If you made it to the end of the thread, the author (a menswear/garment industry expert) explained that he was responding to comments along the lines of 'Nike pays $2 to make shoes in Asia and sells them at $150, earning a $148 profit, we should bring some of that money to American workers'. I did not get the impression that the writer was characterizing Asian industry in general, he just happens to be knowledgeable about this particular industry.

I have been having similar discussions over the last week with people about synthesizers/pro audio gear (a topic I happen to be expert on), and the market dynamics are roughly the same. The goods themselves have a much smaller market and a much higher median cost than shoes, obviously. But components, assembly, and a significant amount of technical (PCB) design originates in China.