LOS ANGELES—The movie “Death by China: One lost job at a time” is an eye-opening exposé of China’s economic devastation of American manufacturing. It is an emphatically frank documentary, supported by experts and congressional lawmakers who have been unable to turn the tide in favor of America’s manufacturing base and its labor force since Kissinger’s détente brought China into the World Trade Organization.
However, China could not have done it alone. America’s multinational corporations left home with their technology and capital, leaving 72,000 empty factories and a devastated workforce of some 25,000,000 unemployed. Others chose to only expand their sales market into China, some with unexpected results.
The movie, directed by University of California, Irvine, professor Peter Navarro, professor of Economics and Public Policy, is based on his 2011 book (with Greg Autry) by the same title.
The movie had an exclusive screening with a dozen experts in China issues on Aug. 17 at the Laemmle Playhouse 7 in Pasadena, Calif. It was a full house.
Jane, a medical practitioner in the audience said, “It was a very balanced documentary.”
Who’s at Fault?
Navarro starts his production in a shopping mall on Black Friday. Individual buyers are asked what they purchased and why they made the purchase. They were then asked, “Where was that item made?” Their responses are interesting and reflective of how our economy has fed “Made in China” acceptance. Some sheepishly give excuses, while others remain quiet.
