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I'm old enough to remember when American t-shirts and jeans were largely made in the USA. I still have some of the t-shirts. They were more expensive but no whe

I'm old enough to remember when American t-shirts and jeans were largely made in the USA. I still have some of the t-shirts. They were more expensive but no where near 10x, much less 30x. For that matter, I still buy boots made in the USA and they're less than 2x over boots made in Vietnam.

shantly 7y ago
> For that matter, I still buy boots made in the USA and they're less than 2x over boots made in Vietnam. Same, if someone can point me to ultra-cheap leather shoes from the developing world that're anywhere near as good as the ones made in the US and Europe I'm absolutely mercenary enough to be all over that (aren't lower prices supposed to be the main way normal non-capitalists benefit from globalization, after all?). Savings seem to be at best ~40% vs. comparable products made by much more expensive OECD labor.
omnimus 7y ago
I said it in different comment yes i inflated it a bit but.. Made in USA is just part of it and it doesnt strictly mean it was ecological process. For example where was the cloth made? Coloring is where lot of the worst stuff happens. I don't really like sensationalist documentaries because it's never accurate but try "True Cost" or "River Blue".
- philipkglass 7y ago
  I believe that you are correct about the environmental damage done by producers in poorly-regulated countries. I believe that you are incorrect about how expensive it would be to do it cleanly instead. Dumping untreated wastewater back into the river will always be cheaper than treating it, but dye residues in particular are fairly easy to treat so that the waste water is again safe to drink. Dyeing enough denim for a pair of jeans with proper post-treatment for wastewater is only slightly more expensive than doing it by dumping the untreated wastewater. But if there are no laws or weak enforcement, a lot of companies (individuals for that matter) will behave destructively to save less than a dollar per unit.
  - omnimus 7y ago
    I thought denim is particuraly bad. Especialy if its not raw denim it uses immense amount of water for washing to make it less stiff. Also while it might relatively be cheap to treat water like this in US.. in under developed countries it would be more expensive. So pick your poison i guess.

shantly 7y ago

> For that matter, I still buy boots made in the USA and they're less than 2x over boots made in Vietnam. Same, if someone can point me to ultra-cheap leather shoes from the developing world that're anywhere near as good as the ones made in the US and Europe I'm absolutely mercenary enough to be all over that (aren't lower prices supposed to be the main way normal non-capitalists benefit from globalization, after all?). Savings seem to be at best ~40% vs. comparable products made by much more expensive OECD labor.

omnimus 7y ago

I said it in different comment yes i inflated it a bit but.. Made in USA is just part of it and it doesnt strictly mean it was ecological process. For example where was the cloth made? Coloring is where lot of the worst stuff happens. I don't really like sensationalist documentaries because it's never accurate but try "True Cost" or "River Blue".

philipkglass 7y ago
I believe that you are correct about the environmental damage done by producers in poorly-regulated countries. I believe that you are incorrect about how expensive it would be to do it cleanly instead. Dumping untreated wastewater back into the river will always be cheaper than treating it, but dye residues in particular are fairly easy to treat so that the waste water is again safe to drink. Dyeing enough denim for a pair of jeans with proper post-treatment for wastewater is only slightly more expensive than doing it by dumping the untreated wastewater. But if there are no laws or weak enforcement, a lot of companies (individuals for that matter) will behave destructively to save less than a dollar per unit.
- omnimus 7y ago
  I thought denim is particuraly bad. Especialy if its not raw denim it uses immense amount of water for washing to make it less stiff. Also while it might relatively be cheap to treat water like this in US.. in under developed countries it would be more expensive. So pick your poison i guess.