It’s disgusting that nothing will be done because everyone is addicted to cheap goods from China. If we cannot break free from current economic arrangements even after the pandemic, we will never be able to do so.
This is something we can actually fight for.
Manufacturing is entrenched in China. Before you can threaten China, you need to have a backup plan. Otherwise, it’ll call your bluff, like it’s doing already.
Please stop spreading learned helplessness. Problems are solved in baby steps. You start with legislation. Without it, nothing will proceed.
Orange Man tried to skip the first step and you see how well that worked...
If I have to get groceries, but to do that I have to put on my shoes first, is that then a shift of target?
We just have to make sure that in X years, the trade agreements have been updated. We can leave the rest to the politicians.
We can put whatever we want in the trade agreements and it won't matter. But if the companies are held accountable for their supply chain through high fines and things like even license suspensions, they will work to solve the problem because it's in their interest.
And which regional or global power could sign those, if that had any binding power?
I think it's better to shift from that, directly to not letting people (particularly those with means) to make excuses for using PRC goods when it would be almost as convenient to use goods from anywhere else.
It's a start, compared to just letting people say “oh well, guess I'll just give in completely”.