What everyone needs to know about your iPhone.

You think Stewart has gotten rid of his iPhone?

So, I'm assuming that you, not over it, and all the others here who are horrified about what you've all learned, are now giving up your current phone (whether it's an android phone, a windows phone, an iPhone, or (likely) any other cell phone, you're giving up your TV, you're giving up your computer…

Or, is seeding an article and expressing your horror enough?

Talk is cheap, actions matter, and I doubt I'll believe anyone who claims they've currently got the moral high ground, or that they will have it, anytime in the near future. The fact is, if this shocks and horrifies you, it's very, very easy to not take part in it, but -- which of you is willing to do it?

It's near enough to good ol' American-style slavery that the RWNJs can actually enjoy their iPhones, just knowing they were made by captive workforce, like God and the GOP intended. Hey, at least some lucky dogs can still have slaves, eh Dean? Brian?

My computer is a Dell, so it is possible that it may have been made in China but also a strong possibility it wasn't.

Nope.

I'm not really seeing anything that talks about where Virgin Mobiles sources its components, at all.

You want to just sit there and defend these horrific practices and continue to bitch at the loss of American jobs?

I've not bitched at the loss of American jobs. But, I'm not going to pretend i'm going to stop using cell phones (whether it's an iPhone or any other cell phone) or that I'm eager to pay slightly more, or live in a dream world where we can just magically turn back the clock and bring all of these manufacturing jobs to a country that isn't built to compete.

How nice it would be if good will and pixie dust could solve the problem!

Really?? Not once, ever?? I find that extremely hard to believe but if that's your story.....

Well, I don't buy your claim that you're making an effort to buy American, so we're even.

Fair trade practices and, my favorite, American companies that care about the conditions of the people they hire to make their product more than their bottom line.

I'm sure they'll do very well in the global economy, and that the reason I'm not seeing anyone using products made by this mythical company is because they're so freaking awesome, that the people never leave their homes to talk about them.

Drive American? It was reported a year or two ago that Toyotas were more American than Ford and GM vehicles. This is because Toyotas had more American made parts and pieces than the supposed "American" vehicles.

They make websites dedicated to highlighting American made products.

Give them a look:
http://americansworking.com/
http://www.americanmadeproducts.com/
http://www.madeinusa.org/

A year or two ago somebody... along the same lines was telling me how nothing was American made... especially electronics, but at that time, I had two computer makers that were 80-90% composed of American made components/electronics.

Within the past couple months, a news network ran a special about houses. How a contractor out west was building homes with American made products. The special detailed that the cost wasn't vastly different, but more importantly... by getting their materials from American producers... they did far more to stimulate the economy than the average consumer or even the government when dumping money into the hands of the average consumer.

The entire subject of buying American and correcting our huge and embarrassing trade deficit is something important to me and I welcome interest in this subject as I view it as being one of the biggest and longest enduring drains on our economy that not only has weakened us over the years, but has led to increased deficits from the government, the stagnation of middle class wages, and the loss of American jobs.

I enjoyed this segment of Jon's show when it aired... but found it unfortunate that he was the only one who bothered bringing it up, and as a satirist at that. Still would have loved to have seen him flash clips of Colbert oogling his iPhone.

John Stewart is not really the only person who has brought this up. Most of the tech blogs covered FoxConn when they had the suicides last year and more recently when the Microsoft division threatened mass suicide. In general, you'd have probably learned more by reading the right tech blogs last year than you would anywhere else.

Also the NY Times recently posted a pretty great article (very in depth about supply chains and manufacturing and what China's strengths are vs. our weaknesses) which really goes into the ramifications of "why" this has happened, and what can be done to fix it, and what can't.

Wow "not over it".

So you'll be getting rid of your GM vehicle for a Toyota since you know that the Toyota is more American than the GM?

Next... you think Republicans are to blame for this? That's funny... last time I looked... both parties have been pushing the ball up the hill side by side. Just this past year... we took another blow from both parties with the latest and greatest in free trade agreements. This one featured three countries, but most important was S. Korea. Obama pressured Congress to get the agreement done before the visit from the country's leader... and they did. It passed with support from both parties... easily. And was quickly signed by Obama. Obama went so far as to even infer it as part of his job's package.

But here's where the reality sets in about the American consumer and our relationship with the world. This country already enjoys a trade deficit with South Korea. With the new trade agreement, we expect to pick up some jobs with increasing some of our exports to that country. But... the amount of S. Korean goods coming to the country is expected to double (if not more) resulting in a net loss of jobs in the United States.

This is precisely what happened with NAFTA and other agreements. Many more free trade agreements sit on the table waiting votes from Congress, and there are even trade agreements which are not "free" but give or have given favorable trade status to countries. My favorite is the one we currently have with China.

So... while you try to grind your axe about Republicans and the crafted stereotypical talking points kicked around here so often... I laugh and shake my head while your Democrat politicians essentially participate and collaborate in producing the same results.

I can't think of a single politician at that level that has come forward to actually produce legislation or put forth ideas towards solving the issue they have created. Maybe Paul has... he seems to be against the norm of both parties when it comes to things, but I'd dare to say he's all about free trade period so... I'm not holding my breath.

Bottom line is... the only way I currently see to righting the ship is for American consumers to get their heads cut in... learn about what they're buying... and to understand that everytime they run to Walmart... they are part of the problem, and that we as a nation have collectively blasted holes into our feet.

I enjoyed this segment of Jon's show when it aired... but found it unfortunate that he was the only one who bothered bringing it up, and as a satirist at that. Still would have loved to have seen him flash clips of Colbert oogling his iPhone.

You do realize Stewart has an iPhone right? He had it out last night.

I wasn't positive... I'm not exactly... watching his show religiously. I could recall Colbert making a big to do about his though when the phones were first coming out. Anyway... it doesn't exactly surprise me... all considering. Appreciate the information.

Apparently the pay employees get at Foxconn isn't abnormally low. It's only low by our standards.

To top it off... the United States has tremendous bargaining power. After all... everybody wants to send their cheap junk here because the largest base of consumers is right here. In no small way has Congress ignored America's consumer power... country bow down to so many of our whims and quips solely because they want to maintain trade with us.

We've done more to build China's economy than China has done to build it themselves. The World Bank adds creedence to this statement in its estimates for nation growths in 2012. They stated that economies (specifically citing China) that depend heavily on consumption of exports will likely see little growth. They tied this to the continued decrease in consumer demand and consumption by western nations.

There is also some importance in pointing out the American Industrial Revolution as a parallel to what you see in China. China has been slow to get to the table... and while America went through its revolution a century ago, and subsequently the worker rights change ... China has yet to go through this. But it is coming, and things are changing over there.

Apple is a cult, man.