The young folks I saw seemed to be happy. Much better than working on Grandpa's farm behind the ox.
So true though the people in China look at it as 'nothing more' than a job. It may be better in their minds than working on the farm, but they're not drummers/musicians taking pride in their work, just people doing another manufacturing job, that's the cheap labor force... and even though you may not be aware of it, that vibe goes into the product.- We moved a number of our most highly skilled Japanese craftsmen to China to train the local workers how to build drums “The Tama way.” These Japanese craftsmen live in Guangzhou, they do not live in Japan and simply visit once in a while to spot-check.
So, let’s get into the nitty gritty- One might ask Is there anything wrong with any of those drums? Is their quality level acceptable for the prices paid?
As long as Americans/others are not aware they've destroyed their manufacturing base/economy in favor of supporting communist China to save a few bucks, then no, there's nothing wrong with the quality for the price paid.
The simple answer: To cut costs and make high quality drums at more affordable prices. Prices that the average drummer can afford and feel good about their purchase.
Feel good about their purchase? A total of 16 out of the top 20 most polluted cities are in China. ISO14000 regulations regarding environmental controls are not Chinese law. China has nearly one fourth of the world's labor force. China's ruling authorities now promote the slogan: "To get rich is glorious". China is a communist country, an authoritarian government... TAMA supports this, or their excuse is they're $imply 'keeping up with the Jones'?
As usual Les, when this subject arises, your assertions are filled with common misinformation and economic fallacy. You approach the subject with the same anti-market, anti-capitalist rhetoric that is commonly used by journalists and academics.
American manufacturing has declined roughly 40% since the late 1960's. However, this is due to automation and technological advance, for the most part. American manufacturing is more *productive*, which means it requires less manual labor. American manufacturing is still incredibly strong, tallied at around $3.7 trillion, annually. If American manufacturing alone, was stacked up to any *entire* economy in the world, it'd be the fourth largest on the planet.
I will cede to you that China has a much higher level of pollution. It's not entirely on behalf of their manufacturing base but it is a contributing factor, obviously. It has become so sudden and sharp due to the sudden, sharp increase in production there, brought out about by abnormally fast growth, spurred by cheap American credit (market subversion on behalf of the FED.) Free market conditions wouldn't yield this level of pollution because it destroys private property. China isn't a country of private property rights but rather, state-capitalism. The United States also practices state-capitalism, but with a much higher degree of economic intervention into the productive sectors of the economy. This, and the anti-market credit socialism of the FED, is why China is booming and producing while the US is contracting and unraveling. This isn't sustainable for both sides, obviously, and China is a bubble that is about to pop...but that's another story for another time.
American, and indeed many nations, have moved manufacturing to China because the communist government has taken a largely hands-off approach to economic growth, as opposed to the iron-fisted collectivism that kept them in grinding poverty for decades, under Maoism. Labor is cheaper because there isn't a pile of onerous red tape to cut through, in order to employ someone there. You seem to have a problem with Chinese workers pulling themselves out of property, by the sweat of their own labor. Why? Would you prefer that they toil on family farms and scrape by in poverty, and never see a better opportunity? Should western governments use force (interventionist policies) to destroy growth there and further artificially prop up the price of domestic labor...which would make everyone poorer? Do you think the Chinese government can magically create better working conditions and much higher pay, by writing it on a piece of paper? This is a function of the market...it's voluntary and it pulls the greatest number of people out of poverty, faster than any other method. This is how modern economies develop and become wealthy, as China is quickly doing today. Forceful intervention into this process only hampers it, not helps, and destroys economic growth.
When Tama's competitors are able to lower their prices (making drum consumers more wealthy), they must also follow or lose market share. If they lose enough market share, they will cease making drums...which means less competition...which ultimately leads to higher prices and lower quality, across the board.
Does that help clear this thread up at all?