I remember when everything was made in Hong Kong. It was to be remarked upon, along the lines of, in a certain knowing tone, 'it was probably made in Hong Kong'. If it didn't work, if it was weak, cheap, disposable, and not fit for purpose. If it seemed like it belonged to the now, this new world of unemployment, closures, shut downs and crises. If it did not seem to fit into the idea of who we were supposed to be, or what we were about and our past glories, then, 'it was probably made in Hong Kong.' But the phrase began to change, a few years later we started to say, 'it was probably made in Taiwan', and then in 'India' and then in 'Bangladesh. We'd say it in the same sarcastic or cynically aware voice. Announcing the provenance of manufacture in a deprecating tone indicated that we knew how exactly everything was going to hell in a handcart. It was the sort of judgment that properly belonged to the The Dictionary of Received Ideas. We mapped the progressive flight of capital as it pursued the lowest industrial wage to places that we had only heard about because of such judgments, 'it was probably made in...' That was the extent of our knowledge of the world. But now, we do not say of the objects surrounding us, 'it was probably made in China', because it is too obvious to comment upon - it goes without saying.
Friday, 8 August 2014
'I remember' and capital flight
This method of ‘I remember’ is a way in. It is an active remembering. Without it, I do not think I would remember. For example, I was drying up the enamelled plate that I use for camping. It is several decades old. I suppose I have inherited it, along with a bag of guy ropes and plastic storm pegs. On the back of my plate there is a rough stamp: made in Hong Kong. Therefore:
I remember when everything was made in Hong Kong. It was to be remarked upon, along the lines of, in a certain knowing tone, 'it was probably made in Hong Kong'. If it didn't work, if it was weak, cheap, disposable, and not fit for purpose. If it seemed like it belonged to the now, this new world of unemployment, closures, shut downs and crises. If it did not seem to fit into the idea of who we were supposed to be, or what we were about and our past glories, then, 'it was probably made in Hong Kong.' But the phrase began to change, a few years later we started to say, 'it was probably made in Taiwan', and then in 'India' and then in 'Bangladesh. We'd say it in the same sarcastic or cynically aware voice. Announcing the provenance of manufacture in a deprecating tone indicated that we knew how exactly everything was going to hell in a handcart. It was the sort of judgment that properly belonged to the The Dictionary of Received Ideas. We mapped the progressive flight of capital as it pursued the lowest industrial wage to places that we had only heard about because of such judgments, 'it was probably made in...' That was the extent of our knowledge of the world. But now, we do not say of the objects surrounding us, 'it was probably made in China', because it is too obvious to comment upon - it goes without saying.
I remember when everything was made in Hong Kong. It was to be remarked upon, along the lines of, in a certain knowing tone, 'it was probably made in Hong Kong'. If it didn't work, if it was weak, cheap, disposable, and not fit for purpose. If it seemed like it belonged to the now, this new world of unemployment, closures, shut downs and crises. If it did not seem to fit into the idea of who we were supposed to be, or what we were about and our past glories, then, 'it was probably made in Hong Kong.' But the phrase began to change, a few years later we started to say, 'it was probably made in Taiwan', and then in 'India' and then in 'Bangladesh. We'd say it in the same sarcastic or cynically aware voice. Announcing the provenance of manufacture in a deprecating tone indicated that we knew how exactly everything was going to hell in a handcart. It was the sort of judgment that properly belonged to the The Dictionary of Received Ideas. We mapped the progressive flight of capital as it pursued the lowest industrial wage to places that we had only heard about because of such judgments, 'it was probably made in...' That was the extent of our knowledge of the world. But now, we do not say of the objects surrounding us, 'it was probably made in China', because it is too obvious to comment upon - it goes without saying.
