Sad but true Danziger TOON

[n2doc]

[Brickbat]

1. Much as I hate Wal-Mart, I think cartoons like this need to go farther.

It's easy for smart, educated, socially minded people to feel like that because they're not shopping at Wal-Mart, they're making good decisions and not supporting Chinese goods made by children's or slaves' hands. But if everyone who reads this spends a day and looks at the label of everything they use -- stuff they bought at Costco or Kohl's or the grocery store or the toy store or online -- they would get a real shock, I think (assuming they don't read labels regularly). I mean every single thing -- clothes, toothpaste, soap, dishes, food, and so on.

If we're bashing China for its nasty quality, disgusting record on workers' and human rights, and pathetic environmental and safety standards, bash China. Wal-Mart is a convenient stand-in for such things, but it's not the only one offering such goods, and thinking that not shopping at Wal-Mart will solve the problem actually makes the problem worse.

[n2doc]

2. It's not bashing to tell the truth

Wall Mart has been at the vanguard of bringing cheap chinese goods to the us and driving out other stores and local goods. Danziger has in the past done some great toons illustrating the costs of buying Chinese goods.

[Brickbat]

4. Right, but they're not the only one -- not by a long shot.

The retail market is flooded with Chinese crap and while Wal-Mart may have been at the vanguard of selling it all, all the other big retailers have followed suit. And I think that by showing Wal-Mart as the one place where Chinese products have made an inroad is inaccurate and lets other retailers off the hook.

[HopeHoops]

3. I do look at labels. It is amazing how much I save by putting it back if it says "Made in China".

Granted, there are a lot of things that you simply can't find with any other place of origin, but there are a shitload of things still made here in the USA and they generally are not more expensive. There's a misconception that shit made in China is cheaper. Any difference in production cost is made up for in shipping costs and middle man profits. So what if the slave making the stuff earns pennies a day as long as the middle man makes a huge profit on it and WalMart marks it up even more.

The simplest thing to do when you see "Made in China" on a product is to ask yourself, "do I really need this?"

That one question will save you a lot of money.

[Brickbat]

5. That's exactly what I do (hence the sigline).

It's cut down mightily on impulse purchases -- cute shirts I'd see at the local big-box, a little toy in the check-out line, that kind of thing. I'd pick it up and spend 30 seconds really asking myself, "Is my wanting this shirt greater than the suffering that may have gone into it? Is it worth it to me to wear it knowing that it was probably made by a child or a slave?" It makes things a lot clearer to think that way, doesn't it?

And yes, sometimes there aren't alternatives. And that sucks. But the work it takes to find products I feel good about buying is worth it to me.

[HopeHoops]

6. LOL!!!! - Sorry, I missed it the first time.

I don't just apply that to "place of manufacturing", but also to food. It is SHOCKING how many times I've picked up a food item thinking "OOOoooo!", taken one look at the saturated fat content and put it back with a double-forefinger cross sign at it. E-GADS some of that shit is disgusting! You can save a shitload in the grocery store by looking at labels too!

[Brickbat]

8. SO true! I was diagnosed with an egg allergy several years ago and so had to start reading labels

of all the food I bought. Talk about a WTF moment. Fortunately, it's changed our eating for the better. Chocolate and cheese don't have eggs in them. :rofl:

[Blue_Tires]

7. +1