Personally, I think its great that China has finally gotten higher wages and other benefits to those workers. There have been labor laws in effect there for a long time, but there were very loosely enforced. It's also good that Generation Y knows how to look out for itself in terms of what they should be compensated with for their work.

So what if you can't buy a 3 dollar T shirt or 30 dollar DVD player. The rising prices there, mean high prices here. So while all the Chinese good increase in price, all of the goods stateside will hold steady. Which might make our own goods more viable in the global economy now that Chinese goods don't undercut them in price. Also maybe this will entice our companies to KEEP THE JOBS HERE instead of outsourcing them. Hopefully, this will give our economy a little kick in the ass.

In other words, we can get Americans back to work if they'll only accept the fact that they must compete with international slave labor wages.

You beat me to it ajm8127, that was going to be the title of my thread!

Definitely a good thing. We've been shoveling money into the Chinese economy for a decade plus. The trade deficit with China is enormous. The Chinese have a history of artificially devaluing their currency to promote this imbalance. American manufacturing is something that the young generation has never heard of. When the dollar goes down, American manufacturing becomes competitive again.

Chinese products are generally as cheap as their prices. Workmanship, materials, quality are usually substandard or downright shoddy. Example: all the toxic toys.

NightSwimmer:

In other words, we can get Americans back to work if they'll only accept the fact that they must compete with international slave labor wages.

Slaves don't get wages, silly! (Nor is freedom any guarantee against poverty.)

The U.N. has long advocated a reduction in the wealth disparity between rich and poor countries. In other words, they don't think it's right that America's poor should be so much better off than the 3rd World's poor. Those Americans who disagree should reconsider their support for the U.N.'s agenda.

(What, you thought the rich people of the West would be the ones to make the sacrifice for the sake of a new world order? Ha, ha! Heck, even countries that are harshly impoverished today already have rich people in them!)