Should I smoke pot?

Quote: 1nickelmiracle

Hard to imagine people buying anything made in China when racism was still mainstream. It's harder making money being a racist if you do as you think. Global competition and corporatism seems more responsible for the way the world is than the lack of racism and benefiting from it.

I don't think "racism" ever affected people's decision to buy based on country of origin much. For years many people did not buy German or Japanese products because of them being WWII enemies. Other people buy local for patriotic reasons. But "racism?"

I try to avoid Chinese made products for the same reason people avoided Japanese products in the 1950s, namely I feel the country builds cheap junk that will not last. I avoid India call centers if possible because I cannot deal with them as they do not understand our culture and how to solve my problem as well as a North American center. To me that is just preference.

Quote: AZDuffman

I avoid India call centers if possible because I cannot deal with them as they do not understand our culture and how to solve my problem as well as a North American center. To me that is just preference.

Ever see a movie called 'Downsized'? It's about
an American who goes to India and runs a call
center. Very interesting, it shows in detail the
day to day of modern Indian life. Far different
than ours for sure.

Quote: Evenbob

Ever see a movie called 'Downsized'? It's about
an American who goes to India and runs a call
center. Very interesting, it shows in detail the
day to day of modern Indian life. Far different
than ours for sure.

Heard of it, never bothered to look for it on Netflix. I heard he was just going there to work it, not be in management.

I was too early in management to bid on a job there back in my PCO days. Two year tour. Was told years later never take a gig there as the place is a sewer. Almost literally, it is culturally unacceptable to have an indoor toilet.

Quote: AZDuffman

I try to avoid Chinese made products for the same reason people avoided Japanese products in the 1950s, namely I feel the country builds cheap junk that will not last.

I remember "Made In Japan" stuff was junk early on.

I do think a lot of China stuff has taken up that old role on many things. One difference though, is China can make something look good on the outside. But then once you get your hands on it and start using it, not so great.

I bought a hammer, and the head flew off in a month or so. That sort of thing. It was cheap though.

Quote: rxwine

I remember "Made In Japan" stuff was junk early on.

I do think a lot of China stuff has taken up that old role on many things. One difference though, is China can make something look good on the outside. But then once you get your hands on it and start using it, not so great.

I see another difference. There are no real "Chinese Brands" like Japan built. It took some years, but eventually Japan brands meant quality. China is more just contract-building junk for retailers like WMT and Harbor Freight. HF is the best example of looks good on the outside I can think of. But you touch it and it feels like junk.

I interviewed at a Chinese company trying to get a foothold in steel, the local President said how China can make good stuff but the buyers spec cheap junk so we get cheap junk. I am not so sure, they may eventually get better but not now. I just figure one day soon a kid in DeLorean will show up on my doorstep asking to get him back to 2035 and I will say, "no wonder this part failed, it is made in China."

Quote: AZDuffman

I don't think "racism" ever affected people's decision to buy based on country of origin much. For years many people did not buy German or Japanese products because of them being WWII enemies. Other people buy local for patriotic reasons. But "racism?"

I try to avoid Chinese made products for the same reason people avoided Japanese products in the 1950s, namely I feel the country builds cheap junk that will not last. I avoid India call centers if possible because I cannot deal with them as they do not understand our culture and how to solve my problem as well as a North American center. To me that is just preference.

People seemed more racist during the times we have been talking about in this thread. They could have imported from China earlier than they did. Maybe laws and treaties had to be changed first, but there wasn't a hurry to do so. When I'm talking about the influence, of racist buyers to a smaller degree, I'm speculating the movers and shakers, the business owners, etc., wouldn't have wanted to do business with them most importantly. Eventually their children taking over must have begun thinking the beliefs weren't worth the money they could be making or keeping.

I have a little trinket tooth pick holder looking like a dog or a donkey "made in occupied Japan". It's not worth much more than $10, but it's cool to me.

Quote: 1nickelmiracle

People seemed more racist during the times we have been talking about in this thread. They could have imported from China earlier than they did. Maybe laws and treaties had to be changed first, but there wasn't a hurry to do so. When I'm talking about the influence, of racist buyers to a smaller degree, I'm speculating the movers and shakers, the business owners, etc., wouldn't have wanted to do business with them most importantly. Eventually their children taking over must have begun thinking the beliefs weren't worth the money they could be making or keeping.

Importation from China was very difficult before Nixon went and gave them "Most Favored Nation" status. Even then it was hard because it had to be renewed annually. So if you built a factory to make some junk widgets you stood the risk that next year the improt duty would be prohibitive if you could bring them in at all. Hong Kong used to send lots of cheaper wares back then.

It was not until the WTO was formed and China had regular access to the US Market that goods really began to flow.

It was not "racism" that kept China goods off the shelves, it was dollars and cents.

Quote: AZDuffman

Importation from China was very difficult before Nixon went and gave them "Most Favored Nation" status

I know the Powers That Be are a lot smarter than me, I am ready to trust Nixon before a lot of other Presidents [in foreign affair matters anyway], and just maybe improved relations and de-isolating and trusting China was best for the US and the World. Then again, it was a US vs USSR Cold War maneuver too, wasn't it?

For me, not as smart as TPTB and all, well, back when we dissed Red China and considered the Republic of China [Taiwan] the legitimate China, I liked it better. IIRC in the UN Security Council Big 5 - one of which is China - the rep. even came from Taiwan's government back then. It all seemed to work. Somehow just to say the GNP of Taiwan is insufficient for our needs ... so we should buy from slave labor using Communists ... sad state of affairs. And boy has it become the state of affairs!

Quote: AZDuffman

Importation from China was very difficult before Nixon went and gave them "Most Favored Nation" status. Even then it was hard because it had to be renewed annually. So if you built a factory to make some junk widgets you stood the risk that next year the improt duty would be prohibitive if you could bring them in at all. Hong Kong used to send lots of cheaper wares back then.

It was not until the WTO was formed and China had regular access to the US Market that goods really began to flow.

It was not "racism" that kept China goods off the shelves, it was dollars and cents.

Why did they even have to rewrite anything in the first place? LOL with you continually putting racism in quotes. It's not like whites weren't the only ones able to vote and own property and businesses in this country. We didn't trust China and didn't want their stuff.