A sobering visit last night to the Toys R' Us in Times Square, Manhattan

Every toy I examined was "Made In China". Every single one. From the Barbie's to the Star Wars stuff to model kits and little gadgets. Christmas in New York just didn't right, knowing that America is being left behind in this accursed "global economy".

get price controls and ours does not.

Of course, they want us left behind...

China will make everything.

including Mexico and Ireland. Somehow, as soon as it's shipped here, it is suddenly superior to all the medicine from the same factories that is sold elsewhere for a third as much.

Somehow, losing the cheap plastic toy industry doesn't bother me much. However, losing strategic industries like electronics, auto parts, textiles, and shoes bothers me a great deal. Come the next big war, this country is going to find out very quickly why offshoring our jobs was a very, very bad idea.

And current propaganda claims China would lose big in such a war. And I have to disagree there; they have more troops. A booming economy. More people who'd be willing to become troops. Can't say the same for the US; georgie-poo shoved a banana creme pie into his own face with his blood-feud with saddam! And showed the world how vulnerable we truly are; I'm amazed China HASN'T played it's trump card to end all trump cards yet.

As you said, offshoring our jobs will ultimately prove itself to be a very, very bad idea.

they turned all the factories into munitions, ship, tank, and plane factories.

What will we do in the next crisis?

walgreens and others are seriously considering buying from india. isn`t that a comforting thought?

about the likelihood of people with grudges... I know I would probably be somewhat hostile to US companies doing business there if my family had been victims. Makes me wonder about payback being a bitch and all.

Most Favored Nation status that is, when it comes to trade with China.

YES CHINA.

Where BIRD FLU is...they want me to feed my dog chicken treats from China.

murican, adn the sun eats what I cook

:shrug:

:rofl:

comes from Canada, where they have almost as many factory problems as they have in China, because they use new immigrant labor and pit them and the locals against each other.

... buy Made-In-America -- or don't buy at all!

I know it's almost impossible (and doesn't THAT say it all) to find gifts that are home-grown, but it can be done. I would encourage people to go to the many craft shows that pop up in cities and towns across the nation at this time of year. Better a hand-crafted pair of earrings made by a local artisan than a diamond bracelet made elsewhere!

at a craft store... I even contacted some well known manufactures, you guessed it, CHINA

... that are made in the USA. And there is, if I might suggest it, an 'activist' role we can play right there.

If you are looking for a particular item and have no choice but to buy a Chinese-made product, remove the 'Made In China' label and mail it to your mayor, senator, congressman -- whoever -- attached to a note asking: "Is THIS how you are protecting American jobs?"

Try to choose a representative who is looking at re-election next year. Who knows? They just might be 'motivated' to take the issue seriously, if they understand that their own sorry ass is at stake.

I'd rather see handmade toys sold in Toys R' Us than the cheap plastic stuff I saw in the store last night. How have even model kits become Chinese made?

wool for crafters. Local wood for those with a woodstove. Gift card for a trip to the local zoo or aquarium. Forget those Chinese bastards!

:applause:

Let's show the world the US is still the most creative in its love of beauty, if nothing else. Because there will be nothing else.

I buy them for my new grandbaby, but believe me I think of it every time I pick one up. Some poor woman on a toy line, refused bathroom rights, in a factory that could collapse or catch on fire at any moment. Does anybody even remember the Bangladesh factory workers anymore? It isn't just Wal-mart.

I will go donate to the Labor Rights Fund now.

1) Cheap labor

2) No unions.

union made stuff.

Crap,is what it is. Just plain crap.

So long middle class.It's been great.

must carry sixty percent of their inventory made in the USA. This would bring a lot of those factories and jobs back to the USA. Secondly, there should be another law that says that goods imported from other countries must agree to maintain a certain level of worker's rights, safety and wages in their factories before they can export their goods to us.

I don't think it would raise prices either. It would just lower gross profits at first. But with more Americans working in those home based factories, there will be more money circulating to buy the goods, a win, win situation for everyone.

Craft stores, for example -- wouldn't exist without cheap Chinese labor. And dollar stores. Looks like toy stores, too now.

Buy books and homemade stuff for Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!

The "funny" part is manufacturers say they do it to stay competitive, but there hasn't been a price drop to reflect lower labor costs. It is to increase profits.

It's hard or impossible to find made in America in nealy any store for any product, but you'd thing in the big store you were in you could find something.

I can't even recall what I which gift I was looking for lately. I kept seeing "made in China". I finally found one "Made in Canada" and it seemed like a victory.

Someone here was saying to avoid China made goods they were making the Barbie close. That's great but I sadly thought of how many textile mills we have lost to China too.

They own most of our debt (bush is first president when over half our debt is foreign owned. With Clinton it got to it's previous high of 35%, but much of that was our vibrant economy) They have most of our manufacturing jobs and have their money tied to our dollar. Perhaps we don't stand up to them at all because our economy would crash if they quit investing here.

Whatever, it is just sad.

What are all those people who worked in manufacturing doing today?

I boycott things made in China. There are of course, times that I can't. It's really made me label conscious, though and has made me much less of a consumerist.

I had to look through lots of dental floss at the grocery store to find dental floss made in the USA. Couldn't believe we even import this!

I broke my glasses and had my sixteen year old dive me to Lens Crafters with my dialated eyes to pick out frames - I definitely needed them ready in an hour. I picked out Anne Klein of New York. Didn't even think to look at where they were made. Made in China.