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To: RealMuLan who wrote (2048)	11/11/2003 6:16:34 PM
From: Mark Adams	Respond to of 110194

If you read Hussman closely, you'll see he addresses the benefit or lack thereof for the Chinese worker. And does a much better job than I can. In the past, I worried not too much about Chinese workers 'only making $1/day, requiring a years income to purchase the product they had a hand in making' as I took it for granted that $1 buys much more in China, making the comparisons moot. Anyone who spends $150 on a pair of sneakers has more money than sense, a curse I would not wish upon the Chinese workers. IMO. We are in the midst of China's income, wealth and opportunity levels rising. I hope that not too many sad stories are written during this process, but I understand sad stories exist throughout human history. Ask any native american, australian aborigine, black slave labourer, tibetan monk, or child born into poverty in a world where power easily lures one into think of oneself as the 'cream of the crop' based on one's status and position in society. We can strive to be the people we wish to be. This is far more productive in the long run than losing oneself to lament over all that is or was wrong.

To: RealMuLan who wrote (2048)	11/11/2003 7:18:47 PM
From: BubbaFred	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 110194

The cost components of goods sold in stores: In the case of Nike shoes, the material and manufacturing labor is at most 10% (most likely 5% to 8%), and the rest 90+% takes place in the US for transportation, distribution, insurance, advertising, legal fees, retailers, overhead management salaries, CEO and company officers' compensations, etc., plus profit to distribute to shareholders. That's a lot more jobs in the US. I think it's also cheaper for the goods to be made in China because there is smaller initial taxes for the raw material. In the US, the raw materials would have been taxed several times as they move from supplier to distributor to factory, plus transportation, insurance and legal costs of the components before they arrive to be assembled at the factory. I read somewhere that about 5- to 10% of the price of any item sold in the US is to cover legal cost.