Alice In Chinese Wonderland

To the Editor:

I salute the spirit of Nicholas Perna of Danbury, who had the courage (and frustration) of trying to make it through one week without buying Chinese products. Well, he could not do it and that speaks volumes.

There is no doubt that in using cheap Chinese labor to make so many, inflation is not our biggest enemy in the economy. There is a gorilla waiting around the corner ready to pounce.

It is the unpleasant truth that we have become so dependent on a country with an ideology alien to our way of life that sooner or later this dependency will influence every single corner of our economy and our way of life except, of course, for those who are wealthy enough and, as far as employment goes, public employees not to mention our politicians. These folks will at least have a job which is more than a few million of our fellow Americans can say at present. The number of jobs lost to China (about three million) is more than enough to keep most of our unemployed busy. It is time for all of us to speak out and demand action from those entrusted with our future and our children’s future. Enough is enough! We must return to an economy not necessarily perfect, but one which is healthy for the country as a whole. Where do we start?

Look no further than our own Constitution. Can a state like Connecticut levy a tax solely on Chinese goods? The answer is yes!

Article 1, Section 10 reads as follows: “No state shall without the consent of Congress lay any imposts (tax) or duties on imports or exports, except what may be absolutely necessary for executing its inspection laws and the net produce of all duties and imposts laid by any state on imports or exports shall be for the use of the treasure of the United States and all such laws shall be subject to the revision and control of the Congress.”

I firmly believe that the quality and quantity of much of the imports coming from China need an impost and a far more rigorous inspection than presently executed and for many and very good reasons.

What we desperately need is a few good men and women to lead us out of this Chinese rabbit hole we are in where nothing is what it seems to be and an unpleasant surprise will wait at every corner. We must return to the real world where we, and not the Chinese, control our fate and fortune. We must do it bravely, and we must do it soon.

Oscar Berendsohn

34 Appleblossom Lane, Newtown                        November 29, 2010