China appearing to succeed at a time when democracy is on the ropes is a dangerous trend for democracy.
When you import goods from China, you import repression.
Short-termed capitalists might think the repression applies just to workers, but China is a country with no human rights, no property rights, no rule of law. The Chinese government reserves the right to take anything you "own" there. Somehow it is a capitalist and communist hell at the same time.
I own very little Apple hardware and only because I am a software dev.
I certainly buy many things from China because it is hard to never get anything from China, but often you do have a choice.
I was at Target, for instance, and I bought a Samsung branded microwave oven from Malaysia which has a 44/100 score from Freedom House as opposed to China which has a 14/100 score.
I have also gotten into fixing old toasters and things because I've found that recent models from China are based on inferior technology. When toasters started coming from China they would burn up -- multiple times my mother and law would buy them from Wal*Mart and thought she got a deal but it lastest less than six months.
A few years later, Chinese toasters traded toasting speed for safety, then they went from two slots to four slots to make up for lost time. It doesn't help though if you are watching your carbs and want just one or two slices.
Old toasters fail in a predictable way and can be repaired easily. It might be true about new toasters but why bother.
"very little Apple hardware" still means you own more Apple hardware than 95% of the world's population, including 99% of the people who manufacture it.
but it sounds like you have rationalized this somehow, so why shouldn't everyone else?
It is absolutely not "fallacious" - if you are going to moralize, then you need back it up with action.
The OP was not "complaining about the system" - he was making a claim that by doing business with China you are "importing repression". It is completely fair that someone who claims I am willfully "importing repression" should be held to the same standard.
OR, you can just go on believing that the rest of us are immoral thugs while you are the lone enlightened paragon of virtue who would gladly rebel against the odious powers that be...if only they would stop making such pretty toys!
Another thing about this dialogue is that is assumes that everybody is an apple fan, has an infantile relationship with "their" smartphone, etc.
In many trade magazines and other commercial publications today a mention of "your smartphone" is frequently part of a hypnotic induction to get somebody thinking like a consumer.
Please don't break the HN guidelines by insinuating astroturfing or shillage without evidence. That's an internet trope that poisons everything it touches.
If you think you see evidence of abuse, let us know at hn@ycombinator.com. In this case, though, what you're seeing is evidence of the topic being divisive. It's natural for a large community of users to include opposing views.
China appearing to succeed at a time when democracy is on the ropes is a dangerous trend for democracy.
When you import goods from China, you import repression.
Short-termed capitalists might think the repression applies just to workers, but China is a country with no human rights, no property rights, no rule of law. The Chinese government reserves the right to take anything you "own" there. Somehow it is a capitalist and communist hell at the same time.