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The discussion about questionable labor practices and sweatshops distracts us from the biggest problem Western countries should have with China: China is a tota

The discussion about questionable labor practices and sweatshops distracts us from the biggest problem Western countries should have with China: China is a totalitarian state, a one party dictatorship. The comparison between India and China is flawed: India is a democracy (albeit far from perfect), China is not. China is a dictatorship that has been violating human rights on a massive scale for decades and decades. Call me old-fashioned, but I try to avoid doing business with totalitarian regimes. It just isn't right. My heart bleeds every time I buy a gadget or any other product made in China. Most of the time I don't even have a choice. Oh, Made In Taiwan, where are you? And perhaps it's time to ask ourselves: is it really a good idea to transfer and outsource more and more technological research and production - one of the cornerstones of our modern and future society - to a totalitarian state like China?

guard-of-terra 15y ago
"My heart bleeds every time I buy a gadget or any other product made in China" You realise there's a link between purchasing power and democracy? If so, how do you think would you help Chinese by not buying their goods? (Skipping goods that you know are produced by bad people is still fine)
- yabatopia 15y ago
  To be honest: I really don't know. Are economic sanctions in the interest of the Iranian people? Or the people in Syria? Hopefully it can prevent that the situation gets even worse. Or that those in power become even more powerful. Note that it takes more than prosperity to become a democracy. It certainly helps, but there are more factors at play.
  - guard-of-terra 15y ago
    No they aren't. No they won't. Look at North Korea: so much for sanctions. The only weapon against oppressive regime is economic and cultural freedom and influence. Exchange wares, exchange ideas, and eventually there would be a market for democracy, so to speak. I know a very few countries that are both prosperous and non-democratic. And you won't mind all of those: they don't have to do bad things since they've got money.
    - philwelch 15y ago
      Sanctions on NK are a noop anyway since NK themselves are isolationist.
      - guard-of-terra 15y ago
        They are, but perhaps they would be less so if not for sanctions. Who knows.

guard-of-terra 15y ago

"My heart bleeds every time I buy a gadget or any other product made in China" You realise there's a link between purchasing power and democracy? If so, how do you think would you help Chinese by not buying their goods? (Skipping goods that you know are produced by bad people is still fine)

yabatopia 15y ago
To be honest: I really don't know. Are economic sanctions in the interest of the Iranian people? Or the people in Syria? Hopefully it can prevent that the situation gets even worse. Or that those in power become even more powerful. Note that it takes more than prosperity to become a democracy. It certainly helps, but there are more factors at play.
- guard-of-terra 15y ago
  No they aren't. No they won't. Look at North Korea: so much for sanctions. The only weapon against oppressive regime is economic and cultural freedom and influence. Exchange wares, exchange ideas, and eventually there would be a market for democracy, so to speak. I know a very few countries that are both prosperous and non-democratic. And you won't mind all of those: they don't have to do bad things since they've got money.
  - philwelch 15y ago
    Sanctions on NK are a noop anyway since NK themselves are isolationist.
    - guard-of-terra 15y ago
      They are, but perhaps they would be less so if not for sanctions. Who knows.