The outpouring of emotion in response to the issue of whether to fly the Chinese flag over city hall was an interesting juxtaposition to America's financial relationship with that country. Protestors' concerns were legitimate and heartfelt, yet it doesn't change the contradictory rapport the United States shares with China. Benny Lee angered and disgusted people across town by declaring the move was entirely in an attempt to make some cash. Understandably, many immigrants with negative feelings for China and its infamous history of human rights violations came out en masse to block the move, along with other like-minded people. Flags, after all, are symbolic, and to these objectors, this move was tantamount to flipping the bird to anyone who had ever been a victim of China's cruelty. In a crowd full of smartphones, I couldn't help but note the irony.
America talks freely about the horrors of the Chinese government, but at the end of the day, the bulk of our manufacturing happens there. Electronics, in particular; if you have an Apple, Sony, Samsung, Nintendo, or virtually any other electronic device in your home, you can thank a 16-year old half a world away for putting it together. Obviously, the people in the crowd at city hall weren't thinking about the situation in these terms, but that does little to make the situation any less true. For all our anger, we're firmly in bed with the people we claim to disapprove of.
Does that dismiss the passion and justification of the protestors the other day? Of course not, but it does provide interesting food for thought. Why is it so different to fly the Chinese flag versus buying Chinese goods? I think part of the reason ties back into symbolism, in this case the very vivid sight of the Chinese flag, which represents so many horrible things to so many people. An iPhone doesn't immediately elicit the same reaction because it's been systematically sterilized to not make you think anything bad about it. iPhone's are whimsical commercials with tattoo guys and puppy dogs and little children, not oppressed Chinese laborers. In the minds of many people, China the bad guy and China the manufacturer are two very different things.
In a world more and more driven by technology, I guess it's understandable. Most don't go out of their way to avoid anything made in China, and with good reason; it's nearly impossible. The scope to which American companies have taken advantage of barbaric labor laws in China (and other countries) to turn out their goods for pennies is mind boggling. You can certainly do your best to get by avoiding these goods, but you will come to find yourself growing everything at home, making your own clothes, and not owning a cell phone. Conversely, you can spend 10 times what you already do on the same goods in order to buy American.
A lot of people will argue against that, but the problem is that most people are unconsciously very selective about where they choose to take a stand against cruelty. For instance, some will say Walmart is evil and abuses their workers, yet these same people have no problem shopping at Target, which isn't any better. People who really do try to make an effort are often in a position to do so. They can afford to be selective of where they buy everything from, whereas your average person is thankful to the lord that they found a cheap backpack for their kid at Big 5.
What I don't suggest is that an American is negligent simply because they don't know the name of the factory where their TV was made. Make no mistake, we live in a country where our businesses have made it very difficult to differentiate that sort of detail, and being brutally honest, why should we have to care? We all have lives to live, we all have precious few moments to enjoy peace and solitude. Still, while I don't think we should have to care, it doesn't make this problem any less real. We can do a better job of being aware of these things and saying something about them.
It's understandable to get caught up in life and not have time for Samsung's dirty laundry. While I don't think that everyone should chuck their Galaxies into an e-waste container, the least we can do is start being more aware of the hypocrisy we all engage in on a daily basis. Go to city hall and tell people like Benny Lee to take a hike when they're doing something wrong, but don't let it end there. If you hate China's government, ask yourself why companies like Apple, who make billions in profit, choose to pay Chinese laborers a tenth of what an American on minimum wage makes just to manufacture your iPhone. Ask why it's ok that Nike charges a five hundred percent markup on your shoes, or why some poor soul should have to leave their family on Thanksgiving so some jackass can buy a 50-inch flatscreen. Don't let the obvious stuff be the only instigator for your ire.
