Nike, Coca-Cola, others reportedly lobbying against Uighur Chinese labor bill

[BehindBlueI's]

Altama might have some things labeled as "made in the USA" (who really knows how much of a product is truly American made, given the nature of globalization; it's not like they state the origin of the thread, the rubber for the outsole, the material for the insole, the plastic for the aglet, etc.)

Made in America, per the FTC, means the end product is made completely, or virtually completely, in the US but says nothing as to where raw materials are from. I'm not sure on sub-components. Some things are impossible to source in the US. Cotton is easy to source here, because cotton grows well here. I think we're the third largest producer of cotton, but that could be dated information. Rubber is virtually impossible to source here because rubber trees don't grow well in North America. The entire world is dependent on the regions that it does grow, Central/South America and some parts of Asia. I don't recall which book, but one of those "shit could go real bad if this one thing starts the dominos" I read discussed how vulnerable the world rubber supply is due to how picky the trees are and a blight on those trees would be a disaster, yet science hasn't come up with a really good synthetic substitute.

The idea of trade is both sides benefit. Trader A has a competitive advantage in, say, fishing. Trader B has a competitive advantage in, say, copper mining. Trading fish for copper makes both richer then both trying to produce fish and copper on there own. That's historically worked pretty well when 'things' were what was exchanged. Now that labor and energy are so easy to trade and sell, it becomes much more problematic in determining if both sides are winning, I think. I say that to say this: I try to buy American when I can, but I don't make it a religion. Except, perhaps oddly, vehicles and that's just an emotional hang-up on my end. I fear a haunting by my grandfather's ghost, I suppose, or the 1980's/90's Japanese trade deficit hysteria.

[Aisin Gioro]

@JAD and @TGS are absolutely right about this. The Chinese government's intention in Xinjiang isn't just subjugation or exploitation, it is extermination of the Uyghurs as a distinct culture or ethnicity. In general, the Chinese way is assimilation, whether forced, coerced, or by incentive, rather than the sort of multi-cultural hegemony of European empires. China grew a domestic empire, rather than an international one. Some of the most extensive facial recognition systems in the world are being used to surveil the public in Xinjiang. People and their movements are analyzed by AI to determine who they associate with, for how long, when new people show up in groups, etc. The Uyghurs aren't just being forced to work (though they certainly are that), they are also being "re-educated" with forced renunciation of their religion, required to learn and speak Chinese only, and pressured to inform and collaborate in the most extreme ways. When the adults are forced into concentration/labor camps, their children are often taken away to be brought up in state indoctrination campuses, sort of like a combination of orphanages and Hitler Youth programmes.

In Xinjiang, it has usually been by force. 250 years ago, at the same time many future American revolutionaries were learning their craft in the Seven Years War, the Qianlong Emperor marched an army of Bannermen into what was then called "Dzungar" territory of Xinjiang and Gansu. They slaughtered over a million people, took their women and children as slaves, and left the countryside barren of habitation for miles. Up to 90% of the Dzungar were killed, forced to flee into surrounding countries, or died of disease in the aftermath. The Dzungar people never really recovered...which was exactly the point. The emperor didn't intent to punish or dominate the Dzungar, he intended to erase them. It's not so different today, except this time the government has decided to make the ethnic cleansing help pay for itself.

[Hot Sauce]

The Uyghurs aren't just being forced to work (though they certainly are that), they are also being "re-educated" with forced renunciation of their religion, required to learn and speak Chinese only, and pressured to inform and collaborate in the most extreme ways. When the adults are forced into concentration/labor camps, their children are often taken away to be brought up in state indoctrination campuses, sort of like a combination of orphanages and Hitler Youth programmes.

In addition to all that, the CCP also has sent millions government workers to live with Uyghur families and monitor them to make sure they conform to CCP+Han ideals of living a Chinese life. The Uyghur women are highly pressured to marry and procreate with the government workers, while the men of the house are often sent to the concentration camps. The alternative is often forced sterilization. It's just slow motion wholesale ethnic cleansing, even if it's a less violent version of full blown genocide with showers and chimneys.

[Joe in PNG]

In addition to all that, the CCP also has sent millions government workers to live with Uyghur families and monitor them to make sure they conform to CCP+Han ideals of living a Chinese life. The Uyghur women are highly pressured to marry and procreate with the government workers, while the men of the house are often sent to the concentration camps. The alternative is often forced sterilization. It's just slow motion wholesale ethnic cleansing, even if it's a less violent version of full blown genocide with showers and chimneys.

But since it's Communist ethnic cleansing/ genocide, then it's perfectly fine and okay. Because it's only bad when the National Socialist do it.