and good and evil are so intertwined that not dirtying one's hands is not an option. Both action and apathy dirty them.
From what I've seen of American big business and the public in general, no one probably cares. After all, look at how cheap products that come out China are. Everyone knows, that's more important than human lives.
You are right Tommy boy, Americans are big and fat, as well as arrogant. They are big babbies.
Don't buy Chinese goods. Homosexuality went underground after the formation of the People's Republic of China. The Communist regime persecuted homosexuals, especially during the Cultural Revolution, when many homosexuals were punished with long prison terms and sometimes execution. Social tolerance of homosexuality declined. Since the policy of Reform and Opening Up in 1979, the communist party has been loosening its control over gay behavior. But the practice of homosexuality is still labeled as a "moldering life style of capitalism".