China has us by the balls, but then maybe that's the least of our problems.
Massive amounts of Chinese imports are threatening public health and safety. Many food and consumer products pose risks. Lead in children’s toys and jewelry. Toxins in foods for pets and humans, and in toothpaste. Unsafe automobile tires. Many prescription drugs made with few safeguards. The list is endless. The federal government is not safeguarding American citizens through thorough testing of imports. Why?…
Article comments
26 - Dr Dreadful
"Yuppie food stamps"... LOL. Haven't heard that one before!
27 - STM
Clav: "Though I do hit the driveup ATM fairly often for yuppie food stamps,"
Also known here as drinking vouchers (pick appropriate colour - pink, blue, red, brown or green).
These days, a fiver (pink) will barely get you one drink in an upmarket bar. A green one ($100) will now barely pay for a cheap Friday night out (cab fares and drunken "it-seemed-like-a-good-idea-at-the-time" late-night pizza/kebab not included).
28 - Clavos
Aaah, Stan!
The memories you're evoking!
Those were the good old days, mate!
29 - Dr Dreadful
My father-in-law likes to hand out cash at Christmas with the line, "These are really great gift certificates - redeemable at every store in America."
30 - Zedd
Clavos
I understood that you weren't refering to me however thank you for taking the effort to clear that up.
You missed the point that was being made.
You see you come from a different culture and you were not socialized here. What I am saying to you is that credit cards have become an institution. Just as there are some stupid things that go on in Mexico that need to halt at a dime but prevail because of the culture, it is the same in this instance. It is naive of you to suggest that an entire nation which is built on consumerism would simply stop being itself (in essence) at a dime. What has happened is that the credit card companies have SWITCHED rules mid game. The recent reckless assult on our society which is fueled by "quick profit no matter the cost" is responsible for this, yet another distortion of truth by industry. The players get introduced into the game as young kids and YES they are dumb. Also most people know very little about money (its our culture again) and don't know how to stop the rape.
You would blame the victim off course. Calling them stupid and not making a single commentary on the unscrupulous practices which put people in perilous situations, is an abomination. Your commitment to the obscure ideals of capitalism at the expense of human beings, social welfare, families and stablity in our culture is puzzling.
31 - Clavos
I wasn't "socialized" anywhere, I'm much too much of a cynic and misanthrope to be classified as socialized, but I've been here longer than you've been alive, Zedd, so I'm pretty familiar with how things work here. Plus, both my parents were gringos, so I literally grew up bicultural, not first of one culture, then later of another.
People who buy things they don't need on their credit cards and then don't pay the card off are stupid, Zedd; there's no other word for it. They are as dumb as a box of rocks, period.
And I'm not saying Americans should stop being consumers; all I'm saying is that those who consume more than they earn are not smart.
I consume lots of stuff; but if I just "want" something (as opposed to really needing it to survive) and I can't pay cash for it; I don't buy it. it's as simple as that.
Interest rates on credit cards have always been usurious; there have always been late penalties as well. The only difference is now they hit harder and longer.
Credit cards are a convenience, not a viable line of credit; those who don't understand this are doomed to be forever in debt. Too bad, but it's nobody's fault but their own.
32 - alessandro
This is ridiculous â€" like green ketchup. First, that person who mentioned China's demand for oil is on a better track than this article. If anything, they can cause a global problem once their economy slows down. STM, you can include Canada in your comment. Americans are savvy business people - something this article fails to consider: the other side of the ledger. I'd rather have America's problems than most garage lots we call countries. Be careful what you wish for, Joel. I keep it simple. You know, stuff like a red, shiny firetruck, a Beowolf mask, a date with Lori Loughlin etc.
The article takes a purely theoretical stance and utterly fails to calculate the Chinese side of the equation - even if they could the Chinese would never do such a thing.
Ah, yes the good times that were supposed to wipe us all. In the 1980s the Soviets were going to invade (long live fucking Red Dawn, man) and Reagan was going to start a nuclear war (not the Soviets of course) and in the 1990s I was being told to learn Japanese because they were "creditors" and were poised to take over. Then the Nikkei collapsed and America soared. Thank God. I was just getting used to English.
Just a quick further comment about the 80s regarding Canada vis-a-vis the Soviets. The only Cold War we cared about was kicking those dirty red commie scoundrels butts on the hockey ice.
Then there was Paul Elrich busting environmental balls. Speaking of paranoid leftists, now they are buying into Putin's multilateral/democratic empty talk as if he is some international hero.
Sooo declassé.
As for the pills, hey happiness is a warm gun. Maybe we all need ritalin because for over 20 years teachers were always telling (me anyway) how we messed up the world.
Not that I play a fool's game of prediction but I'll make a guess. Here's what's going to happen: Nothing.
Now if you don't mind, I have to water my rosemary plant.
Come to think of it, the Chinese do have that wall to protect them. Shit. I take back everything I just said. Americans are screwed.