Because The Communists Value Money More Than Lives
We can’t compete with this. No one in the West can. Not even Mexico.
We wondered why Chinese labourers came to Barbados for Cricket World Cup. The answer is simple – they sleep in shipping crates and make nothing.
Of course they can underbid the job. Any job.
Reciprocity and a level playing field from China? Ya gotta be kiddin’ me!
Live Leak Video: Chinese Factory Workers Inside Huge Metal Press
28 Comments
May 21, 2007 at 8:21 pm
The Chinese aspire to be a great nation, some countries achieved greatness by the use of slaves of another race whom they did not have to pay.
The Chinese will achieve greatness by the sweat of their own people, whom they will pay very little or none at all, you be the judge who is the greater.
May 21, 2007 at 8:36 pm
There are factories in the ‘developed’ world that feed the material into the machine, make it, finish it, and take it off the press, then automatically move it, box it, whatever it.
Amazing to think that depreciation and the cost to run a bag of bolts in the west costs more than the labour (plus some dirty coal-generated electricity) of those people in the factory.
What a brave new world we live in.
May 21, 2007 at 8:42 pm
Yardbroom said…
“The Chinese will achieve greatness by the sweat of their own people, whom they will pay very little or none at all, you be the judge who is the greater.”
Dear Yardbroom,
Do you not realise that the Chinese have a vast slave labour organization staffed with hundreds of thousands of religious and political prisoners? That individuals are not free to take the jobs they want or to move to different cities or regions? That the Chinese government kidnaps pregnant women off the street and drags them kicking and screaming to forced abortions? That prisoners are sentenced on the basis of the government to sell their organs? (We have a buyer, so you are sentenced to death for theft. If we don’t have a buyer, you get prison.)
How can you possibly admire such a system of slavery?
May 21, 2007 at 9:17 pm
In no way at all can one admire a system of slavery, enforced servitude, or exploitation- of anyone. I personally do not think that the factory in question is so bad, though having said this please do not crucify. Though we would never have it here in Barbados, and it contravenes every possibly safety rule, the men that operate within the machine would not sacrifice their jobs for the lack of the job.
If offered the opportunity to leave China for a new life, they would probably go, as many have done from many countries, for thousands of years.
My own grandfather’s family could hold no position, own no land, no opportunity to work for government, were prevented from travel within their country, and no right to receive a passport. That is slavery. It is a lack of everything, right down to hope.
We agree with BFP, and we want to see a deeper analysis into China, and many countries additionally. Yes please, Cliverton, let us try to see what is available for the BFP?
May 21, 2007 at 9:55 pm
Cliverton
I never sought to “admire” any system, I just gave the facts. I noticed that you did not mention my first paragraph only the second, and yet you stated,
” How can you possibly admire such a system of slavery”
I am aware of what you have said regarding abortions, forced labour, the selling of organs those are separate issues. There are many countries in the west where some of the above are done, yet we happily trade with those countries without murmur.
In order to have a real debate, we must concentrate on specific issues and seek to be fair and even handed.
There are no perfect societies in the world we inhabit, some have more faults than others. We can sometimes delude ourselves of some perfect society, it just does not exist.
May 21, 2007 at 10:08 pm
Cliverton you have said it all my dear sir about China. And that is not the only nation involved in this despicable conduct.
But think of this, civilized, educated and others who claim to be a notch above is moving industry to these nations from North America in the droves to capitalize on not only cheap slave labor but child labor. This is all because of Globalization but even more so because of greed!
But think about this and Nike is high on the list for this conduct. They and others send their manufacturing operations to these sleazy countries and have their products made for a fraction of the price on the backs of the most vulnerable of their society who have no rights as would be the case had they been made in North America. But guess what?
They are sold in North America for the same or higher prices than if they were made here in the first place. The net result? Globalization is exploiting child labour, slave labour but the products are sold fot the same price or more were they made in Nations that had Unions! Where sir is the justice?
But then again we need look no further than the rip off being perpetrated upon the world by the oil companies, banks etc to see that the poor and the middleclass are the whipping boys of the the Industrial culture and the wealthy. Maybe the suicide bombers in Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries are motivated for similar but not identical causes for their acts of terrorism. People will only be pushed so far and all have their breaking point! I am not saying the Western culture is as suicidal as those of the mid east but they might turn to other equally devastating criminal acts that might well be as disruptive and devastating if pushed to the limit. And when that happens we are all losers
May 21, 2007 at 10:08 pm
Construction companies throughout CSME have been complaining about Chinese entering the market at an unfair advantage.
I cannot understand why the Caribbean Gov’ts have allowed the Chinese to legally bid for projects within CSME at the same labour/wage rates that they pay in china. That is why you will find 50 chinese men sleeping in one container in Bridgetown…..and why they can be seen selling cabbage at Super Centre ar Warrens every evening including sundays.
Apparently they are now members of CDB and are allowed to pay at the same wage rates in China. At this rate they will put all the local construction companies out of business.
In Trinidad recently the Chinese won a contract for over a billion TT dollars and surprisingly it was some 700 million TT Dollars more than one of the local companies.
We need to protest their presence …it cannot be in our interests.
May 21, 2007 at 10:11 pm
Welcome to Free Trade… This is where it is heading… It is the “Race to the bottom.”
Basically you’d undercut me. So I’d have to drop my price to undercut you some more. Then you try to undercut me yet again…. Agriculture is going to be one of the first things to go…. CARICOM says they want to keep their Free Trade Deal with America which expires soon…… but the Caribbean will have to sell agriculture products in the US cheaper than Central America which just got their Free Trade Agreement.
PLUS— some countries have clauses in their free Trade Agreement with the USA which will say things like. If at any time the USA gives another bloc a better deal than what was built into their FTA, that previous bloc will automatically be extended the SAME terms as whatever the best terms the United States has to offer to anybody…
May 21, 2007 at 10:19 pm
Perhaps the reason Why the BLP Polictians are thiefing so bad is because they know we cannnot survive under the free trade agreements. They are therefore securing enough money for themselves and their families over the next ten generations.Psychologists say that this state of affairs can understandably cause female politicians to want bite soft objects.
May 21, 2007 at 10:22 pm
If there’s one thing about the Chinese they know best how to turn a buck. Whereever they go they will sell for less than anybody else. Here in Boston I work for the Mass Transit Authority. Down near our South Station/Downtown Crossing area we have a Chinatown. It trades heavily with the China town in New York City. So at first the Chinese used to pack up a van ram-ram-ram and zoom it down the Mass turnpike to New York to sell goods. Once they get down dey, they pack it back up with more stuff from down dey and fly back up here… But then the Chinese start getting smart. The bus companies here Peter Pan, Greyhound, Bonanza all of dem had a monopoly and they used to fix prices at about $50 round trip to goto New York City. The chinese started a mini van service like the ZR in Barbados to do the same and they started charging $20. Almost overnight Peter Pan, Greyhound etc. all start crying foul. They say they can’t compete with the Chinatown bus, they say how the Chinese ‘gon put dem out of business all kinda crying and carrying on so. Soon they had to start dropping prices but the chinese had another trick up their sleve. They start getting more vans and best of all you didn’t have to buy a ticket it was first come first serve so if you show up in Chinatown with a full van load or two full van load they say there’s no use waiting until the turn of the hour to leave they will leave as soon as everybody loaded in. So they keep buying more and more buses and its getting serious now the big bus companies getting financially shakey. To save themselves they all merge their operations. Now you can buy a ticket for Peter Pan, Greyhound or Bonanza and you can ride on either of their buses. They completely merged operations here in Boston and they’ve dropped the prices to about $25.
If there is one thing the Chinese know. They know how to look at something build an exact copy to sell. And then they will start to improvise and make it better to outsell the main producers.
May 22, 2007 at 12:14 am
BFP, may be you should consider the possibility that China knows something that we dont.
namely, how to succeed in a globalized world. The mistake that you and most Barbados are making is in not recognising that the new international format for warfare is called WORLD TRADE. Countries such as China (Japan, Singapore etc) are thinking long term. (make sacrifices now to ensure a better future for our children – like the west did in the last world wars.)
If you think that Chinese of 2020 will be living in containers you are asleep…. Bajans however….???
Which long term strategy makes sense in a globalized world?
May 22, 2007 at 12:58 am
Well then, Bush Tea…
Perhaps you are right. Barbados should institute slavery of members of certain religions like China. Institute brutal kidnappings and forced abortions of pregnant women to keep the population down, and require each citizen to have government permission to move from job to job.
Yup…. no doubt about it, Bush Tea. Barbados must go back to slavery to compete in the global market against the communists.
May 22, 2007 at 1:14 am
China is a disease, they use people like slaves so the production costs are practically zero.That is why their products are so cheap….in many cases the quality is cheap too.
Europe and other Countries have put in place a strong system of certification and control of products “made in China”. When the merchandise do not meet the requirements is confiscated and destroyed or sent back to origin. The Barbados Gov.t should stop this incredible invasion of products made from slave hands… this is no respect for our past Mr. Arthur! But money talks, isn’t it??!!
May 22, 2007 at 2:27 am
I’m back. Here’s a link to Human Rights Watch where one may start on the quest for info on China human rights:
http://search.hrw.org/search?btnG=Google%2BSearch&output=xml_no_dtd&sort=date_3AD_3AL_3Ad1&client=hrw_frontend&num=10&proxystylesheet=hrw_frontend&oe=UTF-8&site=default_collection&ie=UTF-8&q=China&GO.x=42&GO.y=11
May 22, 2007 at 3:24 am
Bush Tea i think you miss the point , its a case of the ‘haves’ taking advantage of the ‘have nots’ not any kind of sacrifice. Money will continue to be made while this system remains not removed , thats the long term plan .
This is what Globalisation means , large transnational companies using ‘third world’ labour to manufacture and produce stuff and then selling it at ‘first world’ prices . Thats the business model , perhaps thats why Owing and crew are pushing tourism and services so much as we just cannot compete in manufacturing with these kinds of practices being allowed . These companies are the ones driving these policies as they are the pipe player payers and hence call the tunes. These times are sweet times for the corrupt politician as there is much money to be made for selling out ya people .Very scary .
If we people would just wake up and smell whats cooking ( our asses) then maybe we can still prevent what might seem inevitable.
Do you think when one of those massive multi-national companies with revenue far exceeding our national gdp is ready for us that we can resist in this money is all that matters climate. Even with this possible merger of Neal & Massey and BS&T , its still a small company with whats out there . Bill Gates alone is worth more than that . I am just trying to illustrate that this current trend of bigger and bigger will still not benefit us in the long run . You then have people outside your borders calling all the shots with not a care as to how it will effect you except to make money perhaps .
May 22, 2007 at 4:19 am
Me see digital camera from DXG and mek in China, it be 5 MegaPixel and sell for 495 bb from Online Consultancies here in Bim (nxt labour trouble place, no?) and also see Sony Cyber Shot 6 MegaPixel mek in Japan/China/W.Germany at Cave Shep for 899 bb – what you think happen, o gwei loh?
(all of above said in best Charlie Chan imitation)
Unfortunately, human rights may come and go but ppl’s pockets and, therefore dollars, rule 4ever…
May 22, 2007 at 8:07 am
I think we are getting above ourselves on this thread as a country , and that is a tragedy. Barbados is a small island in the Caribbean and if we think that what we say or do will have an impact on China we are living in a world of dreams.
Even the Mighty USA the most powerful country in the world is unable to have any impact in that regard.
That is not to suggest we should not discuss the issues or have an opinion, and if we could do something about them, do so, but to pretend that our government could do something dramatic which would have an impact is misleading and dangerously so.
We have lots of things that are wrong with our little country, let us try as best as we can to sort them out for the betterment of our people by all means, but please let us not get above ourselves in the pretend game.
Perhaps this is not what people want to hear, but in the real world of international politics, the really successful countries know how to steer a course of common sense and pragmatism.
May 22, 2007 at 8:35 am
bfp is extremely simplistic in its analysis. u keep harping on about the chinese system but it takes two hands to clap. do the western multinationals not have any moral or ethical standards that dissuade them from setting up operations in china? its all about money and it takes two hands to clap. u have an obsession with china- grow up the cold war is over- and so u dwell on china’s brutality. if u want credibility for your articles try a balanced approach and highlight nike and walmart and all the us and european multinationals who disgustingly take advantage of the plight of the oppressed in china. and y don’t u condemn the us which is one of china’s largest trading partners? or is the right wing evangelical influenced bush administration beyond criticism? ive never seen an article on bfp critical of the us government. i did see a mention by one of the bfp team about the iraq war not being winnable and so they didnt support it! not that the iraq war was based on lies and oil and so opposed but opposed because it wasnt winnable!
May 22, 2007 at 10:43 am
Yes there is China.
Yes there is the USA.
But many of you all are racists and usurers too, as writ above. This country and its media are racist towards N America, Europe; and all of you all have internalised it, and regurgitate.
We are the other hand that claps. It…is…we.
Think.
May 22, 2007 at 11:34 am
Come on Cliverton, dont be simplistic. This is a very complex matter. Obviously i am not saying that we should find slaves in Barbados (or anywhere else) to compete with China.
The fact is that we have embraced a concept (Globalisation) which is built on competition. It sounds childish to complain that the Chinese are unfair because they are not playing by our rules.
No one is perfect. If you are, then feel free to cast stones, but the West certainly do not have clean hands with respect to using slavery to build wealth. Whites in Barbados dont either, Blacks have other problems.
If the Chinese (who have lived in conditions that we would find hard to believe for centuries) have now embraced Globalisation in such a way that they are on route to becoming THE global superpower by 2020 how does it help us to run around crying foul? what qualifies you, Cliverton to judge them?
You may recall that after the last world war, the Japanese utilised a similar global phylosophy (TQM) to turn world trade upside down and become a global superpower. Initially there were complaints about their tactics and morals too- but now we all yen for Toyotas and Sonys.
Question is, how should the rest of the world – and on our case Barbados, learn from China’s approach and what strategies should be put in place by us to survive – if not thrive- in a Globalised world.
May 22, 2007 at 3:26 pm
I say let’s boycott all chinese goods. Stop buying from all chinese restaurants and retail outlets..
May 22, 2007 at 4:47 pm
Anonymous, not to cross you, but these restaurants of chinese people (?) are those who escaped from the oppression of their own mother country. Why wouldn’t we look at them and patronise them as lovers of freedom?
If an outlet retail is state run and linked to China, that would be strange and bear some examination.
However, on my next visit to the chinese restaurant I will ask whether I can go inside and help prepare the food. Hopefully we can exchange stories.
May 22, 2007 at 6:39 pm
Barbados needs to go for its nitche and exploit it.
I think Barbados should stick to clean industries. E.g. computer design. Software design… Manufacturing has no profit anymore. Cotton as own is promissing ha. Barbados been there and done that since the 1600s and switched to Sugarcane already because the American colonies were all selling cotton and they deflated the cost too much….
I think Barbados needs to jump on Renewable resources. etc. I wish there was more (for example) Fuel-cell research being undertaken in Barbados. Hydrogen powered cars and so on. If Barbadian companies researched that and ended up with the patents on that technology they’d be set—– for the next 20 or so years alone from the royalties internationally. Bio-fuel cars I think wil just be a fad… It is not sustainable currently under corn/sugar cane….
Reason being. Your taking a growing number of cars which are having a tough time using a limited amount of resources (of oil/gas) in the world and instead your going to switch them to becoming fueled by the same thing the world’s human population must must eat??? All that is gon do is drive up the cost of food…..
That mean in the future corn will be a commodity to eat, or fueling a car. Suddenly corn will become just as expensive as gas and oil. That’s no real alternative for the world. It’s just trading one limited resource for another. But if you can take Hydrogen out of the air and use it to fuel a car? You have something there. I remember a few years back scientists were trying to turn H2O water into fuel. It worked a bit I think…
They found the radio frequency that you can play into a tank of water where actual resonance was found. By playing this cetain frequency into a tank of water you could litterally get the hydrogen atoms to separate from the oxygen molocules. The Hydrogen then becomes flammable. The Oxygen then aids in the combustion and literally it turned H2O into a form of fuel. If Barbados had pioneered something simple so Island or not it would be on de’ map.
May 22, 2007 at 7:52 pm
i agree totally. see what is happening to the prices of corn & soya. soon we may not even be able to buy feed. maybe we can eat the vehicles
May 23, 2007 at 7:16 pm
Maybe we in Barbados could over look dis patent anyway… lol
It is sooo good it might be something worth going after because– mind you if you have a car running on hydrogen and oxygen the only think that will come out of that cars tailpipe after you have the combustion in the cylinder heads will just be harmless clean water vapor. H2O
Which will have little to no effect at all on the environment. It might just create a few more white puffy clouds of water vapor in the atmosphere but that’s it. No carbon (made from burning fossil fuels) will be created by the combustion process.
May 23, 2007 at 9:29 pm
Agree wholeheartedly with the last few posts. Play to the strengths, find niches -though with enough diversification built in for necessary security in a world economy which is changing remarkably quickly.
Push the debate on more renewable energy.
May 25, 2007 at 1:23 pm
Not only– push renewable energy. Make Barbados a place that is in the forefront of that technology. Whatever Industry Barbados settles on. It should be the leader in the pack of that technology. And the government would need to do what is best to bring about that and spur more jobs in that line for Bar-bajans.
June 12, 2007 at 2:36 pm
Well Rev. Atherley a.k. a Squealer of the ” Animal Farm ” model….is at it again !
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/animalfarm/canalysis.html
One day he says…..no excess or illegal Chinese immigrants !
The very next day….he says if there is excess or illegal Chinese immigrants….then it is the Chief Immigration Officer call !
My questions for Squealer :
*** Who authorised that Jennifer Lazlo cannot return to Barbados under a BLP administration ?
Was it the Minister responsible for Immigration or the Chief Immigration Officer ?
*** When Mia Mottley was removed from having responsibility for Immigration….was it the new Minister or the Chief Immigration Officer that changed the list of names for those persons to be employed as Immigation Officers for CWC 2007 ?
*** So how come when it suits Squealer and the other BLP racketeers they seek to pass the buck to the Chief Immigration Officer ?
*** Last question did Squealer read Rommel Marshall comments on page 5 of Nation News 2007 – 06 -11 ?
That’s right, the buck stops at the MINISTER !