Is Made in China all that bad?

[MuskieBait]

We continue to collectively support it because we continue to have a financial advisor that we've to report to...this financial advisor may be the wife, or your family budget. That's reality...and you can't deny reality.

People will speak admirably about "buying local" or "buying Canadian"...but when that price tag hits the checkbook...how many actually carry that ideal forward into action? Not many...because our human nature strives to survive (maintain a sensible family budget) or to keep peace (um...the wife)...and if given little choice, we succumb to those pressure and places those priorities over ideals. For that reason alone, we collectively support offshore production. You cannot deny it...the proof is in the pudding...otherwise, offshore production cannot survive or even exist if consumers do not demand it (ie, product at a certain quality standard at a low price point)

A previous point that you made...

"We here in Canada who participate are sadly sending our $ off shore so the funds can be used to buy this country and its resources ........... slowly.......... but surely.

I wont even get into sending our "raw" resources across borders."

Without this international trade, Canadian economy would greatly deteriorate. Our economy is greatly driven by our natural resources including lumber, mineral, metal, natural gas, oil and water. How much of these would we consume if we were to stop the trade? What jobs would so many Canadians have if we stop our natural resource export sector?

Who would buy all this wheat and beef that is supporting our Canadian farmers? Who would be buying all the expensive Ice Wines from our Niagara wineries? I don't drink Ice Wine on the regular. Do you? How much maple syrup can you consume until you get diabetes? Can Canadians consumer enough to match the international hunger for maple syrup to support maple bush farmers at the current production level?

Our GDP is great and we have the modern, luxury lives because we are able to produce beyond our needs and sell the excess through international trades. You can only trade if you have items that other desire...and they have something that we desire. Otherwise, we would fall back into local (even national) economies where limited trades provide limited growth...in similar fashion as third world or developing countries. Would you like to live in a world again in third world condition? You won't even be able to afford a computer to comment on this forum post...nevermind that, you may not even have infrastructure for internet access.

And if it wasn't for these international trade, will we have fresh blueberries from Chile in the dead of winter? Would you have the "luxury" of getting bananas at all? Bananas are not really a luxury items...it's almost integrated into our daily lives...but the last I check, I don't see any banana trees growing in Ontario forests.

You can also forget getting about our Canadian icon...Timmies...because without international trade, we won't have coffee beans either. But...We'll definitely have a zombie apocalypse with millions of caffeine-addicted drinkers forced in rehab. Get ready your zombie gear...and remember...double tap, good cardio, seatbelts and avoid washrooms.

Certainly bananas and coffee are not from China...or even offshore...but these are just examples of our current global economy which we do depend on. To suggest that we should become an island, shut our trade borders, and "Buy Canadian" will support our own economy enough to stand on our own two feet is delusional at best. I'm not saying you had suggested this, OT...but this concept of "buy local first and always" is admirable, but not always the best for the economy of Canada.

There is certain argument for local economies though...I do not deny that...and in fact I do support it...especially locally grown foods that can be had when in season. I'll take local apples, peaches, cherries, blueberries...etc over fruits from elsewhere...but we don't have local freshly ripen blueberries in December...do we?

I think of it this way...we buy a US company produced China manufactured reel, and we get fresh California strawberries in the winter...pretty fair trade.

Or...we sell Canadian hardwood to Chinese women and in turn receive Chinese silk lingerie for Canadian women...again pretty fair trade.