Independent Lens "China Blue" | PBS

[silliepooh]

"we have missed a deadline, even if the workers work all night". it's not even if....THEY DID. the poor have always been the slaves while the upper management team bullied them endlessly. i wouldn't be shock to see suicides and some mad reaction. 

[LuvDaSumma]

china bad...> :l

[Morphixx]

This documentary makes me very sad...Not only because of working conditions and the emotional turmoil they endure. But because I feel there's nothing I can do to change it.

[wheelori814]

good little slaves! i think people need to watch "the story of your enslavement" so you can get a grip on whats going on EVERYWHERE! Even in america! Everywhere in the world this is happening.

[ayanuhito]

seems like a bit more relaxed

than strict korean and japanese

work places.

[lafkdjay]

Wally World buyer say:  "WTF, you charge me 50c for a pair of jean? I WANT it made for 29c, STOP TRYING TO SCAM ME!"

Down goes worker's wages.

AND that's why Wally World stock is stuck between $50 and $55 for like 10 years.

[danas62]

And the US companies love it because they have the backing of the government to keep Unions from forming and they don't have to put money into worker safety and protecting the enviroment.

[tricianfred]

I saw this documentary for the first time last week while channel surfing and I couldn't turn away from it even tho' it was late and I should have long gone to bed ~ To say the least I had no idea nor did I even think about the people that make the clothing and other goods that I use each and everyday, now I stop and think about the persons who made those jeans for me and the conditions in which they are working, I wish things could change, as an American I am very nieve {sp?}

[magiciancz]

So what we should look?Look the luxurious life of communist of CHina?

[ritasky666]

I really have no idea why western media always see China from this kind of view and search for the poorest rural areas of China. This is a totally misleading...

[bellenie01]

Honestly, I find it amazing how people can argue about this issue, why is it about the country and government?we cant change the worlds politics,but we can start by understandin wat we are buyin and make changes,by being responsible for how we spend our own money.We as PEOPLE need to make a change, it doesnt matter where you live or how you percieve this situation its what you do when you go home that counts. STOP trying to fight about why these poor people are in this boat and focus on helpn

[CookingAmmi]

i made food  dedicat to china please watch my chanel thankyou

[britneylovesyou1990]

this is sad. i am thankful my great great grandparents had the foresight to come to singapore in the past in search of a better future and to escape poverty or else it mayb even b me in these videos if you all get what i mean... wonder what we can do to help??

[sonever1]

What's 'Nationalist Economics' like?

Very different from this. Genuinely pro-worker and pro-nation.

[TaiwaneseAmerican]

This is Chinese Communism. Equality for the non party members.

[mayraluvarod]

I just watched this in my Sociology class and it is really sad to know that this is how life is for those people. That's what business and capitalism does to people

[paliwoo]

so true, but china hasn' done this, guess wut the westerners could say now.

[Surfrider0701]

This is what communism does to people, not capitalism. You see these conditions in America? not even close. It's the state-run entities who create the harsh conditions. China has a choice of how to get shipments out and run their country, and now we see the choice China has made. I'm sick of this 'America is so bad rhetoric.' We give and promote life, liberty and pusuit of happiness. What opportunity do these workers have at those values living there? None!

[archaicangel7]

You're so ignorant, did you know that in L.A. and NYC many illegal workers from ASIA, LATIN AMERICA & AFRICA are being used as slave laborers working15 hours a day, many have been beaten & don't speak up because there are no laws that protect them since they are illegal workers, so is it ok to treat a human being worse than animal because he is undocumented right? They might be working in your city right now in a locked basement, so much for your made in the USA garbs.Our government is perfect.

[Surfrider0701]

I'm ignorant? Where did I ever say or imply it was ok to treat people like that? As far as the same going on here, 1) if it is, it's not as prevalent as China. 2) How you do know? Why has it not been exposed yet? 3) I don't even know if I believe you. 4) yeah, I agree our gov't sucks. Which is why you have to leave power to the people rather than gov't...its called freedom and makes the USA prosper and exceptional 5) those illegal workers should become legal workers, easy concept to grasp.

[yamiryu990]

we watched this in my writing101 class and it's a very moving film. it makes me glad that my teacher decided to have us write an essay with this film as a primary source.

[pataphysician66]

A big dilemma is that the impoverished people here in the US cannot afford to boycott goods made in China. It's just simply too expensive to wear clothing made in the USA, or France or Germany. And there are more and more poor people here every day.

[mrandie80]

A boycott won't do much good. The migration is already on it's way to the effect that the transition between agrarian to industrial production is probably irreversible. You'd just be creating ghettos and poverty. China should continue to grow but on fair terms. The clothing industry is growing mainly due to foreign direct investment. So demand fair wages and reasonable working hours from these corporations instead. Also support the emerging unions, still outlawed in China!

[pataphysician66]

Sounds like a very good and effective way to deal with this problem.

[hotcocuk]

I just finished watching the documentary and I started doing some reseach on the net which guided me here! this doc. depicts and gives an in-side story of: (1)a young 17 year old female worker in a jeans-factory called Lifeng and contrasts it with (2)the precarious position of the owner of the jeans factory. I highly recommend CHINA BLUE to anybody that owns (or knows somebody that owns ;)) a product with the words MADE IN CHINA on it.

[google2boogle]

WHERE can I watch the full version of this?! I saw the ending part on TVO yesturday...sooo saddd!!

[haobio]

I wonder who is really benefited in globalization...

[haleao]

I have watched this on TV once and it was a really great documentary

[saucy05]

excellent documentary.

if you want to watch the full version, search for it in google video.

Does anyone know where i can watch "independent lens" vidoes online?

because only a couple of them are hosted on google and haven't seen any in torrent sites.

why can't pbs just post them on their site, it's a non profit station right?

[KafkaCrow]

Google video! Thanks, I saw it a while back, would like to see it again.

[Macleodking]

I CRIED WHILE WATCHING THIS FILM. AND TO THINK,

TWO OR THREE AMERICAN COMPANIES ARE THE CAUSE OF

THESE WORKERS' ANGUISH===MOST NOTABLY WAL-MART===THE POSTER CHILD FOR CORPORATE GREED.

NOT ONLY HAVE THEY RUINED SMALL=TOWN AMERICA, THEY'RE RUINING THE LIVES OF HELPLESS WORKERS ALL OVER THE GLOBE, WITH THEIR DEMAND FOR LOWER AND LOWER WHOLESALE PRICES FROM ALREADY

DRAINED FACTORY OWNERS!

THIS DOES "not" "MAKE ME PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!!!!!"

[sweettina2]

@Macleodking I agree. PBS just ran this doc again, I will never buy another pair of jeans or shop Walmart again.

[HumanRightsVideosT]

@Macleodking

There's no minimum wage in China and maximum working hours aren't enforced. So the communist party is also part of the problem as its happy for Chinese factory workers to be taken advantage of by anybody.

[freeridermaster0987]

very boring movie

[kingzmenknights]

your mom is boring

[freeridermaster0987]

the complete film lasts simply much too long, which you cannot know if you have only seen this small film on youtube. it is of course a very shocking tale.

[Carefulspider]

Too bad that you can't show the whole video. I watched China Blue last night on TVO and I felt sad for those two girls from the countryside and anger at corporations that think nothing of human lives as they race for the bottom line. In this day and age these things are allowed to happen. It's really sad.

[WenNiuNiu]

I watched China Blue on TVO tonight, my feeling is a mixture of sadness, anger and very bitter.

TVO is going to repeat this program on Dec 24,07 at 12:30am. I encourage everyone to watch this program.

[TubeGuest5178]

We first found out about the clothing industry with Kathie Lee Gifford. Now look!

This is nutz!!!

[ironqqq]

lame.. only show first 2 mintues but not the rest

[snasxs]

China enacted new labor law June to improve workers rights.

Guess who is upset? Westerner business expressed alarm at the law: criticizing the limitation of temporary workers, or the requirement of approval from unions for layoffs. As a result, the Chinese law dropped the requirement for union approval of layoffs.

Is that how the West cares about Chinese worker's rights?