That’s because western leaders were more than happy to let China manufacture things ‘over there’ so we could wash our hands clean of the environmental damage our consumer choices were contributing to.
Clearly they liked fewer complaints about environmental concerns because it wasn’t happening where the citizens could see it. In principal they were smart enough to understand the concept of outsourcing pain.
What you mentioned is just a side-effect bonus if you want to call it that.
> That’s because western leaders were more than happy to let China manufacture things ‘over there’ so we could wash our hands clean of the environmental damage
Just saying that's not the driver. Not even close. Demand for cheap goods was the driver for the West and the fact that Chinese policies teed up super cheap supply via their policies is the story.
So I don't think your comment isn't accurate. But it would be accurate if you said our western leaders were more than happy to keep the flow of cheap goods going because it was a favorable arrangement and it had a nice side effect of not having to deal with environmental cleanup or pushback.
If the cost of goods was the same in the west, the west would surely deal with environmental issues in exchange for the jobs and tax revenue.
No one is going to be elected with the platform of increasing costs so the populace consumes less in order to save the planet. Certainly not 20 to 50 years ago.
