Made in...Bangladesh? Really??

'Tis the season to shop. I'm still searching for a non-toxic raincoat. Mine is now thirteen years old and far from waterproof. So much of everything is made in China and stinks because cheap means materials with toxic chemicals are used. I avoid buying anything from China, hence, I don't buy much. I'd so much rather buy American made even if it costs more, but finding American-made products is difficult.

Refusing to buy toxic products from China is a movement many have joined. I heard about this all last year from salespeople so I know I'm not alone. We are tired of low-quality merchandise created by slave labor. We prefer an un-outsourced production of good quality, all-American products. Well, some of us. Since a majority of Americans are stupid, the majority are still willing to shop at cheap stores that offer Chinese garbage which is why WalMart is still in business.

This year, again, I'm on the lookout for a new raincoat. Strange thing about this year is so few clothing labels are confessing their Chinese roots. Now clothing with American labels is made in Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Really? One has to wonder if the company shipped their worker-slaves to another country and re-shackled them to another factory? Or sold them to the highest bidder and found some new indentured slaves?

Or are they lying? Can they legally state the item is made in Bangladesh if they have an address there even if it's only where their accounting is outsourced? Or do they even care about label requirements? Who's going to check? Most consumers will read the label and not question the print. Not made in China! HOORAY! Let's buy two! And we all know label requirements are always monitored by the government, right? And the government always protects us, right? The FDA and USDA always does such an excellent job, right? Are these less-intolerable third world country locations just the latest sales gimmick?

MADE IN AMERICA! HOORAY!