Big B…I agree with everything you say except for the last line, “We didn’t give a shit 100 years ago, why should they now?”

They should give a shit now because we were stupid about these things 100 years ago. A hundred years ago it was all about man conquering nature. We’ve since learned that nobody conquers nature and that the world’s resources are to be cared for, not raped.

The problem is there’s a warning message to be sent but we’re not the ones to send it. With something like 6% fo the world’s population we consume 25% of its resources.

We have met the enemy, and he is us.—-Walt Kelly (in the Pogo papers)

Eugene Robinson

Just what is this cribity crue? You want to talk violations of human rights big boy just turn your encrusted eyes right here at the NOT so good USofA. We are the instigators, the intitators the out right undeniable producer of human righs violations. Why the hell are you picking on china as if they are the problem. WE ARE THE PROBLEM!!!. We didn’t even have to learn from china that doesn’t have a great record for human kindness, but boy howdy have we ever expanded on it and brought it down to such a fine art that people like you ignore US’s violation of human rights WORLD WIDE as a sort of necessary evil just to turn the attention to china record. Your total avoidance of the urgent need to clean up our act about makes you part of the conservative media control agendas. Go stand in front of a chinese tank.

My view is that the Olympics is the worst possible place for any kind of political protest.  We have to understand the original meaning and purpose of the Olympics at the time of the ancient Greeks, which ought to be as true today. It was, and ought still to be, an occasion for people to PUT ASIDE their political, ideological and religious differences to celebrate their common humanity. That is the only thing that makes it worthwhile. No matter how vile a government may be, the Olympics is the wrong place to protest against it.

By Big B, August 9 at 8:32 am #

We didn’t give a shit 100 years ago, why should they now?
——————————————————————————-Nobody gave a shit 100 years ago. Now we all have to give a shit, including China.

I was born and raised in the Pittsburgh area. Upon reflection, China is us (just 100 years ago). We raped the counryside, polluted the air and water, and poisoned countless citizens, all in the name of progress. The problem is that the earth barely survived our industrial revolution. I don’t think it can stomach China’s too. Not to mention India’s and Southeast Asia’s. But the US has always done as it pleases, claiming the right of conquerer over conquered, even when dealing with economic expansion and the debasement of our natural resources. Why are we shocked that the emerging economys of the East have thumbed their noses at our half-hearted warnings of global ecologic disaster?
We didn’t give a shit 100 years ago, why should they now?

and dump the pollutions in China, and you are bitching about your new appreciation of environmentalists.

Washington Post, mouth piece of evils

Spot on, jackpine savage.

Over half the products we “import” from China aren’t even imports - they’re products U.S. corporations are manufacturing in China and shipping back to ourselves because Chinese labor is cheaper and their environmental controls are either limited or absent.

We love our Barbie Dolls (Mattel, Inc. based California), Mr. Potato Heads (Hasbro - Rhode Island), Dell computers (Texas), Kirkland pet food (Costco -  Washington) and Nike running shoes (Oregon) in large part because their price is right. WalMart or Costco or K-Mart always sees to that, don’t they? Of course they do, because every one of these “quality” brand names manufactures all or portions of those products in China.

And this is China’s fault? Sorry shoppers. It’s OUR fault. To save a buck, we’ve granted U.S. corporations tax incentives and lowered tariffs so they can manufacture their products in China where there’s no minimum wage, limited health care provisions, longer work hours, and negligible environmental controls.

Let’s look at that again: We blame the Chinese because OUR politicians whom WE’VE voted in have granted OUR corporations incentives to out-source OUR jobs? Doesn’t compute on my Dell!

How come when the US hosts the Olympics no one is allowed to highlight US involvement in war crimes, our commitment to producing more greenhouse gasses, and our human rights violations? Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

I’m so tired of all the bitching about China.  We set the stage for most of the issues that we complain about.  How much of the pollution was generated by the manufacture of consumer goods for the US and European markets? (And how much of it was created at the behest of US corporations, owned by US shareholders, because labor was almost free and there were no environmental controls?)

We made China MFN before there were any significant political/social reforms.  We lobbied for China to join the WTO before said reforms.  I know, i know, we aren’t supposed to talk about these issues on “progressive” web sites because Clinton pushed hard for these things…after collecting campaign contributions from Chinese government conduits…but there it is.

China is our model of “development” taken to its logical conclusion.  Dr. Frankenstein has no right to complain about the actions of his monster.