So, you've unwrapped your pile of high-tolerance production, injection-moulded plastic shite and/or given a like pile to offspring, nephews or other younger members of you circle...spare a thought for those less well-off...
What an African child - converted to the Western Church - might find under his tree this Christmas, no actual tree of course, and he probably made it himself, or had it made by an elder sibling...if they didn't sell most of them to fat European tourists in ill-fitting khaki-shorts to get some hard cash in a usable currency!
Made from a
Doom insecticide can with twined
Coke-bottle tops for wheels, the ingenuity involved (and probably a bit of blood!) in these is lovely, no glue, no welding, no screws, nuts/bolts or nails, everything holds everything else in place with folds and bends.
There was a popular musical video in the run-up to Christmas showing on the soma-channels which showed one of these with rudimentary steering (lots of 'give' in the wheels) and a wire attached to the roof so it could be pushed along like a
Fisher-Price puppy!
This could, however, be the future of toys here...the jobs aren't coming back, indeed Chinese companies are already moving production to Africa to avoid upward wage-pressure at home! Political ignorance is allowing the Right to dictate increasingly draconian policy, and the idea that Western civilization hasn't had its day is risible. 20 years from now things like this may be under the trees on our sink-estates, if they (the estates not the toys!) haven't all been sold to Arab investment companies and Chinese sovereign-wealth funds?
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These remind me of Mad Max vehicles and I like them better than the commercial toy cars!
ReplyDeleteCan't say I agree with your political prognosis though as America has a lot of life in it and most Chinese technology is stolen from the Yanks. America seems to be doing very well employment and technology wise with a boost from fracking and oil discoveries making it less dependant on external sources of energy. China is way outclassed by the American economy and military. Things could change in the future but China has a lot of social and political hurdles left, including the threat of braking up due to domestic ethnic and social rifts.
Hi James!
ReplyDeleteThe danger of mixing politics and toys huh!
I think America is big enough to plough it's own furrow, but the UK isn't, and our current 'leader' is a spineless, inadequate, slightly fascist cockwomble, selling us down the river for a bit of corporate cash!
Glad you liked the toy...
Best wishes for the New Year!
Hugh