Know Who You Do Business With, Especially In China

When you buy that cheap product with the "Made In China" label, it would be nice if you knew what it is your money is supporting. McClatchy has a story up about how business is done in Yan'an. Yes, that would be this Yan'an:

In dark red letters chiseled into rock, a sign inside the state museum says, "Yan'an is the holy land of the Chinese Revolution." Outside, a towering statue of Mao Zedong looks over the town, which sits on the Yellow River, beneath the rolling hills of coal country.

Zhu Baoqi started out as a worker and invested in former State industries. As he proceeded he started to need money which is where a government official got involved and corruption finally cost Zhu his life. Corruption generally involves some convoluted circumstances and laying them out would take more space than reasonable when McClatchy has already done that work.

Although Guo and two of his henchmen got the death penalty and Wang got four years in prison, the head of the propaganda department at the court that tried them shrugged off the implications of the case.

"Crimes like murder and robbing and stealing are quite common these days in China. People usually don't pay attention," Li Tiesuo said. "If Zhu wasn't a billionaire, it wouldn't have created this big stir."

I have despised our reliance on China's cheap goods and our subsidization of a corrupt authoritarian dictatorship with our dollars. I also know just how difficult it is to avoid Chinese ownership anymore. Take a look at the ownership of major powertool manufacturers to find out how bad it is getting.

Chinese Poison Infants, With Baby Formula

Lead painted toys, contaminated pet food, general junk - to be sure not happy making Chinese purchases, but now...well - McClatchy has a report about baby formula contaminated with melamine, the same stuff that poisoned pet foods. Contaminated for the same reason, to boost the apparent quality of the food. Two babies in Gansu Province have died and somewhere around 10,000 infants have been fed the junk which causes kidney failure with 1250 ill.

Brought to you by the same bunch that hosted the Olympics and the issues surrounding them. Image means more than fact, witness the lip syncing because the singer wasn't pretty enough. The milk wasn't quite there so...melamine. If you haven't quite gotten the connection to image being all,

The figures marked a sharp rise from previous days, and consumer anger appeared to be mounting over apparent signs that the Sanlu Group knew of consumer complaints as long ago as March (when were those Olympics, anyhow?) that some babies were admitted to hospitals with kidney stones, a rare ailment among infants.

You may rest easier knowing that, "None of Sanlu's infant formula is believed to have been exported to North America." Since they're our pals they surely wouldn't hide it.

I really don't care that a country makes cheap junk, don't buy it. I care a bit more when entire product lines are only available from people who make junk. I really care when it involves poisoning people who have no reason to know or suspect that their purchase is Chinese. Apparently the Chinese, even with more people than they know what to do with, are upset that babies are getting poisoned by Chinese manufacturers. That's one of the problems with dictatorships with only a passing acquaintance with the rule of law, the law only counts for those poor or caught big time - embarrassing the dictators.

But, hey, the plutocrats of this nation have seen to it that jobs and manufacturing have gone there so bigger profits could be made and what you get...is poisoned. The Republicans have fought country of origin labeling for foods and animals for years, guess why? They give a rat's ass if you or your kid or your pet get poisoned, they please their plutocratic masters. Sometimes I get to thinking that this country deserves everything that is happening to it, we keep electing the bastards, but then I remember that a whole bunch of us try to it differently. I wonder if people reading the history of the first decade of the 2000s will shake their heads in awe that anybody could be that stupid. (then they'll go ahead and try some of it all over again)

So, when the Republicans tell you government is an impediment and regulation is the devil's workshop - maybe you could think about how well this shit has worked out in China. While you're in WalMart or other purveyor of this crap wondering if you'll get poisoned or hurt by this purchase, remember how they squeeze suppliers, react to union activity, crush local competition, and support the Republicans of BushCo that didn't think product safety was worth funding. Yep, that's exactly right, I'm lumping these cretins in with the ChiComs, including the feckless Bush/McCain.

Poisoned Chinese babies are an American political post? Yes, when the system that produces them is what the Republican Party uses as a model it is a political post. Do you really think there is some wall of separation between the pieces of this ideology of the plutocrats? Illegal immigration/illegal hiring, crushing of unions, outsourcing of jobs, military adventures of crony contractor profiteering, etc to the point of puking is just exactly what it is that doesn't separate BushCo/Republicanism from the Chinese Communist dictatorship. And it gets worse if you throw in torture, wire tapping, political repression, secrecy, and rule of man over law. Oh? And John McCain appears to be in a near tie with Obama? You have got to see the joke on us. If the Founders could get up out of their graves and look at this, as aristocratic as they were, they'd be jailed for trying to start another Revolution.

Scared Of Lead Toys, How About Your Medicine Chest

You're unhappy about lead paint and other contaminants in toys your children might stick in their mouth, that's understandable. Media is all over the question raising fear levels so it is reasonable that people are scared of the idea. You may be testing toys or checking for recalls, but I'll bet you're not looking into your medicine chest.

McClatchy Papers takes a look at your medicine, not your patent medicines, your prescription drugs. The stuff that is supposed to be so safe because it's made in the US. Well sort of made in the USA.

China's booming pharmaceutical industry has doubled exports to the United States in the past five years, undercutting competitors and making American consumers reliant on the safety of Chinese factories and captive to any disruptions in Sino-U.S. commerce.

There might be an end to outsourcing and in sourcing, there might be but don't hold your breath. You might think with the number of drugs and precursors and other components that there would be some FDA involvement, you'd be wrong.

The Chinese and Indian companies are all but exempt from oversight by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

"Only 13 inspections were conducted in China in 2007," Rep. John Dingell, a Michigan Democrat who chairs the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, said at a hearing Nov. 1. "At this rate, it would take the FDA 55 years just to clear this backlog."

The Chinese took some action after it was revealed that the head of the drug agency was taking kickbacks resulting in a counterfeit drug that cost 13 lives. This was supposed to reassure the global market. So all is well?

Although Chinese authorities warn against foreign finger-pointing, the government's own reaction to the scandal over bogus and substandard drugs earlier this year was extremely harsh.

After drug chief Zheng Xiaoyu's execution, the state began a vast housecleaning. This week, it said it had shut down 300 drug and medical-device makers, convicted 279 people of irregularities and prompted drug companies to withdraw 7,300 applications for drug approval, indicating more rigor in the approval process.

Seems to be a bit of an ongoing problem. Now your kids might stick that toy in their mouths, but I will guarantee that you will swallow that Chinese drug. Good luck with that.

Chinese Regulator Crackdown - Yawn

China announces crackdowns on piracy and tainted foods and the NYT almost manages to sound sceptical, almost.

“There’s no quick fix,” says Henk Bekedam, the World Health Organization’s top representative in China. “China has perhaps been cutting some corners..." and

“The issue is not whether Chinese businesses are regulated; they are,” says Yasheng Huang, an associate professor at the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “The issue is that the regulators themselves are unable to be impartial in the enforcement of the laws. Those laws are meaningless in a system that does not even pretend to have judicial independence, media freedom and legislative oversight.” and

“The problem is these are campaigns and they tend to be turned off at some point,” says Mr. Moses, the analyst in Beijing.

This is out of two pages with expressions like:

"China is taking extraordinary steps to change its image."
“This is a very concerted effort to show they are doing something,”
"Still, even critics of China’s policies have been impressed"
" The bold actions,"
"Still, many experts say China has also become more candid"

This almost sounds like their editorial on trade I picked at previously with little substance and a lot of "hope." If I had to compare their government statements to something it would be BushCo pronouncements on Iraq. While the US government is filled with cronyism, corruption, and political double dealing the communist Chinese government is a typical dictatorship composed not of law but of personality. The effect permeates a system, every little bureaucrat sees himself as powerful and entitled, just as the leadership is. At some point BushCo's lies come back to haunt them, in China if you haunt you do become a ghost. They can lie with impunity and do. GWB is probably terminally jealous.

Sometimes I can't avoid the "made in China" label, but I sure try to. I won't put it in my body or on it if I know about it. I search out tool products to see where they're made. I'm as careful as possible. The COOL label (country of origin label) will be of real assistance if certain powers don't manage to water it down. This isn't about xenophobia or protectionism, beyond protecting myself, it is about not supporting serfdom and corruption and a dedicated enemy.

No, China is not a friend. They are quite capable of taking our money and supporting our debts; just as long as there is a advantage for them in doing so. They may actually fear bans and embargoes from the US and EU, but they also are not going to institute a government of law. That is not happening in a dictatorship - it simply, by definition, cannot.

I used to do the "Buy American" boosterism, now I just want you to be careful.