I read this entire thread with much interest. I have responded to several threads along the way here, and I find this forum very helpful and supportive for the beginners and reassuring for the rest.
After reading this thread, it is my opinion many have missed the mark.
Before I begin, i will give you some background. I am a materials engineer who has been to China several times, where my product designs were fabricated and prototyped there. I worked hand in hand with the businessman and craftsmen alike.
The environmental standards are much more lax in China, and that is one of the reasons PLASTICS are made there, and everywhere else but here, because the environmental standards here are quite restrictive and make operating costs prohibitive. American corporations would rather destroy someone elses back yard.
In China there are many high quality products as well as cheap ones. Most of the materials we see from China here are not even available for local consumers. Home depot for instance will go to a manufacturer and buy out thier entire years production for their stores based on Home Depot's exact standards for the product. Chines companies dont get to make the rules: Home Depot does, and if they dont like it there are 100 more factories in line for the big contract.. This is the norm, not the exception.
American corporations set the standard (or lack of such), which is largely cost driven. American corporations have no interest in spending for Quality Assurance to protect the american consumer. Based on my observations, it appears American corporations dont want to know much about their own product.
If you want to make a difference for the people of this country, boycott the Corporations that have no regard for their own consumers. Insist they have inspected goods; that corporations have a steadfast QA program that is actually followed. Sorry to say that no matter where you go you will have corners cut and inferior products of the manufacturer if the product is only regarded for low price.
If American corporations held all their manufacturers wherever they are located to high standatds, we would not be hearing about all this.
In Europe, mainly Germany , France and Italy, they have most goods manufactured in China, sending their consultants to train the personnel and oversee the work.
It is cheaper for Italians to ship their marble to china and have the Italian artisans consult the stoneworkers and then ship the finished products back to Italy then have Italian crafters do the work in-country.
So from cat food and toys and everything in between, it is the store or the corporation that we should hold accountable. If they want to force us to buy their junk that they paid pennies for the dollar, vote with your wallet and let the store or company know your disappointment that this company is not looking out for us.
I believe most of you would be amazed how eager the chinese business people are to accomodate americans over there for business. American corporations need to step up to the plate and be part of the solution instead of the problem.
