"Mike Petro" > wrote in message
...
> On Mon, 21 Nov 2005 13:16:07 GMT, "Alex Chaihorsky"
> > wrote:
>
>>>> Sasha speaks the truth here. Alas they do NOT have a solid code of
>>>> ethics yet in China regarding "truth in advertising" and many such
>>>> forgeries exist.
>>>
>>> They do indeed have a solid code of ethics in China regarding ''truth in
>>> advertising," Mike. It just doesn't happen to match yours. :-)
>>
>>I happen to agree with Ourania, despite the fact that I am extremely
>>irritated by the way products are advertised in China. Here in the US we
>>also have tons of false advertising its just happen to be not about tea.
>>Just to read and hear every other minute of yet another "World leader
>>in..."... May be we should be more upset about our own "fine print"?
>
> You are quite right Sasha, but I was referring to tea not politics.
> Here in the US we are fairly strict about the labeling of consumable
> products in particular. We are also pretty strict about forgeries, at
> least to the point that most knock-offs are driven to the black-market
> instead of being mainstream. If I buy a box of Kraft macaroni and
> cheese I can be extremely confident that it is indeed made by Kraft,
> and this holds true for most edible *products*. We don't bother trying
> to forge cheap stuff and food is almost held sacred. Now antiques,
> watches, and other expensive collectibles are a whole different
> matter, we do have our fair share of crooks there. Wanna buy a Rolexx
> watch?
>
> I guess the main difference is that we have much stiffer penalties so
> the crooks don't bother forging cheap stuff, they tend to make it
> worth their while in case they get caught. In China it seems that the
> business ethics of right and wrong most certainly exist but they don't
> devote the resources to deal with it at a criminal enforcement level.
> The result is rampant dishonesty to the point of being considered
> acceptable, consequently it is almost impossible to trust anything you
> are told. Even cheap 25 cent items are blatantly forged. Personal
> relationships and/or education are your only defense. The onus is
> clearly on the customer to ensure fairness, even on the smallest of
> transactions, with no expectation of government or legal support.
> Small transactions in the US are usually honest, even amongst the
> crooks.
>
> Mike Petro
> http://www.pu-erh.net

In short - the difference is in scale. I also have to tell you that I am
pretty sure that lot of California wine sold at 7/11s and gas stations are
forgeries. I have pretty good nose for wines and things that I used to buy
that way were no CA wine - it was cheap "vin de table" from Chile. I can
smell that old machines Andes rust stench from half a mile.
On the other hand I bought a beautiful, completely undistinguishable from an
original men's Cartier watch in China for $20. The problem - I do not like
square watches... Wanna exchange your Rolex for my Cartier? ))))))))))

Sasha.