Thanks also for your excellent observation about boycotting Chinese goods. As Ian and others have pointed out here far better than I could, the apparent “savings” with many Chinese goods (and foodstuffs) is illusory – the lower prices at check-out don’t “register” the immense monetary and social costs to the US populace of arbitraging away whole industries – and the costs of destroying good-paying jobs in manufacturing and the communities that depended on such jobs. Nor do the “cheaper” prices of Chinese goods reflect the increased costs to US families of sickness and death for them, their loved ones, and their pets from the toxic swill routinely used in foodstuffs, pet foods, and consumer goods made in CHina. Moreover, with some estimates that the US has effectively offshored 30% of her carbon output into China’s factories – and the fact the West Coast of the US is in the direct path of the polltuion plume from China’s essentially unregualted industries – we Americans also bear the cost of China’s catastrophic contempt for the environment.

[One estimate - on the Beeb, if I recall - is that the cost of environmental devastation in China’s recent export-driven industrialization is so high that it wholly offsets the increased GDP measured by classical economics.]

So much of the “savings” on Chinese goods/foodstuffs is merely diversion of our national wealth – and health – to the usual suspects: the wealthiest 0.1% of Americans.

Merely taxing imports to reflect the true cost of eco-devastaion and abuse of workers and their health eliminates the apparent savings – and gives all Americans a chance to purchase the goods they need at fair prices.

We as a people have not seen our incomes (adjusted for inflation) increase in about one-third of a century…except, of course for the upper 1.0%.

The WTO and NAFTA and the like rig the rules to pit everyone on the planet agaist each other – driving the apparent desire for cheap goods. These global trade agreements aren’t natural law: they are the cynical devices of the cynical tools the megacorps have purchased in the form of Bill Clinton, George Bush, and the vast majority of the Senate (yep, including rthe two Dem candidates).

With our economy plummeting into recesssion (at best) and depression (at worst) those wealthy pols don’t look so appealing. Casting them off – and withdrawing from NAFTA/CAFTA/WTO – will be the steps on the path that once again allows Americans to direct their purchasing power to support their neighbors and communities.

IN the meantime:

1) Boycotting made in China goods whenever possible helps protest China’s pervasive abuse of workers, unions, people, and the living earth we all depend upon.

2) Boycotting foodstuffs from China is one way to avoid eating toxic swill. With so many raw ingredients now imported from China – avoiding all processed foods except those that can state they are free of ingredients from China is a great way to protect our and our loved ones’ health – as well as our lives and those of our beloved pets.

Thanks again for your excellent questions- and bon appetit!

Ms. ET just showed me this picture of ETette, posted at WWU’s crew site today.

Sorry about getting so off-topic.

That would be very kool, to say the least.