My family's decided to boycott China over their killing of 50,000 dogs....

[zonkers]

It wasn't my idea but I have decided to go along with it because hunting down 50,000 dogs and beating them to death is just too sick. China is sick. Has Shanghai even released any statement of apology?

I know we should have been boycotting them anyway, just on humna rights issues but I have no defense. I have no idea how we are going to achieve this boycott considering how much crap is made there but hey, we are doing it.

[LynneSin]

1. All I can say is good luck

Just looking at my desk I can see about 20-30 things all with the "Made in China" sticker on them. It's really sad. But you know, I'd like to see if I could manage that one too.

[Virginia Dare]

2. Good luck with that...

hopefully nobody needs shoes anytime soon.

I've been doing it for several years now, but there are certain things that simply aren't made anywhere else, so you bite the bullet or do without.

Be sure to read your food labels very carefully too. I know there is a certain brand of apple juice (white house?) I'm not 100% certain right now that is manufactured there.

[Sherman A1]

3. Good Luck

I have no idea how you could implement such a boycott even on a personal basis, but be sure to let us know if you can. Just too, much stuff that we use day to day comes from there.

[zonkers]

12. I'm gonna do it. & keep a journal & then publish it & this thread will

be part of it. All the "Good Luck's" I am getting make me more determined. Sure I'll "fall off the wagon" but it will like losing weight or quitting smoking. You might fall of the wagon but you get back on. I am a bit ashamed it took the animal slaughter and not the human rights vioations to move us but hey, whatever it takes. I already live like a miser.

It's funny how this came about. My GF shoulted with urgency from the other room, "We can't buy anything from China". Right away I thought, Bird Flu or some type of chemical contaimination.... but when she explaiined why (the dogs) it just clicked...that EVERY PRODUCT FROM CHINA IS CONTAMINATED WITH DEATH. Yeah, folks can cynically rant downthread about "why not just Boycott U.S." but for the most part we are not as bad as China and that is just plain impossible to boycott your own country.

[wyldwolf]

4. is it the fact they killed 50,000 dogs or how they did it that bothers you

?

[zonkers]

19. Both.

[otohara]

5. Yeah

good ruck!

[LincolnMcGrath]

10. Oh No, you went there didn't you?

:rofl:

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

6. There is another thing to consider:

In a lot of cultures, dogs, or certain species of dogs, are not as prized as companion animals as they are in the US. There are cultural/religious strictures about them as unclean and vicious. While we might not agree with them, these are worthy of reflection.

One more thing: It is likely that the dogs killed were largely feral. Dogs, once turned feral, can be a real health and safety problem. We have strong animal control laws, in part, because at one time feral dogs were a real problem in sections of the US.

I don't like news like this at all. That said, I kind of like to look at the whole picture, before coming to a conclusion.

[zonkers]

17. "Dogs snatched from their owners and beaten on the spot by killing teams"

Just google news search -- dogs, china kills 50,000.

[Poppyseedman]

7. China has a long history of human rights abuses.

I wasn't aware of them killing 50,000 dogs. Do they kill them to eat them or just for kicks? Sick bastards

As a side note, if by some miracle the Chinese do release a statement of apology. To whom do they apologize to: the dogs? Dog owners of the world?

[zalinda]

15. Here's the link to the story

http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=135649

It was a rabis outbreak. Please remember, they do not have the same meds and testing procedures we do here. This was the only way they could think of to safe guard their citizens. Do I like that it happened? Of course not. But, we tend to forget that the other side of the world is NOT like the US, and do not have the same procedures as we do.

zalinda

[zonkers]

16. It was brutal. They were snatched from owners by killing teams, beaten,..

Here's a snip from an article....

"The five-day slaughter in Yunnan province in southwestern China ended Sunday and spared only military guard dogs and police canine units, state media reported."

"Dogs being walked were seized from their owners and beaten to death on the spot, the Shanghai Daily newspaper reported. Led by the county police chief, killing teams entered villages at night creating noise to get dogs barking, then beat the animals to death, the reports said."

News Google -- china, kills dogs

[SmokingJacket]

8. Oy, I love dogs too, but man.

You're going to make life kinda hard for yourself. Admirable, but there's almost nothing you can get if it's not made it China.

Update us on how it goes!

[bowens43]

9. My family is boycotting the US

over their killing 50,000 Iraqis.

[maxsolomon]

11. would you like to boycott seattle also?

how far should one extend their sympathies? feral dogs? geese? rats?

seattle controls the resident Canada Goose population with multiple means, including, as a last resort, euthanasia - or rounding them up & gassing them in semi trailers. there was a big purge around 2000, known as the 'goose-ocaust'. it is cruel. there is not much choice.

http://www.cityofseattle.net/parks/communitynotices/goosefaq.htm

the goose crap also rendered every beach & lawn in the city unusable, and filled the lakes with swimmer's itch. humans alter their environment & create these wildlife problems - we do not make balanced ecosystems.

a boycott won't change anything. you should be boycotting china already for HUMAN rights violations, anyway.

if they ate the dogs after killing them, i'd feel better about it.

[zonkers]

13. Sorry but hunting down family dogs while they are in peop'e's houses,

confiscating them and then beating them to death on the spot, in front of their loved ones is not the same as controllling feral dogs, geese and rats. Besides the sheer cold bloodedness, I can only imagine the psychological damage this has done to so many people.

And you are right, I should be boycotting China for Human Rights violations. I am ashamed of myself for not doing so. Anyway, no matter what the reason is, I am now boycotting China. I know it is a Quixotic task. But not really. The only hard thing might be replacing my computer. Food, medicine, office supplies, furniture, tools, cars.... I can buy these elsewhere. Yeah, I won't be able to get all that stuff dirt cheap anymore from Hope Depot and Costco but I haven't bought anything besides screws from them in years.

[maxsolomon]

18. when our economy collapses

from the looming energy wars, china will no longer be sending us anything, as we will not be able to afford it.

china sucks, but the food is good

[fearthem]

14. I am as well.

[Historic NY]

20. Just a point of order..........

Remember bird flu, people sleep with their livestock in China. Where was the outrage of killing of millions of birds, perhaps some pets. China view dogs in a different manner or custom than we do. In fact any good market will have dogs in cages for sale. Its a meal on 4 legs like cattle here. Rabies outbreak in a population in China can quickly spread to humans with devastating consequences. I don't think Chinese medicine can afford to give people the 7-8 shots. Granted its brutal in the eyes of dog lovers but what about the birds. In fact most of the dogs are being killed by their owners.

[zonkers]

22. Good points...

But it makes more sense to be frightened of bird flu -- its so mysterious and new. Not the same for rabies, a problem that's been around and will be around for years. Better start dealing with it in a way that makes sense instead of slaughtering innocent dogs, which by the way are not quite the same as birds in my book.

And while many Chinese may regard dogs as cattle, many probably had emotional bonds with their dogs.
Articles have stated that dogs were taken from their owners who were walking them, and then beaten. Call me a big wuss but this horrifies me.

[valerief]

21. Have you heard what's going on in the Middle East? n/t

[N90ATC]

24. Already boycotting

I'm offended by their constant human rights violations & boycott Made in China products as much as I can which is as tough as everyone here thinks.

[Vidar]

23. I admire you for it.

[Union Label]

25. Sorry but this thread is kind of a dupe

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1794486

[RollergirlVT]

26. May I suggest....

In your quest to boycott China products that you consider buying recycled. Although many items will still be made in China no new money is heading their way, thus the spirit of your boycott is upheld. In this day and age there are many specialty stores for recycled items, including but not limited to sports equipment, electronics, furniture and of course clothing. I applaud your actions although I think saving the American economy is good enough reason all other reasons just further justify the action.