Everyone choosing cheaper goods is just an observation. And yea, most people were very happy to buy cheap stuff from retailers and they are in fact complicit because they want their cheap goods. And yea, most people even today would choose cheaper goods over goods sourced in western countries.
As a point of contention, I don't like the grandstanding I'm observing over stuff "made in China", especially here where we can all choose to buy products made in western countries and pay more money for those. Are there exceptions? Sure! But just because Apple makes the iPhone in China doesn't mean you can't buy a barbell made in Ohio or cast iron skillets made in Tennessee.