Path: utzoo!mnetor!geac!jtsv16!brian
From: brian@jtsv16.UUCP (Brian A. Jarvis)
Newsgroups: can.general
Subject: Re: What does it mean to be a Canadian?
Message-ID: <1056@jtsv16.UUCP>
Date: 8 Aug 89 14:56:56 GMT
References: <615662921.9256@myrias.uucp> <568@UALTAVM.BITNET> <609@philmtl.philips.ca> <1458@apss.apss.ab.ca> <1989Jul27.235845.24886@tmsoft.uucp> <1034@jtsv16.UUCP> <6713@cognos.UUCP> <1042@jtsv16.UUCP> <6742@heraclitus.UUCP> <1989Aug7.192704.26849@tmsoft.uucp>
Reply-To: brian@jtsv16.jts.com (Brian A. Jarvis)
Distribution: can
Organization: JTS Computer Systems Ltd., Toronto
Lines: 47

In article <1989Aug7.192704.26849@tmsoft.uucp> ead@tmsoft.UUCP (Elizabeth Doucette) writes:
>Before the last federal election free-trade was discussed a lot, as
>everyone knows.  One of the agruements against, was that the U.S. has
>plants (100% owned by U.S. companies) in northern Mexico, along the
>U.S. border.  Products manufactured there and shipped into the U.S.,
>are allowed to be labelled "made in U.S.A.", therefore, fall under the
>free trade agreement.  The products are allowed to be labelled this
>way because raw materials and components are imported into Mexico
>duty-free.  Labour is so cheap, it might add only 15% to the value
>of the product.  The result of this makes it very hard for Canadians
>to compete.  Mexicans are paid U.S. $8.00 per day. 
>
>Well, I was very much against this.  However, in Thursdays (July
>31/89) Financial Post page 9, there is an article on this.  It
>mentions that more and more U.S. AND Canadian companies are doing
>this.  Everytime a company closes and moves to Mexico, jobs are lost
>at home.  

I've read similar articles over the past year.  What kills me is that
almost all of them are crying and whining about lost jobs here as
though the Apocalypse was upon us.  Yeah, there are lost jobs.  But there's
a lot of Mexican workers being used at rock-bottom wages with factories
which questionable safety and pollution standards.  For us, it's an
inconvenience; for them, it's courting disaster.  Those wonderful,
socially-conscious journalists of our fine newspapers haven't spent
anywhere near as much time on the human/moral/ethical issues involved.

Slave-style child labour and family indentures in India, sweat shops in
Taiwan, subsistance industry in Mexico.  Sometimes I think we never
should have come down from the trees...

>Another reason that companies are moving is that in Mexico they do not
>have to adhere to strict environmental controls.  According to the
>article, environmentalists say the companies can pollute at will.
>
>I'm ambivalent about this situation.  Any comments?

I used to be disgusted; now, I'm just amused.  Sad.

===============================================================================
   __                         __	Brian A. Jarvis,
  /  )  ...jtsv16!brian      /  )	J.T.S. Computer Systems Ltd.,
 /--<  __  o __.  ____      /--/	Downsview, Ontario
/___/_/ (_<_(_/|_/ / <_    /  ( o	My dog, Goof, still says "Hi!"

"Lord, defend me from my friends; I can account for my enemies." - D'Hericault
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