Is it wrong to buy surfboards and surf products made in Thailand and China
By
Noel Whitman
Even prior to the closing of Clark foam, the controversy over surfboards made in Thailand and China was building as a threat to native board builders in Australia and the U.S. which are the world leaders in surfboard production and design. Certainly the threat to local builders and their employees has been real and that part of the controversy continues to be debated. However, the side of the argument that has only been touched on and perhaps the only side of it worth discussing are the reasons why it’s wrong to buy Asian made surfboards or if it is in fact wrong at all.
China continues to have one of the worst human rights records in the world and the communist government since 1959 has been responsible for close to if not over 30 million murders of it’s own citizens, even the Chinese Nationalist government prior to communism killed close to 11 million people. Gulags, government created famines and forced abortions are just some of the inhuman things that have happened or that go on regularly in China to this very day. Regardless of how you view the subject of free trade (which itself is not a bad thing) you must keep in mind that supporting trade with China the way not only our government, but the governments of the world have supported her for the last 30 or so years, you are in effect supporting the very acts which that government inflicts on it’s own people everyday.
Thailand is not the murderous nation that China is, but businesses in Thailand are controlled by the government. One of the most vile businesses in Thailand is the Sex trade. This disgusting trade is in effect slavery for children and young women caught in it’s grasp and the government of Thailand backs this trade and has in 2002 passed legislation to help foreign tourist to better enjoy the practice. There have been many reports of this on news programs of children as young as six years old sold as sex slaves to the highest bidding pimps in the country. All with the turning of a blind eye or actual support of the government of Thailand.
Certainly these are not all the atrocities committed or allowed to continue by these two nations, but the one thing that neither country offers the world to a large degree is an actual product they produce or that they can trade in exchange for other products. The main product these two countries offer in mass is that of human labor. Human labor which is created under bondage or neglect. Labor which is available because of the desperate conditions and poverty of the people of these two countries. There have been attempts to rationalize trading with these two nations by saying that the jobs are actually helping the people of those countries and that certain jobs, like the building of surfboards are highly sought, because they pay slightly more, but the effect is still the same. By dealing with the governments of these two nations, we are ourselves indirectly supporting the vile practices of the two nations for the cheap price of labor.
So why would an American, Australian or other surfing nation want to buy a surfboard made in one of these Nations? Why would popular and leading surfboard builders want to jump on the bandwagon of having their products produced in one of these two countries when there has been an industry within the borders of their own nations building surfboards since the sixties? The bottom line as usual is “the bottom line.” Because of the ultra cheap labor in China and Thailand surfboards can be shipped to the U.S. half the price of boards produced in Australia or America allowing both shapers and surf shop owners to wallow in profits at the expense of not only many of their own local board builders, but at the expense of the people of each of these nations. It’s funny that we boycotted South Africa during the years of discrimination by it’s government towards it’s native people and we are now exclaiming the virtue of invading Iraq by claiming that we have helped the Iraqi people have a chance at freedom, yet we support dealing with two nations that enslave, mistreat, or allow the mistreatment of their own people just as bad and in the case of china worse than either South Africa or Iraq.
Certainly none of us will know all the products we buy that are made in one of these nations and maybe we should simply chalk it up as the way of the world, but with an industry as small as the surfboard industry and an industry as hyped and overpriced as the Surf Clothing industry, why would we as citizens who love the art of surfing want to support nations with the human rights records of China or Thailand? Why would we want to gleefully support surfing organizations that claim to care about the earth and it’s inhabitants, yet don’t speak out against the selling out of our small industry for sole purpose of making more profit by having many of the products and now the surfboard itself made in countries like China or Thailand. Where is the disgust, where is the concern, where is the outrage for the mistreatment of our fellow human beings? Why is it wrong to support companies who produce their surfboards in one of these two countries? I guess the answer depends on do you actually believe there is such as thing as right or wrong to begin with. If there is no wrong, supporting surfboard companies and surf clothing companies that deal with nations that murder and rape their own people so you can have a cheaper surfboard or name brand surf trunks is not wrong.
If things like murder, slavery, forced abortion, child prostitution and other vile acts are in fact wrong, then what does dealing with nations whom you know to do such acts make you? Don’t take this author’s word for it, educate yourself and look deep inside your heart and decide for yourself how important saving a small amount of money and padding the pockets of shop owners and surf industry executives is, if in the long run it cost you the creativity and individuality of your industry and helps to promote governments that neglect and mistreat their citizens. If you don’t care and are only concerned with how cheap you can buy your surfboard, how much profit you can generate or to bow at the alter of the latest craze, then keep in mind, that throughout history, events have changed things for the worst in almost every country on earth at one time or another.
One day, if we are not careful and vigilant, we could find ourselves enslaved by our government or by utter poverty and wish that citizens of other nations would stand up to our own nation’s bad behavior, not support mistreatment of our citizens and keep economic pressure on for humanitarian change. No need to join some organization and pay dues to create change and let others fight the battle, you can through your vote, your protest and your own personal boycott of these companies make your voice heard on the subject.
Is it wrong to buy surfboards and surf products made in Thailand and China? The answer and the solution is up to you.
