Opinion Talk

By Cubbie

April 9, 2008 7:51 AM | Link to this

After reading Cynthia Tucker’s article, I am dumbfounded that I actually agree with her. However, I’m disappointed in the Gov’s responses regarding Tibet. The impact to American manufacturing has been astounding, and this line of thinking only perpetuates the problem.

By hrw

April 9, 2008 7:53 AM | Link to this

What is China motive? Any one or any business who do business with China might want to dig deeper into history. Once involved, they think they own you, and everything you have. Like America and Americans, what’s in it for them?

By rpmrob

April 9, 2008 8:16 AM | Link to this

China is the largest communist country in the world. Why would we want them to have the monopoly on the world’s manufactored goods? One day they will do to US what OPEC has done and shut off the flow of manufactored goods just to show they control us.

By whatever

April 9, 2008 8:21 AM | Link to this

As it stands now, Americans live in the mcmansions and drive the lexus’, while the Chinese live in single room dwellings and ride bikes. I suspect the long term Chinese plan is for those conditions to be reversed.

When they create the conditions where their primary market becomes their own massive population, they won’t need our market anymore. Until then, a few more American million and billionaires will be created.

By Sonny is wrong

April 9, 2008 8:25 AM | Link to this

Sonny is a hypocrite…

He doesn’t care about doing business with a COMMUNIST country that represses free speech of their people, the people of Tibet; not to mention the overall disregard of basic human rights. Then when asked about this, he says it’s just business.

YET,

He stands a MORAL high ground of vetoing any legistlation supporting alcohol sales on Sunday.

His logic is confusing and hypocritical.

By Sonny is wrong

April 9, 2008 8:25 AM | Link to this

Sonny is a hypocrite…

He doesn’t care about doing business with a COMMUNIST country that represses free speech of their people, the people of Tibet; not to mention the overall disregard of basic human rights. Then when asked about this, he says it’s just business.

YET,

He stands a MORAL high ground of vetoing any legistlation supporting alcohol sales on Sunday.

His logic is confusing and hypocritical.

By Bill

April 9, 2008 8:31 AM | Link to this

A true indication as to what really makes the world go round, not love but the almighty dollar. There is no limit to who we will do business with to gain it. In reality shoppers (all of us) already do business with China when we buy the thousands of items stocked in our stores which are manufactured there so who is really to blame, Sonny or us (including Cynthia I’m sure).

By WayneO

April 9, 2008 8:35 AM | Link to this

China wants one thing, the end of a free world. We are selling our selves to China and OPEC. We ABSOLUTELY do NOT want to do any business with China. What we should be doing is developing, investing in, and supporting small, American businesses that provide jobs for U.S. citizens.

If each of us made a concerted effort to buy American, or at least free world products, we would start to see a difference. We should be demanding that the businesses we patronize offer alternatives to Chinese JUNK.

Question: How long do you think a group of U.S. soldiers would be allowed to roam the streets of Beijing “protecting” the Olympic Torch?

By Craig

April 9, 2008 8:35 AM | Link to this

This policy of appeasement is equal to the appeasement of Hitler at Munich. While we don’t expect China to invade every neighbor, they have engaged in an economic blitzkrieg around the world. We’ve sold ourselves out to China on our debt and are now subject to them on natural resources as well. We are completely at their mercy in every economic aspect. Then you have our Guvnuh going over there coddling them even more. Sonny and others like him are accomplices to this crime. Add to the fact you have this repressive regime killing off any notion of freedom. Sonny’s guilty of rewarding such repressive behavior.

By Red

April 9, 2008 8:39 AM | Link to this

NO. Sonny is probably doing all of this for his personal benefit. He is as dishonest and hypocritical as any Georgia governor in many years. This country is already too indebted to China. If they broke off relations or nationalized industries today, where would we be? In the toilet. Our industry has prostituted itself to China’s cheap labor and no evironmental and safety regulations to the detriment of our country. The Bush Administration has gutted the product safety folks so that our industries can import the bad products produced cheaply while raking in profits.

By JackLeg

April 9, 2008 8:44 AM | Link to this

NO

By duh!

April 9, 2008 9:26 AM | Link to this

The way to end a communist regime is to through capitalism. Surprise - go to almost any retailer and you’ll find YOU are already buying chinese products.

By Ed

April 9, 2008 9:29 AM | Link to this

Yes, we should. It opens all sorts of opportunities for America to influence change over time, while making money. It is a no brainer!

By LilZ

April 9, 2008 9:33 AM | Link to this

Georgia should absolutely NOT be courting China, as Sonny Perdue has been doing lately. Not only is China a clear human rights abuser but their goods are shoddy and dangerous, as evidenced by recent lead poisoning cases.

Another poster had it right - the almighty dollar is what’s ruling in this case, not what is good and just.

Boycott China! Free Tibet!!

By The Truth

April 9, 2008 9:55 AM | Link to this

China announced years ago that they are our enemy. Our tax system is the reason jobs are outsourced. America should not be doing business with China. We can all thank the Clintons for selling our military secrets to China. Dems and libs have to be the dumbest people on the planet. Just saw this article about how the dems want Iraq to pay us in oil. I thought that it was the evil republicans that wanted all the oil.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080409/D8VUB9AO3.html

By LMAO

April 9, 2008 10:05 AM | Link to this

The thing that concerns me most is pruchasing and becomming dependent on food items comming from China. Once we allow the Chinese to become major suppliers of items in our food chain then we are putting ourselves at risk. What better way to conquer America (and its inferior capatilist pigs) that poison the food chain. They already have done it when it comes to pet food, they laced it with a chemical found in anti freeze just to boost the protein levels. This left pets dead and suffering. The scary thing is the Federal Government is unwilling or incapable of monitoring the products comming out of China. Next time you are in the grocery store look at the packages that are marked as being produced in China. Everything from frozen shrimp to noodles. We have American farmers going bankrupt every day because of the high cost of labor on the farm. Family farms are largely a thing of the past. Large companies that run farming operations such as Con Agri are now the norm. They are publicly held companies. What is to keep foreigh investors from comming in, buying a majority of the outstanding stock and moving the entire operation overseas. We have become too dependent on others to do our work for us because we have become lazy and non-caring. We also have the me first attitude regardless of the consequences.

By ozzfest

April 9, 2008 10:18 AM | Link to this

As with most politicians, Georgia’s are gutless. Perdue opposes Sunday liquor sales on the grounds of morality, yet gets in bed with China every other day of the week. The revolution will be televised…but we Georgians…as a whole…are too dumb to watch it…alas there is an R. Kelly concert to attend.

By Busta Knut

April 9, 2008 10:23 AM | Link to this

I say no to chinese condoms!!!

By Busta Knut

April 9, 2008 10:24 AM | Link to this

I say no to chinese condoms!!!

By therealist

April 9, 2008 10:37 AM | Link to this

The power is in the purse.

SO SHUT UP AND STOP BUYING!!

By RightyTighty

April 9, 2008 10:42 AM | Link to this

Ms. Tucker is a hypocrit.

Unless of course, she is eating, wearing and driving American made products.., reguardless of quality.

By Thinking again

April 9, 2008 11:21 AM | Link to this

It is vertually impossible to not purchase Chinese made goods. We live in a world economy not a US economy. When we make purchases, we look at the price not who made it. Would you purchase a computer for twice the price just because it was made in the USA? Nope…

Should we just close our markets from China altogether, so we don’t have to make that choice? Nope… The products would just come from another country that we don’t agree with.

Somehow we think that money is the only way to fix a problem. How about diplomacy and time… How about being a good influence. There are no quick fixes here, and our way of doing business is not the only one that works.

By AnnC

April 9, 2008 11:34 AM | Link to this

Sonny is a hypocrite who attempts to impose his religion on those in Georgia, but ignores the evil of the Chinese government. Greed is good I guess even for those who claim to be Christians.

We’re selling out souls to the devil. They can sell us poisoned and contaminated foods and we continue to trade with them.

All of us can stop trade with China; simply look at the label and don’t buy anything with the made in china label. It’s quite simple; if we don’t buy, they’ll stop sending it over.

By Larry

April 9, 2008 11:36 AM | Link to this

No we shouldn’t be doing business with China they are out to control us and have done a very good job of it so far. Our debt today is to China & OPEC don’t kid yourselves the cost of goods and energy is being controled by them right now. I personally do not buy anything from China it is hard but a moral necessity on my part to do so. It amazes me that as a Christian notion we encourage doing business with a coutry that persecutes you for being a Christian imagine if France did that what kind of outcry there would be.

By Barbara

April 9, 2008 11:59 AM | Link to this

Before I comment on this topic, does anyone know (as I haven’t seen it posted) what context Governor Purdue is seeking in which to do business with China? Does it involve bringing Chinese companies and businesses to the States? I’d have to know that before I can make a logical assessment of the situation.

By Thinking again

April 9, 2008 11:59 AM | Link to this

What Christian Nation? We are the United States and are free to be Christian, Islam, Budist, etc. By saying we are a Christian Nation, you are doing the very thing you say you hate: Persecuting those who do not believe like you…

Religion is not the issue here…

Also, remember the last nation we inflicted swift change on? That is to be a mess for a very long time.

Be careful what you wish for and be even more careful for what you strive for.

By Fred Mertz

April 9, 2008 12:04 PM | Link to this

Somebody needs to tell Sonny that the Chinese have best and the cheapest barbeque….maybe he’ll stay….

By Barbara

April 9, 2008 12:07 PM | Link to this

The Truth, you hit it on the head. If the Dems would leave corporations alone and give them tax incentives, instead of Hillary wanting to “take” profits from companies, then they may be more inclined to keep business here. All I’ve seen is a lot of postings that are emotionally-based, not business-based. That’s the difference in capitalism and “emotionalism”. Think about it, wouldn’t we rather have China invested in us by bringing their businesses over here? We can mandate our own controls, create jobs here, along with helping grow the economy. If they’re invested in us, such as the Japanese are, then politically, they are more endeard to us. We will need them in the fight of terrorism, so think about the big picture, please, before condemning something that we can turn around to our advantage. We’re not going to change our businesses that are already outsourcing to China, so let’s turn the tables on them, and get over your emotions. We need to think about us first.

By JustAThought

April 9, 2008 12:14 PM | Link to this

So money and “time” is the way to deal with Communtist China? In other words allow them to “kill” however many people for as long as they like or until our money cause them have a change of heart….. and thats ok as long as corporate america is making big profits…….SAMF’s

By Roger Nelson

April 9, 2008 12:20 PM | Link to this

Regarding doing business with countries that don’t meet some or all of our citizens’ standards for human rights - where do we draw the line? If we take exception to China and not do business with it - then we should do the same for Saudi Arabia. They are a worse human rights violator (e.g. freedom for women, religious freedom) than China. We should boycott their oil. To do anything less is a double standard.

By The Peoples for a Nuked Amerika' Century~!

April 9, 2008 12:24 PM | Link to this

-=-

Yes Barbara -

Perdue and the senators of Georgia have already brought companies into Georgia from China. Recently the VideoGame company CCP (who produces Eve Online), merged with WhiteWolf here in Georgia. There are other mergers and companies looking to either do business in Georgia, or set production/manufacturing facilities in Georgia. The KIA plant is an example of a eastern based foreign company setting up shop in Georgia. China is being groomed by local businesses, especially electronic firms like Lucent, Phillips, etc. but China is not the only one moving into GA’.

-=-

By JustAThought

April 9, 2008 12:30 PM | Link to this

Ok, so Barbara, you say let them pay little or no taxes to bring their “slave” wage paying jobs here? You do know and understand thats why corporate america is breaking their necks to get over there to do business? Capitalism at “any” cost is just fine……

By Thinking again

April 9, 2008 12:30 PM | Link to this

Well, I suppose we could go over there and blow the country up. We have a lot of experience with that. Our success story there is resounding: Sadam killed 25,000+ We have killed 350,000+ and have 2,000,000 refugees with no home. And think of the stability we have brought on. Yes sureee, we got it down great.

By Has Sonny Lost His Mind

April 9, 2008 12:44 PM | Link to this

HELLno. Sonny has the weirdest morals. We should be buying local, supporting our own businesses and if you want to fly on a vacation to China, so be it.

By J

April 9, 2008 12:45 PM | Link to this

Sure…we can do business with China. As long as it’s only exporting to them and not importing from them. Unless you enjoy being poisoned by their inferior products just to save a buck. It’s time Americans start keeping our money here. Screw everyone else.

By oioghj

April 9, 2008 12:55 PM | Link to this

sonny has the master plan: get china to establish profitable businesses in georgia and then sieze them like chavez does

By oitg

April 9, 2008 1:01 PM | Link to this

hey thinking again - did you compile those stats after taking the democrap new math class given by move on??

By Thinking again

April 9, 2008 1:23 PM | Link to this

The fact is, those numbers are light by some estimates.

That’s not the point. We like to force our Democratic, Humaniarian policy without understanding the impacts.

Doing business with China is a good thing for both countries. Over time, hopefully things will get better. Not doing business there is bad for both countries.

By Fred Mertz

April 9, 2008 1:26 PM | Link to this

There has never been a better time than now to spread the word about NOT buying Chinese products. Tell anyone that will listen to you to buy local if possible, American next and then any other country’s products rather than ANYTHING from China. China has repeatedly threatened to destroy our economy if we take any steps to control their behavior through trade. They control huge amounts of American currency and can bury us. Our government is powerless to do anything. Only the American people can destroy this beast. The only thing that can hurt us is inaction.

By Thinking again

April 9, 2008 1:47 PM | Link to this

Absolutely… Great idea.

Then we target not buying fuel from Saudi Arabia, services from India, anything from Russia, motsa from Israel. Let’s just close our borders and not do business with anyone.

Why????

By GaLiberal

April 9, 2008 2:07 PM | Link to this

All the blathering about The Laughing Fat man aside, China is the 800-pound gorilla in the room. You don’t ignore the 800-pound gorilla. China has the potential to become the world economic superpower for this century and maybe even the next one. In the 1700 and 1800’s the US had a lot of untapped natural resources; copper, silver, coal, iron, land, etc that made gave it economic clout. With it, we became a superpower. China probably has 5 to maybe even 10 times what we once had and there are a lot more people willing to pay top dollar to get those resources. If we turn out backs on them, we will be wonder who turned out the lights. China is hungry for money to finance its growing nationalistic programs. They want to put a man on the moon, build a national highway and train system, modernize their cities, and put up lots of power plants. Where do you think they’ll buy the engineering and construction services for all this? Not us if we give them the finger. It’s called cutting your nose off to spite your face. It only hurts you.

By Has Sonny Lost His Mind

April 9, 2008 2:08 PM | Link to this

I don’t recall any poisoned products that hurt our children’s and pet’s health coming (and continue to come from) from Saudi Arabia, India, or Russia lately. Do you?

By only if they speak english

April 9, 2008 2:10 PM | Link to this

GA legislation has beng passing laws like English only and many other anti-immigrant bills. I wonder if our GA china office also has the English only policy? We want everyone to come and do business in GA but they must all speak english first. And please do not forget the GEORGIA DRIVER LICENSE.

By tljfinancier

April 9, 2008 2:11 PM | Link to this

Perdue is a patently dishonest empty suit. This damned fool allowed the Ford Hapeville Plant and the Doraville BOP Plant to close and leave Georgia taking away peripheral industries that had been established and nurtured by our local economies for over 50 years. This Bubble-headed dim-wit chose to exert all of his energies and influences to have a Third World subpar Asian Auto Manufacturer locate on the Alabama border while giving away Georgians hard earned money as $$$Millions in tax breaks to this third rate auto company. All of the Guv’s efforts will ultimately benefit Alabamians only.

By Wil

April 9, 2008 2:20 PM | Link to this

What’s on your Sonny do list, y’all?

I’m sure if it were his human rights being involved—he’d have a different attitude on it. I’d like to see him visit the prisons and serf factories and mines and tell them “commerce is a separate issue.”

Apparently wasn’t too separate in the past over South Africa or Cuba now.

By Scott Wade

April 9, 2008 2:20 PM | Link to this

anybody who wants some real insight into what China’s master plan is for dismantling our way of life- just go to www.newsmax.com click “shop” and go to the books. under the category “history and military”, you’ll find a book called “Unrestricted Warfare”. It’s a little dry, and a very matter-of-fact read. It was written by two Generals from the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.
America is in real trouble right now. Our government and our people have to take a stand. As another poster put it in this blog: “China is engaged in and all out blitz krieg of our economy right now.” The only way to stop this is to stop buying Chinese made goods, eliminate corporate taxes in America and start aggressively courting american companies and other free-world companies to set up operations and do business on American soil again. If you beleive the lead tainted toys and poisoned pet food were isolated incidents, and completely accidental, you’re in for a rude awakening. The Chinese govenrment has publicly stated for decades that they do not like the United States, they stand against freedom and human rights, and they will stop at nothing to destroy America.

By Blind Homer

April 9, 2008 2:50 PM | Link to this

Fred Mertz - No, they can’t. The dollars they hold, whether it be currency or T-bills/bonds ultimately can only be spent here for American goods and services. Maybe they could buy Manhatttan or Hawaii from the Japanese who own a lot of it now, but if worse came to worse we’d just nationalize it and take it back. There is absolutely no threat to America from foreign ownership of our bonds and currency, none. There are and have been a lot of debtor nations before the U.S. became the biggest debtor nation. Please name one that was ruined economically by foreign ownership of their debt.

By The Peoples for a Nuked Amerika' Century~!

April 9, 2008 2:59 PM | Link to this

-=-

Heck Scott —

Walmart was the frontline for the Chinese product invasion (and subsequent war on America’s mom and pop stores) years ago. After Sam Walton died the logo “Made In America” and related commercials quickly disappeared. Now it’s hard to find anything in Walmart, Target, Sams, Macys, etc that IS still made in America.

I find it funny that a well known brand of Salmon that is caught in a well known Alaska River and promoted as “Salmon from that river” has a label that says “A product of Thailand”. The reason?, is because after they catch the Salmon in Alaska, they ship it to Thailand for processing where it’s cheaper labor, then ship the packaged Salmon back to us good ol’ gullible USA folk.

Just yesterday I picked up a pack of Tuna and on the back it says “A product of Equador” (ahem) our friends!…

Cheers’

-=-

By Craig Hardin

April 9, 2008 5:24 PM | Link to this

No choice. Americans are “naive” to think that we have a choice. The best way to have “influence” with China is to trade with China. Also, future generations better start learning the Chinese language.