What a surprise that Chinese drywall manufacturers refuse any discussion about compensating us for their terrible products.
After all, does anyone really think a country with nuclear missiles locked & ready to launch at our major cities would care we are unhappy that they fleeced us? I happen to think they are laughing all the way to the bank.
Let’s address a few things. Congress cohersed the banks in this country to lower their standards legally. Congress empowers Government Agencies like EPA, OSHA, etc. that have driven Corporations out of the country due to over regulations. Corporations are run by bean counters and not people who know the business anymore. Greed in America at the Corporate level is legendary as is fraud for the almighty dollar. Consumers did not ASK FOR or Purchase the materials, Companies bought them to increase profit margins. Corporations are the majority of special interest legislation in this country by dollars and junkits to exotic places. The people have been forgotten in this country for commerce and profit. If we reigned in congress and the senate and insisted as a people that OUR INTEREST are first then perhaps we have a chance. Yes this is the absolute best country in the world…just open the gates and see which way folks run…in or out…hell we can’t even keep the folks out with the doors shut! CHINA has ALWAYS been the threat. They will always be the threat until Middle Earth is achieved. They are patient and now are our financial partner. Yes today we could SURVIVE but what would be left over to start again? Isolationism is not the answer our dollar is not strong enough. The CPSC is responsible for catching bad imports and product safety…can anyone say LEAD at toxic levels being utilized in children toys…been happening forever. China has a 100 plan and American only think in terms of the next quarter results…Study your history and the “learn the language” comment isn’t a bad idea. Yes a hyperwar would put a real hurt on China and the last couple of administrations have either not addressed the issues due to the “Terrorist Threat” which is real but is not a REAL THREAT when compared to China. OIL is readily available in quantities of unreal proportion here in the US but special interest are at play and our gas will hit 5 dollars this year. Hell we haven’t really built an refinery in this country for decades as evidenced by the retrofit accidents at then we have see over the years. We as a governed people have lost our will to care for ourselves or speak up and this is what we asked for by default…lets sit around the campfire and sing kum ba yah…..
More China products in the USA in the future? This should be on the TV Show “American Greed”!! Think about it. People in the USA are profiting from this mess. I really weep for the future!!!!
How could anyone in their right minds think that the Chinese would actually do anything other than sell Americans what they wanted – cheap goods at a cheap price.
Now someone wants them to not only admit their liability but also to pay for it? Come on; you might as well rub a Buddha’s belly to get him to laugh.
Cash flow with China is a one-way operation – dollars check in but they don’t check out. Which is easily understood when you look at how much in T-bills China holds; they have to park all those dollars somewhere, and the Treasury Department needs the backing.
Just watch out when your new mortgage company re-writes your loan documents in pictographs. America sold itself to the lowest bidder.
The Chinese are flexing their economic might as we struggle. This is just one example of that fact. They are also raising the temperature on their militray procurements by 7%.
The handwriting is on the drywall. They will be a huge problem in the next 5 years.
American insurers aren’t paid to underwrite the gross negligence of Chinese drywall manufacturers. This is a products liability issue for the Chinese and they should step up and make reimbursement. They have to warrant the merchantability of this crap. If it isn’t suitable for it’s advertised purpose they’ve committed fraud. If they refuse, America needs to use some of it’s own leverage and refuse to allow their building equipment to be sold here. They created the problem; make them responsible to clean it up.
Lee – I agree 100%, but our gov’t has sold out to the Chi-Coms, and not only the current admin but going back for years. If not ban, why not a high tariff on their imports making it uneconomical and maybe level the playing field with US manufacturers.
The Chinese have been steadily increasing the % of GDP they devote to military spending, enlarging their army and their hardware. Eariler this week they “leaked” pictures of a new stealth fighter they have developed.
Last month, the world was shocked to see a new uranium processing facility in North Korea. There is speculation that this new facility is Chinese handiwork and, of course, would be a nice place to put a new nuclear weapons enrichment plant and be able to deny they have added anything, at least, on Chinese soil.
The Chinese have also recently engaged in some fishing rights confrontations with Japan, making the Japanese very nervous about their security.
This week, they raised the rhetoric on the US by stating that any further arming of Taiwan (Formosa for some of you who remember Mao’s revolution history. Sec Gates received a very very chilling reception during his visit this week.
And this military kerffule is not the only points of stres. The balance of trade and the value of there currency are also bones of contention.
All of this points to the gathering of storm clouds between us and them.
I understand where you are coming from, but tariffs don’t work. To boot, they own a majority of our treasuries. Sad situation indeed, but the bottom line is the BOTTOM LINE. Consumers need to make the decision to purchase higher quality goods, and let the “invisible hand” work its magic.
As a bit of history, we should all recall what happened after we invoked a trade war with the Japanese mid 20th Century.
Be prepared for a cold reception from the Chinese to addressing any of these issues. We should also be aware of the fact that there are over 1 billion Chinese, 3 times the population of the US.
I agree. These little weasels need to be held accountable for producint S.H.I.T. products and selling them to the U.S. It would also be helpful if the U.S. had an objective, independent, functional testing agency to prevent anything sub-standard from coming into this country. Isn’t anyone tired of being a patsy to foreign countries?
While we are beating up the Chinese, remember who is selling us all the “rare earth” minerals to help out our global warming green initiatives. By the way, the Chinese sell us a vast majority of our solar panels.
The Chinese are into global warming FOR US. Anyone who still believes that anthropogenic global warming is a problem can start speaking Chinese!
Thanks, Tom. Read same articles with similar take on it as you have.
I have always said that the Chinese have a very old and very smart culture. We are rustic babes in the woods to those strategists. Frankly, I think some of our businesses are being suckered. The theft of intellectual property and trade secrets, etc., has been widely publicized. We are now in too far since they own so much of our debt; exactly where they want us.
Although I tend to be liberal in most issues, the fact that we need to get our balance of trade in order and our debt under control speaks to this issue very pointedly.
As far as trying to buy American, I can hardly find anything not made in China…or Asia…and I DO always look. At the grocery store, I found frozen wild Alaska salmon packed by a Chinese company. How does stuff like that happen?
Because we have allowed ourselves to become deluded to the fact that instant gratification is the be all and end all. This is a case where might does not make right and will not correct our legacy of failed statesmanship in the world. Better start vetting and selecting our next candidates now and guard against another emotional knee jerk getting elected.
Not necessarily, its the old ideology of comparative advantage. Take for example, a professional athlete would likely be better at moving furniture or mowing lawns than just about anyone he could hire, due to conditioning and athletic ability. But comparatively speaking, he would be better off playing sports or working endorsements, something of the like.
Our nation is kind of like a finely tuned athlete in this manner. No one could argue that we would make the best clothes or scissors, but comparatively we are much better off focusing on more rewarding endeavors.
As for balance of trade, goods coming into the country actually helps bring in investment dollars. So balancing at this point may do more harm than good.
Tariffs have never worked, just ask the French.
I like the idea of developing some standards and enforcing. But how do we accomplish this in our “free trade” environment? Really, I’m asking.
That fighter is stealth lite. Signature is observable with last years stuff.
Similarly all the sabre clanging on North Koreas nuke capability needs to be tempered by the fact that they can’t get their delivery system to put it on target. Bottom line…we can wipe out anyone in 48 hours and survive.
Wouldn’t all companies exclude the drywall when it is defective. I took this from a policy
3. EXCLUSIONS…
b. Coverage A-Dwelling and Coverage B-Other Structures…
(3) Faulty, Inadequate, or defective:
(b)materials used in construction, reconstruction, repair, remodeling, or renovation;..
of a part or all of the residence premises or any other property.”
It would be great to see the money trail on the manufactures – I’m sure it circles right back to the USA:
The following list identifies the top 10 drywall samples tested that had the highest emissions of hydrogen sulfide, along with the identity of the manufacturer of the drywall and the year of manufacture, from highest to lowest.
Knauf Plasterboard (Tianjin) Co. Ltd.: (year of manufacture 2005) China
Taian Taishan Plasterboard Co. Ltd.: (2006) China
Shandong Taihe Dongxin Co.: (2005) China
Knauf Plasterboard (Tianjin) Co. Ltd.: (2006) China
Taian Taishan Plasterboard Co. Ltd.: (2006) China
Taian Taishan Plasterboard Co. Ltd.: (2006) China
Shandong Chenxiang GBM Co. Ltd. (C&K Gypsum Board): (2006) China
Beijing New Building Materials (BNBM): (2009) China
Wrestling our manufacturing base back from the Chi-Coms will take resolve that few of us have ever known. We presently have next to no consumer goods made in the USA, compliments of our insatiable appetite for more, more, more at smaller and smaller cost.
We must demand USA made products, and demonstrate we will pay more for them. And no, I am not a labor union hack. Unions have mostly outlived their usefulness, but that is enitrely another story for another day.
Saying no to our acquired thirst for cheaply made goods means we will afford fewer gizmos per capita, but think of the return on investment. We need to start rebuilding a future where our descendants will know what it is to buy and own quality USA goods, while earning a living commensurate with a revitalized market.
Let us sober up from the more-stuff-for-less binge. It starts with your personal conviction. This is, in essence our WWIII. It’s a financial war we have to win. If we do not win this one, we will irretrievably lose our county without a shot being fired.
Remember the comment another blogger made about learning Chinese? I say NOT!
I agree completely…..screw the Chinese. If these so-called progressive, innovative business partners had any pride, ethics, or morals, they wouldn’t build and sell inferior S.H.I.T. to the U.S. I’ll never eat Chinese food again.
Maybe we need to start a grass roots boycott of Chinese products. Maybe we can take lessons from the Obama campaign in 2008 and the tea Party movement in 2010 and start a “people’s boycott” and publicize our unwillingness to accept unsafe and inferior products imported from China. Not only would that affect the Chinese, but also the American corps that continue to import this junk and not even bother to do rudimentary tests to make sure it meets American standards. I suggest we not “involve” the government but only the media to launch this “people’s boycott.”
I also suggest that it is totally unconscionable that heavy metal laced junk toys were imported by WalMart as well as Mattel and sold for use by our children. I also suggest that melamine laced pet and other foods (which was done to save money by the Chinese manufacturers) is also unconscionable, not to mention ingant formula, etc.
I would target children’s products and foodstuffs first, to gather momentum, and then move on to other products.
Watcher, that would be a good start but we need to be sure we don’t scare them off too fast as they may call us on our debt. Getting our fiscal house in order would help give us the backbone to stand up to complaints about the boycott.
Maybe we could get them to adopt our tort laws and then send half of our plaintiff attorneys over there. This would solve two problems at once.
Agree, which is why I suggested children’s products and food products as a start for this boycott. who can argue with wanting safe food and safe children’s products?
I also agree that exposrting our surfeit of tort attorneys would be exceptional productive in several ways, however, I have ZERO hopes of the Chinese adopting our tort system….they are not that stupid.
I also agree on getting our own fiscal house in order is a necessary step as I blogged earlier, but we also need to address the balance of trade as well. By boycotting stupid junk, we can help do that as well. We could at least attempt to stem the outflow of so much of our money going to China. Furthermore, this is a consumer oriented and free market means to express our displeasure with the american corporations that continue to import this junk…and fail to test for safety. My better half has suggested that the WalMarts, et. al, do, but then make a conscious business decision to not recall or cease purchasing this stuff since they can estimate the cost benefits, and improtation of junk is still more profitable.
I simply cannot be THAT cynical at this point, especially when children’s products are concerned, or foods, but he may well have a point.
If you are in China and buy something, does it say “Made around the corner”?
Seriously though, they have no problems screwing their own environment, why would they care about ours? With all the trash in their rivers, makes me wonder if the whole Feng Shwey thing has made it to China…
Do any of you like Tilapia? I was having a hard time finding US aqua-farmed and did some research, found out more than 75% of farmed Tilapia is from China. Scary as hell!!! READ LABELS ON FOOD!!! If we don’t buy their Schit, they won’t send it!…
I am trying to remember how the similar problem with “made in Japan” was handled in the 50s, 60s, and 70s before they got the message and started producing quality goods that eventually, in the case of autos, led to them surpassing our quality.
The lessons learned should be a guide to handle this problem without setting aflame a trade war, or something worse.
Without getting blasted too much, I see a problem here. I constantly hear on this website that businesses should be left alone, regulated less, sued less often, etc, etc, etc. However, now that American companies are buying inferior, Chinese made goods, I hear, let’s tariff, let’s make sure all goods are checked, etc. How is this not regulation that most of you in the past have been so against?
Coporations routinely send American jobs to India, China, etc. I don’t hear a peep about it. I just hear, “well, businesses are around to make money, so if it increases profits to mfg a product in Mexico or China, they should”
I’m really not trying to cause a fight here, but how can you argue both sides?
It has come to my attention that many of our faithful Walsmart bargain shoppers have begun to wonder about the products we market. I want to address a number of your concerns.
1. If we were to test everything on our shelves for safety concerns, we’d probably put many of our customers who are employed by the Federal Government out of work. Especially those who work so hard to make sure what is sold in the US is safe and non-toxic. Walsmart is all about job creation, not elimination.
2. We are committed to providing our customers with a wide range of selections and a wide range of choices. If we had to limit our products to only those made by American or non-Sino sources, many of our aisles would be empty of both items and customers. We like customers; they make it possible to hire workers at solid wages.
3. The buying power of our customers is greatly expanded by keeping costs down as low as possible. Watch our commercials – we actually take hammers to our price signs! Can you believe that! No one but Walsmart can do that!
4. Unfortunately, our selection is limited by the limited number of items still made in the US. Of course, we would love to sell every product with a label showing “Made in America”. And in fact, we DO! They’re all on Aisle 67B right next to the bargain bins. Unless of course you include all the financial products sold in Aisles 34 through 47, where we offer a wide range of insurance and banking items. The mix of American products has skewed away from making things that have three dimensions, and even though most of them don’t show that well on display, we got ’em anyhow!
5. Did you know that many of our Sham’s Club stores have installed solar panels on their roofs? Of course, you didn’t know that — no one ever goes up on the roof! Walsmart is GREEN, America! We get our panels from the same companies we buy our electronics products from. If we stopped buying from ‘them’, we’d be less green — and we are committed to fight global warning! I mean, warming!
I hope that answers some of your questions. Rest in peace, America, and if you’re uncomfortable, just do like I do — Roll Over!
Questioner, to answer your question about regulation of business…that is precisely WHY I opt for a “people’s boycott” that does not involve govt. We can use the internet blog tools so effectively utilized by both the 2008 Obama campaign as well as the 2010 Tea party campaign as a template of how to get our message out there. China surely can’t blame our government if the “people” revolt and refuse to buy their junk.
As a “liberal” who has no great love for companies that foist unsafe junk on us, I personally would fine the WalMarts and Mattels into oblivion but that would be counterproductive as well. However, we do live in a free enterprise society and we are told that the market can correct itself via consumer action, which I still do believe in some instances. This is such a one.
If we do this consumer to consumer, rather than through governmental action or regulation, we can satisfy all sides of the political spectrum and, for once, incept some activity that we do not argue about politically.
I also think that such action, as well as proving a point that the consumer can make inroads via using their buying power, would be something that almost all citizens could approve and rally around.
Maybe the lesson learned, if successful, would start (or continue) some kind of empowerment trend and for once, let the actions of the citizens speak louder than the voices of the lobbyists on both sides.
We are always told that we have choices in our free society, but with respect to non Chinese products, our choices are becoming more and more limited. Let’s start making choices with our checkbooks, even if the choice is DON’T buy if the junk is from China.
Tom, with Japan in the 50/60’s: I do remember all that as well. But at that time, we still had American choices to use for a lot of purchases. that is no longer the case, so as I see it, the decision is not to “buy American” (if you can find it), but NOT to continue buying cheap junk vs. buying it at all.
Yes, fellow blogger, I noticed the tilapia right along side the “wild caught Alaska salmon” packed in China. Unbelievable.
Come on, all you tweeters and facebookers….let’s start using the internet where companies will see our displeasure.
Again, start with food and kids stuff….who could argue with that?
Just remember, the cheapo and unnecessary impulse purchase you make is contributing to the ability of China to operfect that stealth bomber that Tom talked about. Any purchase for non essential items just continues to worsen our balance of trade. Any non necessary purchase you make continues to encourage our jobs to be outsourced. Maybe our actions could help encourage the trend toward “backsourcing” that is in its infancy now.
In any event, maybe we could at least help to bring back into balance a situation that is VERY unbalanced now, to the detriment (as I see it) to this country and its people.
So, you are telling me that all the money that the govt is spending on alternative energy equipment is going to Chinese manaufacturers? Does anyone have facts here?
Does anyone know if the tax extension bill voted on that gives super acceleration for depreciation on capital goods purchased by companies has any stricture on trying to buy American first (I MUST be crazy to even think that might be included)?
PS…Caterpillar, in my neck of the woods, has decided not to increase its IL workforce, but rather spend in excess of a billion dollars to make a plant in China to produce heavy equipment, since Asia is “closer to the customers.” We’ll see how well that works out after Chinese industrial espionage activities have drained all the engineering and production secrets from Cat dry.
Watcher, I think that buying American can help but one must be selective since there are few sources in America that provide the products we need. Let’s start with those we “want” by develooing a list.
By the way, I recognize your syntax and style. I think there is a hint of Latin and Greek there.
I made a New Year’s Resolution to not be “part of the problem” and engage in silly invective for no good purpose.
I also truly believe that there are things that we can ALL agree on and that surpercede political agendas.
I think many of us are disturbed about the inferior chinese goods that are flowing into this country. Well, let’s show our free market system in action, let’s show that we can unite for common good, let’s show the “GOVT” (at whatever level and of whatever ideology) that the “people” can speak and be heard.
I do and did agree with Gabrielle, who was shot in Tucson, that bad words have consequences, no matter who is mouthing them.
Maybe we can prove something to ourselves as well…
I must say I don’t get the consequences comment as respects the Tuscon horror. No one, other than “voices” in the head of Mr. Laughner created the tragedy and attempts to politicize this matter are dispicable. We need to focus on the mental illness issue and re-visit why we closed all of the mental institutions in this country back in the 70s when “aminstreaming” became popular.
Also, the political rhetoric in this past election has not produced any problems near what we saw in the mid 60s to the mid 80s when JFK was shot, RFK was killed, George Wallace was killed, MLK was killed, Gerald Ford was shot at twice etc. Compared to that era, this period of political discourse and confrontation is badminton with a feather duster.
I was not being political; I have felt for a long time that the hyper rhetoric was injurious on many levels, so I am not following along and accusing any side, but rather all of it and I take my share of the blame as well. Yes, the shooter was deranged, but what will be the reason for the next shooter to grab the gun? Was MLK’s assassin deranged or an extreme political ideologue? I don’t know, but I don’t want to all that again.
Oh, yes, I well remember JFK, MLK, RFK; I remember being totally shell shocked when I was living through those events. The attempt on Ford was more of the same and I was afraid the assassination attempts would continue….
I do not want to EVER revisit that era and so have resolved to NOT throw more gas on the flames. Funny you should mention that, since as I grew more and more dismayed at the polarization, I thought of exactly all that as well, hence my resolution (prior to the Tucson shooting). I, too, believe in “personal responsiblity” and I define it in my own small way with this resolution.
I may backslide, but I know you will be there to call me out!
Guys, this will take some resolve. After all, the Chinese sheetrock that started this discussion was selling for about $1.50 per sheet in 2006-2007 when domestic sources were selling for $18-19. The builders and contractors made the decision for the homeowners. The buyers couldn’t have checked source for all materials and components…
In most cases the resolve will have to come from businesses…
Agree. But if we can boycott those things for which we know the origins, it is a start. I am usually very cynical about really having free choices, but also note that the “homeless newscaster story” went viral and became national news overnight. Maybe if we facebook, some of the gazillion Chinese posters will see the message. Or doesn’t the govt let them post worldwide?
In any event, a lot of folks are very unsettled about the junk sold for our children and our pets. Maybe time to take a stand.
I am amazed that I forgot the Gipper being shot but, again, that was an apolitical nighmare we were all thrust into by a Jodie Foster devotee. That assassination attempt falls in the same orb as Tuscon.
Now back to the Chinese. Maybe someone can create a Chinese “recall” list similar to the government’s car recall list where we all can go to see what problems the Chinese thirst for dollars has been thrusted upon us.
My daughter was so proud – she selected Christmas gifts that were not made in China. She knew that would make me happy.
I noticed one item was marked “Made in PRC” as opposed to “Made in China.” Creeps!
Wow. Four or maybe five people have signed up for a trade boycott against products made overseas.
Enough grass roots have been seeded to cover my front lawn.
In the spirit of community, I am going to open a plastics injection molding company in Newark, NJ. We will follow all OSHA and consumer protection guidelines, pay our workers a living wage, offer free daycare to draw the best people, and help bring down the unemployment rate in a depressed neighborhood.
Unfortunately, since I will be a start-up, my financing limitations will be tight. Gov. Christie said he would LOVE to give me some seed money, but in his State of the State Statement he said that NJ would have to tighten belts. And that from a man who hasn’t SEEN his belt buckle in years, much less his shoes.
Mayor Booker said he, too, would love to get some enterprise goin’ on, but he doesn’t have enough money to rehire the laid-off police to guard the plant and the workers on their commute.
So, since they are reading all the blogs regarding this upswell and unhappiness and unrest, I am asking that the good folks overseas send me a couple of those T-bills until I am in a positive cash flow position. Which they probably would do as a sign of good trade partnership, but the conditions of the loan would probably give them a 49% interest in my business with options to increase when – not if – I fall behind.
This is a trade scuffle. There is no upside and no real chance of our coming out ahead. And to think DC tried to convince the Chinese into devaluing their Yuan against the dollar so our goods would be competitive for their market.
And even if the stuff isn’t built in PRC, with all that money the PRC can buy US-based companies like Maytag and repatriate the dollars one bundle at a time.
The US has ZERO leverage.
Sorry for the gloom and doom so early in the day. But this is a mess we ALL allowed ourselves to get into by outsourcing products and jobs for corporate profit. We have a better chance in trying to convince US business to shift manufacturing back into the States than getting the producers to behave in a Western manner.
While we can do something to keep out the junk, unless we find an alternative source for the rare earth minterals that we need to construct our whiz bang computers and related technology, we are dead in the water. And since the “green” movement for “green” cars relies heavily on batteries and computers, the demand for rare earth minerals is only going to go up. The Chinese cheer our infatuation with “global warning” since the can sell the hell out of the resources all while chugging out tons of pollution. And we still want to talk tough.
Tom, you can’t tell me that China is the ONLY place on this earth that these rare earth minerals are found, can you? Give some more details and educate us. What about Canada? Russia? What about drawing closwer in our trading with Latin America (they are, after all, our hemishperic neighbors), or Russia (due to the natural enmity between it and China for various and well detailed historical reasons).
What we bring to the table is the largest consumer market in this world (at this time) and that does, in fact, give us some leverage.
And yes, by all means, we should encourage our corps to rebuild and restart America…since we have used our tax policies in the past to “choose winners” let’s use it now to reward investment in American….and not just on the consumer side, but on the PRODUCING side.
How sad is it that many of our vital defense “things” are apparently no longer made in this country. For no other reason than defense we should really look carefully at who we share info with…and certainly, we should control production capability.
Tom, I forgot about Reagan. Yes, him too, although in a different era. But I wonder, as Reagan killed the USSR by ratcheting up the defense war to levels that brought USSR to its knees, I wonder if the Chinese are not in fact doing the same thing with us, only it is STILL our own overspending.
As always, the issue is foolish spending, and now, in this time, of stagnating economy not creating enough jobs in this country. I am thrilled with the fact that the restaurant industry is now hiring, and healthcare, but restaurant jobs often do not support middle class families; healthcare jobs tend to draw off resources rather than sustain and produce new ones.
Maybe there would have been a way to reward Caterpillar for chosing to build here and expand here rather than spend a billion plus in China…doesn’t someone in our govt take any heed of these things? States have been very proactive in trying to attract and retain businesses (and therefore jobs) why not the feds when we have a national/international company involved? Where is the creativity?
I would also make a surcharge on companies that outsource our jobs….I am talking customer service jobs. I refuse to talk to customer service reps in India or the Phillippines anymore; I request a transfer of the call back to a US service center. Maybe if more prople did that, the big banks (that we bailed out, lest we all forget) would return to using US based customer service centers.Now I read that atty firms, no less, are outsourcing paralegal, research, and boilerplate cases to India……
Sorry for the diatribe, but I am old enough to remember when GE and GM ruled the world, when Detroit was a magnet for engineering talent, and everyone’s mom aspired to a Maytag. In my opinion, we have let ourselves be sold down the river. I do not think it is too late to prevent us from going over the dam yet.
Dear CL, that’s never going to happen and it wasn’t the point of my post. In economics its called comparative advantage, and the advantage of low value or high emissions manufacturing is advantaged off US soil, where laws and regs are more conducive to cost control. I realize this post has really gotten off point here, but the issue of “Chi-Com” sheetrock is a simple issue fueled by inordinate demand.
In 2005-2007 America was high on the building boom afforded by a mortgagee back securities craze and sub-prime fueled growth, then major hurricanes broke the supply of an already stressed market for building materials. This caused a shift to non-domestic sources, and brought some relief to the market.
The buyers seeing an opportunity to save money and increase the bottom line, purchased the now infamous chi-toxic sheetrock. They assumed quality was not an issue, after-all, a commodity is a commodity, and how complicated could gypsum manufacturing be? Who would have ever thought they would use toxic gypsum?
Anyway, I guess I don’t really have a point other than be careful. It’s very clear we now depend on the Chinese for far more than just consumer goods… capital for our government… and mail order babies for our fun loving gay couples in Vermont & California.
Watcher, here is a blurb taken from an 8/31/2009 NY Times article that puts this in perspective.
“China currently accounts for 93 percent of production of so-called rare earth elements — and more than 99 percent of the output for two of these elements, dysprosium and terbium, vital for a wide range of green energy technologies and military applications like missiles.
Deng Xiaoping once observed that the Mideast had oil, but China had rare earth elements. As the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries has done with oil, China is now starting to flex its muscle.”
The world has become a complicated place, so any action must be carefully balanced against a reaction.
I can’t tell you specifically which country has the best natural resources within its borders, but we better start looking, pronto.
Whose to say the chinese have not contaminated it on purpose. Now for reasons they don’t like the way America handles it’s finaces or it was a blaten act of terrorism and we just don’t get it.
If the situation with Toxic China does not get corrected soon one day when half a million people get wiped out because of China and their bad product what will our elected officials say then. We did not know it was this bad, or they will say their sorry for all the victims. It is high time Washington comes back to planet earth and deal with the problems that past administrations made. I really could care less about China and their toxic country but I do care when they export Toxic Waste and call it product and cost me thousands of dollars to correct a situation that was not my making.
Furthermore this is nothing more than lack of responsibility on the manufactuer when they are going to sign non-disclousure agreement with a distributor to keep it hidden from people. The companies involved should be under investigation for fraud.How in the world do you know you have a bad product in 2006 and sweep it under the carpet.
Before I speak to the issue of what we should do about Chinese Drywall…I’d like to make an observation about the trade imbalance:
I think we’d all be sick to our stomachs if we had a full awareness of how much Chinese garbage we’ve purchased, and how many American jobs we killed in the process….all so that Walmart and Target and the rest of the retailers who peddle this crap can make more profit $$$. It comes to no surprise to me that our unemployment is so high when you start seeing how many American-made products you find in stores…versus how many that are made in China or other countries in Asia….
Many years ago Walmart had a “made in America” ad campaign touting the choices they made to stock products made here in our own country….I’d really like to see them bring that back.
I know that most readers of Insurance Journal are extremely oppossed to Government regulation, but here’s one I’d like to see implemented…every product sold in the United States that’s made in China has to carry a big, bold, Chinese Flag on it with a Cigarette-style warning label that says “BUYING THIS PRODUCT COULD BE HAZARDOUS TO THE HEALTH OF THE AMERICAN ECONOMY”
In regard to the Chinese Drywall mess…..I think the Government should set up a fund to repair the damage to American Homes caused by this defective product, and tell the Chinese Government that we’re taking it out of what we owe them…let them get the shortfall in their debt repayment from the manufacturers of this garbage. And if they don’t like it they can pound sand.
Problem is that several judges have found against this exlusion citing that the HO carrier is responsible for handling the claim.
Since China won’t subject themselve to our tort and product liability laws it appears the courts will look for other fiscal resources to compensate plaintiffs.
seeking relief for this drywall issue.
How about this, the federal government makes good on the bad Chinese drywall and subtracts it from what we owe the Chinese government for buying up our debt.
The Chinese know full well there is not a damn thing any of the injured homeowners in America can do. They are a foreign country and no attorney or world court is going to hold them liable and seek payment. China could do the morally right thing and offer to pay, but we are talking about Communist China. “Morally” and “Right” are not words which appear in the Chinese dictionary nor in thier lexicon.
Given the meeting Obama is going to have with the Chinese Prime Minister, maybe those Americans who are seeking damage will accept payment in Yuan.
First the builder should take the responsibility. Like a few have already. But only a very few. How can they continue to build and sell more homes and leave this nightmare to us the homeowners who can’t live in sell or rent these places. We can’t even give them away.
Never mind the most important factor the health of of elderly and children. I know when I spend brief times in my Condo I get headaches.
Don’t let anyone say it can’t cause illness…it does.
What a surprise that Chinese drywall manufacturers refuse any discussion about compensating us for their terrible products.
After all, does anyone really think a country with nuclear missiles locked & ready to launch at our major cities would care we are unhappy that they fleeced us? I happen to think they are laughing all the way to the bank.
Let’s address a few things. Congress cohersed the banks in this country to lower their standards legally. Congress empowers Government Agencies like EPA, OSHA, etc. that have driven Corporations out of the country due to over regulations. Corporations are run by bean counters and not people who know the business anymore. Greed in America at the Corporate level is legendary as is fraud for the almighty dollar. Consumers did not ASK FOR or Purchase the materials, Companies bought them to increase profit margins. Corporations are the majority of special interest legislation in this country by dollars and junkits to exotic places. The people have been forgotten in this country for commerce and profit. If we reigned in congress and the senate and insisted as a people that OUR INTEREST are first then perhaps we have a chance. Yes this is the absolute best country in the world…just open the gates and see which way folks run…in or out…hell we can’t even keep the folks out with the doors shut! CHINA has ALWAYS been the threat. They will always be the threat until Middle Earth is achieved. They are patient and now are our financial partner. Yes today we could SURVIVE but what would be left over to start again? Isolationism is not the answer our dollar is not strong enough. The CPSC is responsible for catching bad imports and product safety…can anyone say LEAD at toxic levels being utilized in children toys…been happening forever. China has a 100 plan and American only think in terms of the next quarter results…Study your history and the “learn the language” comment isn’t a bad idea. Yes a hyperwar would put a real hurt on China and the last couple of administrations have either not addressed the issues due to the “Terrorist Threat” which is real but is not a REAL THREAT when compared to China. OIL is readily available in quantities of unreal proportion here in the US but special interest are at play and our gas will hit 5 dollars this year. Hell we haven’t really built an refinery in this country for decades as evidenced by the retrofit accidents at then we have see over the years. We as a governed people have lost our will to care for ourselves or speak up and this is what we asked for by default…lets sit around the campfire and sing kum ba yah…..
More China products in the USA in the future? This should be on the TV Show “American Greed”!! Think about it. People in the USA are profiting from this mess. I really weep for the future!!!!
Anyone seeing drywall exclusions, Chinese or otherwise, including US product, from anyone other than Auto Owners?
Yes – I’ve seen them in surplus lines policies.
How could anyone in their right minds think that the Chinese would actually do anything other than sell Americans what they wanted – cheap goods at a cheap price.
Now someone wants them to not only admit their liability but also to pay for it? Come on; you might as well rub a Buddha’s belly to get him to laugh.
Cash flow with China is a one-way operation – dollars check in but they don’t check out. Which is easily understood when you look at how much in T-bills China holds; they have to park all those dollars somewhere, and the Treasury Department needs the backing.
Just watch out when your new mortgage company re-writes your loan documents in pictographs. America sold itself to the lowest bidder.
The Chinese are flexing their economic might as we struggle. This is just one example of that fact. They are also raising the temperature on their militray procurements by 7%.
The handwriting is on the drywall. They will be a huge problem in the next 5 years.
Tom
Educate me. What are you saying about the military procurements?
Please let us know.
American insurers aren’t paid to underwrite the gross negligence of Chinese drywall manufacturers. This is a products liability issue for the Chinese and they should step up and make reimbursement. They have to warrant the merchantability of this crap. If it isn’t suitable for it’s advertised purpose they’ve committed fraud. If they refuse, America needs to use some of it’s own leverage and refuse to allow their building equipment to be sold here. They created the problem; make them responsible to clean it up.
Lee – I agree 100%, but our gov’t has sold out to the Chi-Coms, and not only the current admin but going back for years. If not ban, why not a high tariff on their imports making it uneconomical and maybe level the playing field with US manufacturers.
The Chinese have been steadily increasing the % of GDP they devote to military spending, enlarging their army and their hardware. Eariler this week they “leaked” pictures of a new stealth fighter they have developed.
Last month, the world was shocked to see a new uranium processing facility in North Korea. There is speculation that this new facility is Chinese handiwork and, of course, would be a nice place to put a new nuclear weapons enrichment plant and be able to deny they have added anything, at least, on Chinese soil.
The Chinese have also recently engaged in some fishing rights confrontations with Japan, making the Japanese very nervous about their security.
This week, they raised the rhetoric on the US by stating that any further arming of Taiwan (Formosa for some of you who remember Mao’s revolution history. Sec Gates received a very very chilling reception during his visit this week.
And this military kerffule is not the only points of stres. The balance of trade and the value of there currency are also bones of contention.
All of this points to the gathering of storm clouds between us and them.
I understand where you are coming from, but tariffs don’t work. To boot, they own a majority of our treasuries. Sad situation indeed, but the bottom line is the BOTTOM LINE. Consumers need to make the decision to purchase higher quality goods, and let the “invisible hand” work its magic.
As a bit of history, we should all recall what happened after we invoked a trade war with the Japanese mid 20th Century.
Be prepared for a cold reception from the Chinese to addressing any of these issues. We should also be aware of the fact that there are over 1 billion Chinese, 3 times the population of the US.
I am just saying……
This is why prudent CGL carriers will not cover foreign products absent a treaty where the country agrees to be subject to USA laws.
I agree. These little weasels need to be held accountable for producint S.H.I.T. products and selling them to the U.S. It would also be helpful if the U.S. had an objective, independent, functional testing agency to prevent anything sub-standard from coming into this country. Isn’t anyone tired of being a patsy to foreign countries?
While we are beating up the Chinese, remember who is selling us all the “rare earth” minerals to help out our global warming green initiatives. By the way, the Chinese sell us a vast majority of our solar panels.
The Chinese are into global warming FOR US. Anyone who still believes that anthropogenic global warming is a problem can start speaking Chinese!
Thanks, Tom. Read same articles with similar take on it as you have.
I have always said that the Chinese have a very old and very smart culture. We are rustic babes in the woods to those strategists. Frankly, I think some of our businesses are being suckered. The theft of intellectual property and trade secrets, etc., has been widely publicized. We are now in too far since they own so much of our debt; exactly where they want us.
Although I tend to be liberal in most issues, the fact that we need to get our balance of trade in order and our debt under control speaks to this issue very pointedly.
As far as trying to buy American, I can hardly find anything not made in China…or Asia…and I DO always look. At the grocery store, I found frozen wild Alaska salmon packed by a Chinese company. How does stuff like that happen?
Why do we let it happen?
Because we have allowed ourselves to become deluded to the fact that instant gratification is the be all and end all. This is a case where might does not make right and will not correct our legacy of failed statesmanship in the world. Better start vetting and selecting our next candidates now and guard against another emotional knee jerk getting elected.
Not necessarily, its the old ideology of comparative advantage. Take for example, a professional athlete would likely be better at moving furniture or mowing lawns than just about anyone he could hire, due to conditioning and athletic ability. But comparatively speaking, he would be better off playing sports or working endorsements, something of the like.
Our nation is kind of like a finely tuned athlete in this manner. No one could argue that we would make the best clothes or scissors, but comparatively we are much better off focusing on more rewarding endeavors.
As for balance of trade, goods coming into the country actually helps bring in investment dollars. So balancing at this point may do more harm than good.
Tariffs have never worked, just ask the French.
I like the idea of developing some standards and enforcing. But how do we accomplish this in our “free trade” environment? Really, I’m asking.
That fighter is stealth lite. Signature is observable with last years stuff.
Similarly all the sabre clanging on North Koreas nuke capability needs to be tempered by the fact that they can’t get their delivery system to put it on target. Bottom line…we can wipe out anyone in 48 hours and survive.
Thanks for posting.
For anyone concerned about N Korea or China, I have two words for you… Hiroshima… Nagasaki…
hilarious comment ! You really hit the nail on the head!….
totally agree.
Wouldn’t all companies exclude the drywall when it is defective. I took this from a policy
3. EXCLUSIONS…
b. Coverage A-Dwelling and Coverage B-Other Structures…
(3) Faulty, Inadequate, or defective:
(b)materials used in construction, reconstruction, repair, remodeling, or renovation;..
of a part or all of the residence premises or any other property.”
It would be great to see the money trail on the manufactures – I’m sure it circles right back to the USA:
The following list identifies the top 10 drywall samples tested that had the highest emissions of hydrogen sulfide, along with the identity of the manufacturer of the drywall and the year of manufacture, from highest to lowest.
Knauf Plasterboard (Tianjin) Co. Ltd.: (year of manufacture 2005) China
Taian Taishan Plasterboard Co. Ltd.: (2006) China
Shandong Taihe Dongxin Co.: (2005) China
Knauf Plasterboard (Tianjin) Co. Ltd.: (2006) China
Taian Taishan Plasterboard Co. Ltd.: (2006) China
Taian Taishan Plasterboard Co. Ltd.: (2006) China
Shandong Chenxiang GBM Co. Ltd. (C&K Gypsum Board): (2006) China
Beijing New Building Materials (BNBM): (2009) China
Taian Taishan Plasterboard Co. Ltd.: (2009) China
Shandong Taihe Dongxin Co.: (2009) China
Wrestling our manufacturing base back from the Chi-Coms will take resolve that few of us have ever known. We presently have next to no consumer goods made in the USA, compliments of our insatiable appetite for more, more, more at smaller and smaller cost.
We must demand USA made products, and demonstrate we will pay more for them. And no, I am not a labor union hack. Unions have mostly outlived their usefulness, but that is enitrely another story for another day.
Saying no to our acquired thirst for cheaply made goods means we will afford fewer gizmos per capita, but think of the return on investment. We need to start rebuilding a future where our descendants will know what it is to buy and own quality USA goods, while earning a living commensurate with a revitalized market.
Let us sober up from the more-stuff-for-less binge. It starts with your personal conviction. This is, in essence our WWIII. It’s a financial war we have to win. If we do not win this one, we will irretrievably lose our county without a shot being fired.
Remember the comment another blogger made about learning Chinese? I say NOT!
I agree completely…..screw the Chinese. If these so-called progressive, innovative business partners had any pride, ethics, or morals, they wouldn’t build and sell inferior S.H.I.T. to the U.S. I’ll never eat Chinese food again.
Maybe we need to start a grass roots boycott of Chinese products. Maybe we can take lessons from the Obama campaign in 2008 and the tea Party movement in 2010 and start a “people’s boycott” and publicize our unwillingness to accept unsafe and inferior products imported from China. Not only would that affect the Chinese, but also the American corps that continue to import this junk and not even bother to do rudimentary tests to make sure it meets American standards. I suggest we not “involve” the government but only the media to launch this “people’s boycott.”
I also suggest that it is totally unconscionable that heavy metal laced junk toys were imported by WalMart as well as Mattel and sold for use by our children. I also suggest that melamine laced pet and other foods (which was done to save money by the Chinese manufacturers) is also unconscionable, not to mention ingant formula, etc.
I would target children’s products and foodstuffs first, to gather momentum, and then move on to other products.
Could we do this? What do you all think?
Watcher, that would be a good start but we need to be sure we don’t scare them off too fast as they may call us on our debt. Getting our fiscal house in order would help give us the backbone to stand up to complaints about the boycott.
Maybe we could get them to adopt our tort laws and then send half of our plaintiff attorneys over there. This would solve two problems at once.
Tom
Agree, which is why I suggested children’s products and food products as a start for this boycott. who can argue with wanting safe food and safe children’s products?
I also agree that exposrting our surfeit of tort attorneys would be exceptional productive in several ways, however, I have ZERO hopes of the Chinese adopting our tort system….they are not that stupid.
I also agree on getting our own fiscal house in order is a necessary step as I blogged earlier, but we also need to address the balance of trade as well. By boycotting stupid junk, we can help do that as well. We could at least attempt to stem the outflow of so much of our money going to China. Furthermore, this is a consumer oriented and free market means to express our displeasure with the american corporations that continue to import this junk…and fail to test for safety. My better half has suggested that the WalMarts, et. al, do, but then make a conscious business decision to not recall or cease purchasing this stuff since they can estimate the cost benefits, and improtation of junk is still more profitable.
I simply cannot be THAT cynical at this point, especially when children’s products are concerned, or foods, but he may well have a point.
If you are in China and buy something, does it say “Made around the corner”?
Seriously though, they have no problems screwing their own environment, why would they care about ours? With all the trash in their rivers, makes me wonder if the whole Feng Shwey thing has made it to China…
Do any of you like Tilapia? I was having a hard time finding US aqua-farmed and did some research, found out more than 75% of farmed Tilapia is from China. Scary as hell!!! READ LABELS ON FOOD!!! If we don’t buy their Schit, they won’t send it!…
I am trying to remember how the similar problem with “made in Japan” was handled in the 50s, 60s, and 70s before they got the message and started producing quality goods that eventually, in the case of autos, led to them surpassing our quality.
The lessons learned should be a guide to handle this problem without setting aflame a trade war, or something worse.
Without getting blasted too much, I see a problem here. I constantly hear on this website that businesses should be left alone, regulated less, sued less often, etc, etc, etc. However, now that American companies are buying inferior, Chinese made goods, I hear, let’s tariff, let’s make sure all goods are checked, etc. How is this not regulation that most of you in the past have been so against?
Coporations routinely send American jobs to India, China, etc. I don’t hear a peep about it. I just hear, “well, businesses are around to make money, so if it increases profits to mfg a product in Mexico or China, they should”
I’m really not trying to cause a fight here, but how can you argue both sides?
It has come to my attention that many of our faithful Walsmart bargain shoppers have begun to wonder about the products we market. I want to address a number of your concerns.
1. If we were to test everything on our shelves for safety concerns, we’d probably put many of our customers who are employed by the Federal Government out of work. Especially those who work so hard to make sure what is sold in the US is safe and non-toxic. Walsmart is all about job creation, not elimination.
2. We are committed to providing our customers with a wide range of selections and a wide range of choices. If we had to limit our products to only those made by American or non-Sino sources, many of our aisles would be empty of both items and customers. We like customers; they make it possible to hire workers at solid wages.
3. The buying power of our customers is greatly expanded by keeping costs down as low as possible. Watch our commercials – we actually take hammers to our price signs! Can you believe that! No one but Walsmart can do that!
4. Unfortunately, our selection is limited by the limited number of items still made in the US. Of course, we would love to sell every product with a label showing “Made in America”. And in fact, we DO! They’re all on Aisle 67B right next to the bargain bins. Unless of course you include all the financial products sold in Aisles 34 through 47, where we offer a wide range of insurance and banking items. The mix of American products has skewed away from making things that have three dimensions, and even though most of them don’t show that well on display, we got ’em anyhow!
5. Did you know that many of our Sham’s Club stores have installed solar panels on their roofs? Of course, you didn’t know that — no one ever goes up on the roof! Walsmart is GREEN, America! We get our panels from the same companies we buy our electronics products from. If we stopped buying from ‘them’, we’d be less green — and we are committed to fight global warning! I mean, warming!
I hope that answers some of your questions. Rest in peace, America, and if you’re uncomfortable, just do like I do — Roll Over!
Questioner, to answer your question about regulation of business…that is precisely WHY I opt for a “people’s boycott” that does not involve govt. We can use the internet blog tools so effectively utilized by both the 2008 Obama campaign as well as the 2010 Tea party campaign as a template of how to get our message out there. China surely can’t blame our government if the “people” revolt and refuse to buy their junk.
As a “liberal” who has no great love for companies that foist unsafe junk on us, I personally would fine the WalMarts and Mattels into oblivion but that would be counterproductive as well. However, we do live in a free enterprise society and we are told that the market can correct itself via consumer action, which I still do believe in some instances. This is such a one.
If we do this consumer to consumer, rather than through governmental action or regulation, we can satisfy all sides of the political spectrum and, for once, incept some activity that we do not argue about politically.
I also think that such action, as well as proving a point that the consumer can make inroads via using their buying power, would be something that almost all citizens could approve and rally around.
Maybe the lesson learned, if successful, would start (or continue) some kind of empowerment trend and for once, let the actions of the citizens speak louder than the voices of the lobbyists on both sides.
We are always told that we have choices in our free society, but with respect to non Chinese products, our choices are becoming more and more limited. Let’s start making choices with our checkbooks, even if the choice is DON’T buy if the junk is from China.
Tom, with Japan in the 50/60’s: I do remember all that as well. But at that time, we still had American choices to use for a lot of purchases. that is no longer the case, so as I see it, the decision is not to “buy American” (if you can find it), but NOT to continue buying cheap junk vs. buying it at all.
Yes, fellow blogger, I noticed the tilapia right along side the “wild caught Alaska salmon” packed in China. Unbelievable.
Come on, all you tweeters and facebookers….let’s start using the internet where companies will see our displeasure.
Again, start with food and kids stuff….who could argue with that?
Just remember, the cheapo and unnecessary impulse purchase you make is contributing to the ability of China to operfect that stealth bomber that Tom talked about. Any purchase for non essential items just continues to worsen our balance of trade. Any non necessary purchase you make continues to encourage our jobs to be outsourced. Maybe our actions could help encourage the trend toward “backsourcing” that is in its infancy now.
In any event, maybe we could at least help to bring back into balance a situation that is VERY unbalanced now, to the detriment (as I see it) to this country and its people.
So, you are telling me that all the money that the govt is spending on alternative energy equipment is going to Chinese manaufacturers? Does anyone have facts here?
Does anyone know if the tax extension bill voted on that gives super acceleration for depreciation on capital goods purchased by companies has any stricture on trying to buy American first (I MUST be crazy to even think that might be included)?
PS…Caterpillar, in my neck of the woods, has decided not to increase its IL workforce, but rather spend in excess of a billion dollars to make a plant in China to produce heavy equipment, since Asia is “closer to the customers.” We’ll see how well that works out after Chinese industrial espionage activities have drained all the engineering and production secrets from Cat dry.
Watcher, I think that buying American can help but one must be selective since there are few sources in America that provide the products we need. Let’s start with those we “want” by develooing a list.
By the way, I recognize your syntax and style. I think there is a hint of Latin and Greek there.
Well, Dearie, you are prescient, as always.
I made a New Year’s Resolution to not be “part of the problem” and engage in silly invective for no good purpose.
I also truly believe that there are things that we can ALL agree on and that surpercede political agendas.
I think many of us are disturbed about the inferior chinese goods that are flowing into this country. Well, let’s show our free market system in action, let’s show that we can unite for common good, let’s show the “GOVT” (at whatever level and of whatever ideology) that the “people” can speak and be heard.
I do and did agree with Gabrielle, who was shot in Tucson, that bad words have consequences, no matter who is mouthing them.
Maybe we can prove something to ourselves as well…
Peace, Bro!
I am with you on China.
I must say I don’t get the consequences comment as respects the Tuscon horror. No one, other than “voices” in the head of Mr. Laughner created the tragedy and attempts to politicize this matter are dispicable. We need to focus on the mental illness issue and re-visit why we closed all of the mental institutions in this country back in the 70s when “aminstreaming” became popular.
Also, the political rhetoric in this past election has not produced any problems near what we saw in the mid 60s to the mid 80s when JFK was shot, RFK was killed, George Wallace was killed, MLK was killed, Gerald Ford was shot at twice etc. Compared to that era, this period of political discourse and confrontation is badminton with a feather duster.
I was not being political; I have felt for a long time that the hyper rhetoric was injurious on many levels, so I am not following along and accusing any side, but rather all of it and I take my share of the blame as well. Yes, the shooter was deranged, but what will be the reason for the next shooter to grab the gun? Was MLK’s assassin deranged or an extreme political ideologue? I don’t know, but I don’t want to all that again.
Oh, yes, I well remember JFK, MLK, RFK; I remember being totally shell shocked when I was living through those events. The attempt on Ford was more of the same and I was afraid the assassination attempts would continue….
I do not want to EVER revisit that era and so have resolved to NOT throw more gas on the flames. Funny you should mention that, since as I grew more and more dismayed at the polarization, I thought of exactly all that as well, hence my resolution (prior to the Tucson shooting). I, too, believe in “personal responsiblity” and I define it in my own small way with this resolution.
I may backslide, but I know you will be there to call me out!
Guys, this will take some resolve. After all, the Chinese sheetrock that started this discussion was selling for about $1.50 per sheet in 2006-2007 when domestic sources were selling for $18-19. The builders and contractors made the decision for the homeowners. The buyers couldn’t have checked source for all materials and components…
In most cases the resolve will have to come from businesses…
Agree. But if we can boycott those things for which we know the origins, it is a start. I am usually very cynical about really having free choices, but also note that the “homeless newscaster story” went viral and became national news overnight. Maybe if we facebook, some of the gazillion Chinese posters will see the message. Or doesn’t the govt let them post worldwide?
In any event, a lot of folks are very unsettled about the junk sold for our children and our pets. Maybe time to take a stand.
I am amazed that I forgot the Gipper being shot but, again, that was an apolitical nighmare we were all thrust into by a Jodie Foster devotee. That assassination attempt falls in the same orb as Tuscon.
Now back to the Chinese. Maybe someone can create a Chinese “recall” list similar to the government’s car recall list where we all can go to see what problems the Chinese thirst for dollars has been thrusted upon us.
Lol. Greed is a two-way street. They did learn from the master….
My daughter was so proud – she selected Christmas gifts that were not made in China. She knew that would make me happy.
I noticed one item was marked “Made in PRC” as opposed to “Made in China.” Creeps!
Wow. Four or maybe five people have signed up for a trade boycott against products made overseas.
Enough grass roots have been seeded to cover my front lawn.
In the spirit of community, I am going to open a plastics injection molding company in Newark, NJ. We will follow all OSHA and consumer protection guidelines, pay our workers a living wage, offer free daycare to draw the best people, and help bring down the unemployment rate in a depressed neighborhood.
Unfortunately, since I will be a start-up, my financing limitations will be tight. Gov. Christie said he would LOVE to give me some seed money, but in his State of the State Statement he said that NJ would have to tighten belts. And that from a man who hasn’t SEEN his belt buckle in years, much less his shoes.
Mayor Booker said he, too, would love to get some enterprise goin’ on, but he doesn’t have enough money to rehire the laid-off police to guard the plant and the workers on their commute.
So, since they are reading all the blogs regarding this upswell and unhappiness and unrest, I am asking that the good folks overseas send me a couple of those T-bills until I am in a positive cash flow position. Which they probably would do as a sign of good trade partnership, but the conditions of the loan would probably give them a 49% interest in my business with options to increase when – not if – I fall behind.
This is a trade scuffle. There is no upside and no real chance of our coming out ahead. And to think DC tried to convince the Chinese into devaluing their Yuan against the dollar so our goods would be competitive for their market.
And even if the stuff isn’t built in PRC, with all that money the PRC can buy US-based companies like Maytag and repatriate the dollars one bundle at a time.
The US has ZERO leverage.
Sorry for the gloom and doom so early in the day. But this is a mess we ALL allowed ourselves to get into by outsourcing products and jobs for corporate profit. We have a better chance in trying to convince US business to shift manufacturing back into the States than getting the producers to behave in a Western manner.
While we can do something to keep out the junk, unless we find an alternative source for the rare earth minterals that we need to construct our whiz bang computers and related technology, we are dead in the water. And since the “green” movement for “green” cars relies heavily on batteries and computers, the demand for rare earth minerals is only going to go up. The Chinese cheer our infatuation with “global warning” since the can sell the hell out of the resources all while chugging out tons of pollution. And we still want to talk tough.
but out of small acorns, giant oaks grow.
Tom, you can’t tell me that China is the ONLY place on this earth that these rare earth minerals are found, can you? Give some more details and educate us. What about Canada? Russia? What about drawing closwer in our trading with Latin America (they are, after all, our hemishperic neighbors), or Russia (due to the natural enmity between it and China for various and well detailed historical reasons).
What we bring to the table is the largest consumer market in this world (at this time) and that does, in fact, give us some leverage.
And yes, by all means, we should encourage our corps to rebuild and restart America…since we have used our tax policies in the past to “choose winners” let’s use it now to reward investment in American….and not just on the consumer side, but on the PRODUCING side.
How sad is it that many of our vital defense “things” are apparently no longer made in this country. For no other reason than defense we should really look carefully at who we share info with…and certainly, we should control production capability.
Tom, I forgot about Reagan. Yes, him too, although in a different era. But I wonder, as Reagan killed the USSR by ratcheting up the defense war to levels that brought USSR to its knees, I wonder if the Chinese are not in fact doing the same thing with us, only it is STILL our own overspending.
As always, the issue is foolish spending, and now, in this time, of stagnating economy not creating enough jobs in this country. I am thrilled with the fact that the restaurant industry is now hiring, and healthcare, but restaurant jobs often do not support middle class families; healthcare jobs tend to draw off resources rather than sustain and produce new ones.
Maybe there would have been a way to reward Caterpillar for chosing to build here and expand here rather than spend a billion plus in China…doesn’t someone in our govt take any heed of these things? States have been very proactive in trying to attract and retain businesses (and therefore jobs) why not the feds when we have a national/international company involved? Where is the creativity?
I would also make a surcharge on companies that outsource our jobs….I am talking customer service jobs. I refuse to talk to customer service reps in India or the Phillippines anymore; I request a transfer of the call back to a US service center. Maybe if more prople did that, the big banks (that we bailed out, lest we all forget) would return to using US based customer service centers.Now I read that atty firms, no less, are outsourcing paralegal, research, and boilerplate cases to India……
Sorry for the diatribe, but I am old enough to remember when GE and GM ruled the world, when Detroit was a magnet for engineering talent, and everyone’s mom aspired to a Maytag. In my opinion, we have let ourselves be sold down the river. I do not think it is too late to prevent us from going over the dam yet.
Dear CL, that’s never going to happen and it wasn’t the point of my post. In economics its called comparative advantage, and the advantage of low value or high emissions manufacturing is advantaged off US soil, where laws and regs are more conducive to cost control. I realize this post has really gotten off point here, but the issue of “Chi-Com” sheetrock is a simple issue fueled by inordinate demand.
In 2005-2007 America was high on the building boom afforded by a mortgagee back securities craze and sub-prime fueled growth, then major hurricanes broke the supply of an already stressed market for building materials. This caused a shift to non-domestic sources, and brought some relief to the market.
The buyers seeing an opportunity to save money and increase the bottom line, purchased the now infamous chi-toxic sheetrock. They assumed quality was not an issue, after-all, a commodity is a commodity, and how complicated could gypsum manufacturing be? Who would have ever thought they would use toxic gypsum?
Anyway, I guess I don’t really have a point other than be careful. It’s very clear we now depend on the Chinese for far more than just consumer goods… capital for our government… and mail order babies for our fun loving gay couples in Vermont & California.
Watcher, here is a blurb taken from an 8/31/2009 NY Times article that puts this in perspective.
“China currently accounts for 93 percent of production of so-called rare earth elements — and more than 99 percent of the output for two of these elements, dysprosium and terbium, vital for a wide range of green energy technologies and military applications like missiles.
Deng Xiaoping once observed that the Mideast had oil, but China had rare earth elements. As the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries has done with oil, China is now starting to flex its muscle.”
The world has become a complicated place, so any action must be carefully balanced against a reaction.
I can’t tell you specifically which country has the best natural resources within its borders, but we better start looking, pronto.
Moral of the story,
Live in a mud hut.
Whose to say the chinese have not contaminated it on purpose. Now for reasons they don’t like the way America handles it’s finaces or it was a blaten act of terrorism and we just don’t get it.
If the situation with Toxic China does not get corrected soon one day when half a million people get wiped out because of China and their bad product what will our elected officials say then. We did not know it was this bad, or they will say their sorry for all the victims. It is high time Washington comes back to planet earth and deal with the problems that past administrations made. I really could care less about China and their toxic country but I do care when they export Toxic Waste and call it product and cost me thousands of dollars to correct a situation that was not my making.
Furthermore this is nothing more than lack of responsibility on the manufactuer when they are going to sign non-disclousure agreement with a distributor to keep it hidden from people. The companies involved should be under investigation for fraud.How in the world do you know you have a bad product in 2006 and sweep it under the carpet.
Before I speak to the issue of what we should do about Chinese Drywall…I’d like to make an observation about the trade imbalance:
I think we’d all be sick to our stomachs if we had a full awareness of how much Chinese garbage we’ve purchased, and how many American jobs we killed in the process….all so that Walmart and Target and the rest of the retailers who peddle this crap can make more profit $$$. It comes to no surprise to me that our unemployment is so high when you start seeing how many American-made products you find in stores…versus how many that are made in China or other countries in Asia….
Many years ago Walmart had a “made in America” ad campaign touting the choices they made to stock products made here in our own country….I’d really like to see them bring that back.
I know that most readers of Insurance Journal are extremely oppossed to Government regulation, but here’s one I’d like to see implemented…every product sold in the United States that’s made in China has to carry a big, bold, Chinese Flag on it with a Cigarette-style warning label that says “BUYING THIS PRODUCT COULD BE HAZARDOUS TO THE HEALTH OF THE AMERICAN ECONOMY”
In regard to the Chinese Drywall mess…..I think the Government should set up a fund to repair the damage to American Homes caused by this defective product, and tell the Chinese Government that we’re taking it out of what we owe them…let them get the shortfall in their debt repayment from the manufacturers of this garbage. And if they don’t like it they can pound sand.
Problem is that several judges have found against this exlusion citing that the HO carrier is responsible for handling the claim.
Since China won’t subject themselve to our tort and product liability laws it appears the courts will look for other fiscal resources to compensate plaintiffs.
seeking relief for this drywall issue.
How about this, the federal government makes good on the bad Chinese drywall and subtracts it from what we owe the Chinese government for buying up our debt.
The Chinese know full well there is not a damn thing any of the injured homeowners in America can do. They are a foreign country and no attorney or world court is going to hold them liable and seek payment. China could do the morally right thing and offer to pay, but we are talking about Communist China. “Morally” and “Right” are not words which appear in the Chinese dictionary nor in thier lexicon.
Given the meeting Obama is going to have with the Chinese Prime Minister, maybe those Americans who are seeking damage will accept payment in Yuan.
First the builder should take the responsibility. Like a few have already. But only a very few. How can they continue to build and sell more homes and leave this nightmare to us the homeowners who can’t live in sell or rent these places. We can’t even give them away.
Never mind the most important factor the health of of elderly and children. I know when I spend brief times in my Condo I get headaches.
Don’t let anyone say it can’t cause illness…it does.
Time to clamp down on our imports from China. If they won’t accept responsibility for their manufacturing defects, they should pay the price.