Red Chinese Pianos

[joegum]

Bill Ballard, RPT wrote:<<<< With all due respect Joe, can you do a
better job of explaining why you, who have not bothered to join the
Piano Technicians Guild, is exhorting those of who are members of this
organization, and who know it not to be a political organization (and
prefer it that way), to take a political stand that neither our current
president Bush nor his immediate predecessor felt was economically or
politically useful.>>>>>  My main point in starting this thread was to
learn the working conditions in the Chinese piano factories.   And, you
are correct, it is not my place to exhort the Guild to do anything. I
have always tried to be a good guest here.  If you go back over every
post I have made, you will not find one criticism of the PTG. I was
interested in whether or not there was a standard that either the PTG or
other similar type organizations had taken up.  If there was ..say... a
boycott or something against Brand X pianos from country Y for human
rights violations, I, a non-member, would have participated and not
"scabbed" the PTG tuners in my area.  <<<<....would be happy to know
that, when you're in your neighborhood Walmart comparing a shirt made in
this country to one made in Indonesia at half the price, you opt for the
double whammy available for the price of the more expensive American
made shirt: supporting our own laborers whose jobs are increasingly
slipping overseas, and boycotting third world manufacturers whose price
advantage is only made possible by labor practises which would be
illegal in this country. This would be a far more effective outlet for
your concerns. >>>>  I ALWAYS buy American where possible.   -Joe