If you celebrate Christmas - I think this is a great idea

[Leanne]

It is indeed a great idea Santa will probably have to support China just a wee bit this year for the kids, but grown-ups will love presents from the local arts and crafts markets, or some homemade flavoured vodkas, or vinegar infused with herbs out of my garden. We do secret santa for the adults anyway, so the kinds of gifts mentioned in your article would be perfect. Thanks for posting

[billy]

that's me screwed my local arts and crafts market is asian they make armeni bags and shirts etc.
and in the uk, or local arts and crafts is pretty much dead unless you want a wicker fence etc. the garge and car wash gift tokens on the other hand are great ideas for anywhere in the world as they help the local communities. i often found that loacal made arts and crafts are often more expensive at point of manufacture than some big store. went to africa once and bouht some neckbeads at a local village where you could see them being made, that were expensive. ten miles away you could buy the same thing in the supermarket for a 1/5 the price, so make sure you catually geting a good a deal what ever you buy.

[abu nuwas]

Yes -- it is not an anti-China thing, but they fight their corner very well, and it is high time others -- the Western democracies -did the same, and the more local, the better. One has no right to bemoan the closing of some shop, if in fact, we did not really used it.

I often visit a port -Felixstowe- where the Chinese container ships unload. They carry 10,000 containers each -- and then, I look arround the shops, and see so much made there. Much is pure trash, no-body needs it. Yet it has been carted round the globe, and it will sell. How many garden-trowels must there be, thrown away, because the trowel bit came loose, or bent, as soon as someone tried to use it?

How nutty to political leaders have to be, not to notice that all the money which Europe and America etc owe, has piled up in trillions in China, and the Middle East ? How could there not have been a big crisis? No amount of 'financial engineering' will resolve that.

The idea that one can make a gift of a service, for want of home-made manufacture, is excellent. I shall follow this --- perhaps the 99%ers will too!


































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[billy]

back in the did the uk had a buy british drive. one of the rants was the fact that newzealand lamb was somehow better, the fact is, it was cheaper and just as good. (i think) same with beef, half our beef was from argintina and i really couldn't tell the difference, yet it was cheaper. having wealth enough to buy home grown produce is a great thing to be able to do but many have to buy cheapo because the husbands a drunk who spends his giro down the pub etc. sometimes all you can afford for your kid is a table tennis set care of china. when i'm in the uk i'm lucky enough to buy home grown stuff including table tennis sest should i want to and in truth i usually do, specially the food . i really do like the idea of the local car wash gift certificats. i can do that here in the philippines. sadly in the uk, they're all the automated one on she forecourts etc. but there are others that be had, grass cutting services, local shop gift certificate. i do agree that more should be done tto bolster the home economies of where you live.

[srijantje]

take the case of my tent,pretty essential in my line of work,bought a new one a couple of yours ago,in fact my german mate bought it for me in germany,renowned german brand,made in china,fell apart within 2 weeks[half way on a trip,great]somebody took it back for me ,threw it at the company,she got a new one send,no comment,next year got my new one,1 week into the trip,fell apart again,i ritually burnt it.....so far for made in china