Made In China

Back to the OP's question. A company I'm quite familiar with, Vincent Audio, has a lot of their products built in China. All of their products are designed in Germany, and they built their own factory in China and have the control to maintain the build process to their strict standards. I currently own three examples, all hybrid tube/ss, which is something Vincent got into early on. IMHO, their gear bats way above it's price range and the build quality rivals that of western countries. It is also some of the best sounding gear I have owned, and, with several years in, I have yet to experience any problems with my examples. 

In tracing supply chains, I've come to the conclusion that most equipment is made on earth, by humans, laboring for abusive employers under fundamentally flawed governments. And while unfortunate, it seems to be the best we can do. 

The challenge I have with MADE IN CHINA products is the fact that Chinese companies (some are joint ventures with their western counterpart) continue to be opaque in their relationship with  or ownership by members of the  Chinese  Communist Party, as the majority of companies in China have ties with the CCP.  Just google the "Construction Cranes Made in China" to see very recent troubling developments there...  Having said that, most audio companies are rather SMALL compared to automobile manufacturing companies... and I have my doubts if CCP will exploit audio companies for their political / economic  advantage.  BUT, I still do not trust the CCP, period.

In modern times, the U.S. has done more in military aid, economic aid, and humanitarian aid than any other country in the world.  The U.S. funds the lions share of NATO, and also offers economic and humanitarian aid during natural disasters in far flung places around the world.  The U.S. promotes freedom and democracy around the world.  The U.S. militaries play a large roll in insuring freedom of navigation in disputed and contested waters around the world.  Terrorism is fought, though based on the current administration’s border “policies,” many middle eastern and Chinese “military-aged-males” have been strolling unopposed right into our country primarily from the south, but also increasingly from the north.  It chills me to the core thinking what the results of this administration’s gross negligence on the borders will end up costing us.

No, the U.S. is not perfect, most of its inner cities face soaring crime, horrible school attendance and grades, but some crimes are starting to go down, and graduation rates are inching up.  Drugs, particularly Chinese sourced ingredients and production equipment for making fentanyl continue to be a problem.  More US teens and young adults have died from fentanyl overdoses than died in the Vietnam war.

But despite all her shortcomings, on balance the U.S. continues to be among the strongest, most generous and compassionate countries in the world, promoting freedom, peace, democracy, and when needed, a strong military across the globe.

But for those citizens, illegals, and everyone in between, just remember, you can leave whenever you want, can’t do that everywhere.

The World has always been, and will always be, an imperfect place. If you truly want to keep yourself free of human exploitation you need to live in a monastery, wear a hairshirt and grow your own food.  I don’t have the perfect answer but listening to well reproduced music is one the few unadulterated pleasures that I have.