SANTA'S WORKSHOP - Inside China's SLAVE labor toy factories

[Candy*Land]

Speaking of that, Bruce -- do you have a comment about the movie Yes Men? It was incredible as far as costume design goes.  I'll have to watch it again, I think, because I wonder who produced it and what the story behind the main people was?

[Hopeless_optimist]

We will survive longer than most - but the reason for the same is that our ( India) GDP is dependant on internal consumption. We consume 80% of the goods and services produced by us...chinese platic pumpkins are baubles..thats all. Our markets are well regulated with watchdogs with teeth and common sense

But how long will that internal consumption last when the oil imports start to drop by, say, 10% a year?

[IndianGirl]

10% a year is a huge drop - can't see something like that happening soon..besides we are frantically converting to CNG - all our public transport is now on CNG. Even trucks ( almost 50% + are now on CNG). We have some of the largest wind power plants..efforts are on...no body is hurt proof..its reletive.

[Baldwin]

The sad part of the video was that every official from chinese factory officials to the Scandinavian officials were obviously putting on their most polite smile and spinning their sweetest cock-and-bull story.  The ONLY person who seemed depressed and genuine was that one grey-haired and bespectacled dane/swede/norwegian who said "It should not be like that."  He's probably an upper-middle executive being fed the same bullshit from his superiors about the "code of conduct". 

Note:  I can't tell if this video was Danish, Swedish, or Norwegian.  The languages are mutually intelligible to each other and I'd need my friends to help me out.  (Random Fact:  Danes sound to Norwegians and Swedes like Scots sound to Brits and Americans...ie Danes/Scots speak like they have a mouth full of porridge.)

[pamela]

Years ago when all this free trade, NAFTA crap started I knew then that we would end up without jobs here. That is exactly what has happened. The corporations wanted to keep the bottom lines looking good for the stock holders, we consumers wanted to buy cheaper and cheaper. In the end everyone loses. Except for oil (because we don't have any to speak of) I still say we should and could be a nation of true Independence. In fact that is the ONLY way we could of survived. Global trade is a scam. We should produce what we consume and they produce what they consume. As ridiculous as it might seem at the onset it is and was the only solution. We are going to do that in the near future, we have no choice........................Bruce

I lost two jobs to outsourcing. and heck, they weren't big paying jobs, barely minimum wage.
it was sewing factory work.
the first place went to Mexico, manager said it was because they could pay those women 35.00 a week instead of the 120.00 we were getting at the time.
the second job was also in a sewing factory. A better run place but they went to the British Honduras.
I sure don't begrudge other people making a living and having jobs, but why didn't this country enact legislation that taxed goods coming back into the US? charge them enough so that it was better to stay here and hire people in this country?

[Bruce]

Speaking of that, Bruce -- do you have a comment about the movie Yes Men? It was incredible as far as costume design goes.  I'll have to watch it again, I think, because I wonder who produced it and what the story behind the main people was?

 Don't know for sure if I have seen it or not. If I have I have forgotten it. I will check Netflix and get it on the way so I can respond appropriately.......................................Bruce

[Candy*Land]

Thank you, Bruce. Yes Men is even on the view it now part, last time I looked. H and I saw it years ago and laughed and laughed. Looking around now, not so much. 

[Hopeless_optimist]

10% a year is a huge drop - can't see something like that happening soon..besides we are frantically converting to CNG - all our public transport is now on CNG. Even trucks ( almost 50% + are now on CNG). We have some of the largest wind power plants..efforts are on...no body is hurt proof..its reletive.

Given lack of investment in future oil production and export declines that will be steeper than production declines, 10% a year is a pretty realistic scenario for importing countries. But sounds like you will do better than most, if public transport and a basic living standard can be supported without imported energy.