this post was submitted on 20 Dec 2024
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[–] [email protected] 145 points 2 months ago (1 children)

So Santa's elfs are actually asian children?

[–] NegativeInf 123 points 2 months ago (2 children)
[–] disguy_ovahea 107 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (5 children)

Nah. We only shifted from domestic manufacturing in the late 70s/early 80s. The last fifty years have been a rapid shift to Chinese production due to the low price resulting from the posted picture.

Just ask a Gen-Xer about the super safe American made die-cast steel toys they used to hit their siblings with.

https://rekennect.com/blogs/toys-made-in-usa/history-manufacturing/

[–] [email protected] 32 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] disguy_ovahea 13 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

New and improved Sifu Santa! Now with Kung Fu grip!

[–] somethingsnappy 15 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I feel this in a scar in my head. US made cap grenade. Like cap guns, but a grenade. There is a dent. In my head.

[–] disguy_ovahea 9 points 2 months ago (2 children)

I had one of those! Heavy as hell with a half sphere on the bottom where the caps would go, right?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago

Oh wow you just unlocked a previously lost memory!

[–] surewhynotlem 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

As a now parent... How the hell was that ok to give to kids??

Here's a metal baseball. Throw it towards your friends.

[–] disguy_ovahea 1 points 2 months ago

They sold it at Kay Bee Toys. How bad could it be? Lol

[–] slaacaa 12 points 2 months ago

I mean yes, the corporations are enslaving children in Asia and polluting the globe, but you need to look on the brigth side: the profits of shareholders have never been higher.

[–] Donkter 7 points 2 months ago (2 children)

And China's been eyeing up moving out of the manufacturing game, which will be a wrench in our plans.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago

Over way around, we’re eyeing up leaving China and production slowly is.

China cannot afford to not have a manufacturing industry. It would be political suicide for the party to move towards agrarian or a service economy.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

...what. They're everyone's largest trading partner, why would they do that?

[–] Donkter 1 points 2 months ago

Well, it's kind of a choice kind of material conditions. China's become prosperous and educated. Their citizens are starting to demand imports and better jobs. It's not going to give up the manufacturing game for many decades but it's definitely ramping down whether it wants to or not. It's not really a problem for western consumption, there are plenty of struggling countries with cheap/free labor to exploit around the world.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

I was born in 86 and have every metal Tonka truck. It wasn’t all gone by then!

[–] DarkCloud 19 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

Nah, China had a civil war that spanned WW2, it was only after that that Asia became a manufacturing base for western companies.

Before then western countires did their own things in factories.

Think of all the toys that contain plastic, from lego (1949), to barbie (1959), to most electronics, they didn't exist as we know them today prior to WW2.

Before then toys were mostly made of wood and metals like tin, and were made more locally and nationally. People had jobs in factories over here, rather than over there.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 2 months ago

To cut the story short: before ww2, it was local children.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 months ago

We need to go back. I was destined to die horiffically in a factory accident, not waste away at a desk.

[–] AWistfulNihilist 35 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (28 children)

There is no ethical consumption under capitalism. Most people have no choice but to engage.

[–] passiveaggressivesonar 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

What's the origin of this phrase?

[–] credo 3 points 2 months ago

Confucius, I think

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[–] DragonsInARoom 17 points 2 months ago

Yep and people care, until they realize no one else does and it's not possible for them to stop it.

[–] Clinicallydepressedpoochie 13 points 2 months ago

So jealous of the kids who got to play with it first! I waited months for them to release the Optimus Daul-Pez Despenser!

[–] 9point6 11 points 2 months ago

Kinda reminds me of the Banksy Simpsons intro

https://youtu.be/UUG_bg3ryB4

[–] Revered_Beard 4 points 2 months ago

"Christmas Peasants"

[–] Tattorack 3 points 2 months ago

Except this isn't just true for Christmas. This is all year round.

There's not a single thing you're wearing or using right now that hasn't passed through some sweat shop filled with underpaid workers... Probably somewhere in Asia.