NDP Upset Canadian Flag Pins Made In China

The globalized world,with free exchange of ideas, currency, universal rights, also requires free access to exchange of commodities. Why be upset about a pin depicting a red and white flag when we could as easily be upset about the shoes we wear, the pants, underwear, jewellry, cellphones, computers, software not being 'made in Canada'. Consider what you might be eating for vegetables, fruit, nuts, and chocolate (aah heavenly chocolate) today if you were only eating Canadian. I have done the exercise many times where I check labeling while shopping at the supermarket, mall or even local small business. If I insisted on Canadian made - my basket would be empty or so very expensive that I couldn't afford it.
This NDP photo op seems to be a baiting exercise rather than a realistic line in the sand stand.

Well since Mr. Angus didn't mention all those commodities, he only mentioned these Canada Flag pins. I have to say I agree with him. I understand that trade is a part of this globalized world. And I also understand that we were told it was the only way to go.

Kevin

---
"War does not determine who is right - only who is left."
--Bertrand Russell

Whaaaaaaaaaa...

I bet he'd be neked if he really held to his standards about not accepting things made in other countries.

Again another one missing the point. The point was the Canada pins, not clothing.

Kevin

---
"War does not determine who is right - only who is left."
--Bertrand Russell

Kevin is right. The other two comments miss the point entirely. The issue is not that our clothes may be made in China, or that our cars and other commodities are made in another land; but, rather that a symbol of the Canadian state, a small lapel pin in this case,is made in another country and is then given away by our MPs.

If our government cannot even get their flags, and flag pins from a manufacturer here in Canada then this is indeed a sad state of affairs. As the MP in question remarked, "The lapel pin was a Canadian invention. It was made for 35 years by Canadian workers before this government came along." We have already outsourced the Mountie to Disney, and now it is our Flag; where will it stop?

Ashley

---
"To leave error unrefuted is to encourage intellectual immorality"
-Karl Marx

It about cars, too. It's about everything. The world is not globalized, it is Americanized, for the most part. Stop feeding the trolls.

---
The best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter --

Winston Churchill

Cars? Okay. The two-door Honda Civic is made in Ohio and the four-door Civic is made in Alliston Ontario - so is the Civic an American car? Canadian car? Japanese car? Is the 'nationality' of the car determined by the nationalities of Honda shareholders? Or the nationalities of the greatest number of car buyers?

A lapel pin is just a stupid lapel pin: Either Canadians have to come up with ideas to make them better and cheaper, or our labour cost must be lowered to Chinese levels.

The Liberals chose to make labour costs cheaper in Canada and this strategy worked when our dollar was still low - they got re-elected. But with a rising dollar, the effects of this 'brilliant' strategy will be coming home to roost and Canadians must come up with productive ideas or face unemployment. The Liberals would prefer unemployment because it creates dependency, but if Canadians can see through that strategy we'll have an opportunity to finally start raising our living standards again.

Good points Anon. Thanks.

Kevin

---
"War does not determine who is right - only who is left."
--Bertrand Russell

Well, there certainly seems to be a market out there for "Made in Canada" lapel pins.

For Canada to establish an independent economy, we'd have to get a company like Bombardier to build our own cars, and do everything is Canada.

Yeah Honda, GM etc. may be multinationals, but they repatriate profits.

---
The best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter --

Winston Churchill

The story I saw on the news regarding this, was that the lapel pin was designed and created in Canada, the company that made the original is still willing and tried to get the contract but they didn't give it to him because it cost more....well it would since he was paying Canadian's decent wages...is China? So not only is a symbol of our great country being made elsewhere as are many other souvenirs of Canadian places, but also the jobs for Canadians are being lost. Since it is our money, our government buying the pins, then it seems that as we are the government, we should be buying made in Canada pins and giving people back their jobs, in Canada. Yes it does matter, all of these things matter, we are slowly allowing our national pride to be watered down and so that nothing matters! The little things matter...remember when your parents told you to look after the pennies and the dollars will look after themselves...that expression is exactly the essence, the ripple effect of looking after the little things and that will expand to people caring about the big things, like our sovereignty, like having Texas patrols on B.C. highways. It matters! It is our apathy that has allowed us to be in the mess we are today...we need to start caring.

---
If I stand for my country today...will my country be here to stand for me tomorrow?

Not to mention Catherine that it is only more expensive for the government short-term--and the short-sighted business leaders we have are actually very stupid mathetmaticians.

Why? Simple economics. If you manufacture the pins in Canada, the workers will be employed, and pay more income tax, and buy more, and pay more sales tax to the government. Airhead Brison.

---
The best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter --

Winston Churchill

yes sir!

---
If I stand for my country today...will my country be here to stand for me tomorrow?

Make labour costs cheaper? What`s good about that? The price of the good doesn`t go down due to corporate greed, no matter where its made. People have to make a living. Real wages for most people have dropped steadily since 1982. How about these slime balls on corporate boards learn to be craetive again, as opposed to taking it out on workers? There are many ways to cut costs but its just all too easy to attack workers! Ah, but once again, I detect the old aristocratic 'You didn`t go to school but I did so I`m better than you' mentality.

---
Dave Ruston