Syo, no dude. You don't need to apologize. You have first hand knowledge of what is happening in the guitar industry in China, and we should know about the status of its conditions, safety, environmental quality inside and outside the factories, management practices, etc.

So many US companies have moved to China that it is astounding. As you alluded to, it is a growth type of thing and here in the US the "limits to growth" are getting pushed; hence very expensive US made Gibsons Fenders and so on. Passing a certain limit the average person can no longer afford the American made guitar and, oftentimes being economically sensible rather than nationalistic or loyal to American production, luckily finds a really well made guitar coming from another part of the world.

As I indicated before, the US government - the trade commission or whatever, as well as the governments of other countries, should require that certain human rights and factory conditions are maintained in these offshore industrial operations.

Our government could instantly pull the right of US companies to operate in China at any moment, just as the gov of China could expel our citizens from China at any given moment in time. Other concerned countries could also immediately suspend any operations outside their borders without hesitation.

I have met people from China that work there in factories making products for the US. I noticed that they work very hard, oftentimes working for free on their own time, just to try to insure that they will keep there job and be perceived by upper management as assest - because, they tell me, there are thousands of other workers that would LOVE to have their job. These workers sound like they are not valued very highly and are largely expendable.

Now, I understand that a super skilled machinist or engineer or designer or even factory floor assembler would be valued very highly because of the key role that they play in quality of production. These people are most definitely treated way more reasonably than the run of the mill employees that can be bought in straight from the street and taught everything they need to know to do an excellent job within a relatively short time, or no time at all.

It is incredibly interesting that you mention that some of the factories that engage in the worst health and safety practices are ones that are operated and managed by our own professionals. Professional would be using the term lightly here, in light of the paint room scenario: that is just plain irresponsibility and probably even illegal in China to put a person in an environment like that to work all day. Imagine that? That is a sad image for me to visualize.

As was said, industrialization in the developing world is an evolving process. But precedents have been set here in the US and in Europe and elsewhere that have resulted in standard operating procedures that ensure worker safety and health, and eliminate child labor, etc. It is not like WE have to reinvent the wheel. We already know what it is and choose to ignore its existence and exploit ripe labor markets that don't have environmental and health requirements that cost A LOT OF MONEY. It is a greed motivated type of thing.

Here they jump ship leaving American workers totally trained and out of jobs and forbid anyone that buys the old factory from making the product that the local workers are highly skilled at making. This is as unethical as requiring offshore workers to work in less than humane conditions.

The world turns and we turn with it. It is really really hard to change the course of the river.