China, consumer spending and Christmas
I only buy things from people who elect their leaders. The underlying idea is that I'm supporting my JIF principle. I'm sending money to a country that has political freedoms and offers some recourse to justice. It makes buying shoes a long and laborious process. It doesn't always work. I absolutely adore my Chinese-made iPod, but in general, I stick with it.Yet the more I look at the world, the more it appears that countries plugged into the global economy are the most stable and peaceful. China and Eastern European integration into the EU are prime examples. The places of discontent are outside the global economy. Africa and large chunks of South America being prime examples.
It is no secret that people who are rich, fat and happy don't take up arms against their neighbor.
So is my shopping principle misguided? Should I really be purchasing the best quality product at the lowest price regardless of its origin? Should it matter that my shirt is made in Burma or my shoes in China? Should the horrilbe human rights records of those countries affect my spending this Christmas? Does anyone else have a purchasing philosophy like this? What criteria do you use when you make a purchase?
What say you, the Page 132 community?
posted by Expat Teacher @ 2:33 AM
