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Boycotting Chinese "Goods."

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by Austin, Mar 13, 2010.

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  1. Austin

    Austin
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    Has anyone thought about doing this or is doing this?

    Any good tips or resources on how to successfully do this?
     
    #1 Austin, Mar 13, 2010
  2. Shevanel

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    Impossible.
     
    #2 Shevanel, Mar 13, 2010
  3. Gin Uh Fur

    Gin Uh Fur Guest

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    why just the Chinese goods? has china kicked someone in the balls or something?
     
    #3 Gin Uh Fur, Mar 13, 2010
  4. Spectre

    Spectre
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    Eat from the fruits of the land and become one with mother nature?
     
    #4 Spectre, Mar 13, 2010
  5. Hoppip

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    Protectionism isn't rad, though.

    Besides, with the US's reliance on goods from China as it is, we're basically their bitch. And if we did decide to do that, where would we get awesome cheap Chinese shit?
     
    #5 Hoppip, Mar 13, 2010
  6. Austin

    Austin
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    I don't think china makes that much food... do they? Not a lot of food is grown there, the US actually grows a lot of food... though a lot probably have ingredients from China...

    Anyways, I don't want to argue, I just don't want sarcastic remarks or rude ones. I just want to know if anyone else has tried this and if so is there any tips to help. :slight_smile:

    But you're probably right, most things at least have some chinese part in them, but at least if most is constructed or produced in the US or other countries than china it's better than fully made in china. :slight_smile:

    Call me paranoid but I don't like the idea of a communist dictatorship that doesn't care about it's people or the environment become the most powerful country in the world...

    @seanathon:

    1: Obviously I don't expect the US to cut off goods immediately, or at all. Just need to get some awareness that China needs to get it's act together with human rights, regulating the quality of their products instead of sending poisoned materials to the US because they don't care enough, and reduce their toll on the environment. We don't need to produce all the goods ourselves just at least buy from countries that don't abuse their people or the environment.

    2: Yes, China has the sweatshops with poor conditions to use almost-slave and child labor. We don't need 99% of the goods from china, and if we built quality goods we wouldn't need all the throwaway crap from china.

    3: And yea other countries can fuck us up too. At least we can do something about this one.

    4: If China stops receiving so much support from the US because of their lack of regard for the environment, China may clean up it's act a bit. And if you are saying China has other places to sell their products, then they could call in their bonds and fuck us up and then sell their stuff elsewhere? :slight_smile:


    Anyways, let's get back on track!!!

    Anyone got any tips or websites for info? :slight_smile: Anyone else do this themselves?
     
    #6 Austin, Mar 13, 2010
    Last edited: Mar 13, 2010
  7. Brandford

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    Even if we stopped trading with China, it wouldn't change the fact that we are almost a trillion dollars in debt to them and they would have cause and the right to declare war on us to gain that money back even though we don't have it. If we stopped trading with them we would have no choice but to start paying them back immediately, which of course we can't do. We couldn't even lessen support because of this debt or even politely ask them to do anything regarding their country because they pretty much own the U.S.
     
    #7 Brandford, Mar 13, 2010
    Last edited: Mar 13, 2010
  8. Hoppip

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    I guess it's probably similar to becoming a vegetarian or any other change in lifestyle. It takes baby steps. You'll have to be extra observant when you buy things.

    http://www.buyamerican.com/ ?
     
    #8 Hoppip, Mar 13, 2010
  9. Swamp56

    Swamp56 Guest

    Boycotting a whole country and trying to harm them is not only harming the government that you do not like, but also innocent people who have done nothing wrong.
     
    #9 Swamp56, Mar 13, 2010
  10. egnvectr

    egnvectr Guest

    I do this. (Not for the same reasons as you though, but I don't want to discuss that on this forum.)

    Certain things are unavoidable... but often you can find alternatives made elsewhere. For clothes it's pretty easy to find things made in other countries. You just have to look around at different shops.

    Electronics is the hardest to get from anywhere else. especially computers. Cellphones though are made all over, mine is made in mexico.
     
    #10 egnvectr, Mar 13, 2010
  11. paco

    paco Guest

    on that note, boycotting china would be implying that they've done something wrong.. they actually haven't in this scenario when you think about it, they just didn't stop us when we started spending all our money on their goods. it's really our own fault for relying on foreign goods so much and leaking all of the money out of our own economy into other countries'. the way to fix this isn't to stop spending, but to find a way to get other countries to buy goods from us...unfortunately we don't really make anything. there's a reason our economy sucks after all.
     
    #11 paco, Mar 13, 2010
  12. Austin

    Austin
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    @swamp: it's actually about, for me, helping the innocent people in those countries.

    Anyways why can't you share, egnvectr, I'd be interested.
     
    #12 Austin, Mar 13, 2010
  13. Chip

    Chip
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    It would be nearly impossible to avoid chinese goods, unless you live a very unusual lifestyle.

    The following are commonly purchased from China:
    Many parts of cars, buses, trucks
    Many bicycles or bicycle parts
    A majority of shoes
    Many clothes and fabrics
    Nearly everything in a dollar store or Wal-Mart
    Many consumer electroncs (or components in said electronics)
    Many computer parts (and components of those parts)
    Pet food ingredients (remember how few brands were not affected with the scare?)
    Many candy and packaged foods
    Building materials, including drywall
    Many major home appliances, doors, windows, parts
    Many DVDs (actual manufacturing of discs and packaging)
    Quite a lot of printing (brochures, books, etc)
    Many medical supplies


    Sadly, our economy has moved substantially from a manufacturing econmy to a knowledge and service economy, and we're losing on that front as well, to places like India. American workers are lazy, want to be overpaid, are sloppy. It was a combination of quality and cost that caused the offshoring of much manufacturing in this country.

    Yes, I agree that for many reasons it would be sensible to do this, but it's gotten to the point where it would be nearly impossible to do so, unless, for example, you buy only locally grown produce, avoid most packaged food, don't buy any inexpensive items such as plastics, small appliances, etc. and for clothing, go with small companies who locally make their products, don't have a car, etc.

    Of course, one could make a conscious effort that would help... but boycotting entirely seems pretty impractical.
     
    #13 Chip, Mar 13, 2010
  14. egnvectr

    egnvectr Guest

    I decided to do it back in 2008, when I got very angry about all the incidents of the government murdering and cracking down on the protesting monks in Tibet. I just don't want to provide money that might support a government that does this.
     
    #14 egnvectr, Mar 13, 2010
  15. Austin

    Austin
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    Oh god I could never give up candy! :frowning2:

    Well, I don't think I'm going to be able to give up all chinese products, but try at least to limit the amount of chinese products I buy.

    It also helps to stop buying a lot unnecessary junk.

    Thanks for the knowledgable reply Chip. :slight_smile:

    @egnvectr: That's a good reason. I've read somewhat about that but I couldn't find specific info.
     
    #15 Austin, Mar 13, 2010
  16. Austin

    Austin
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    Well most of my posts were censored and removed so in case you're wondering why most of this thread makes no sense now, there you go.

    So I'll go ahead and say I'm done with this topic thanks for some of the replies.
     
    #16 Austin, Mar 14, 2010
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