Comments on: Parents, Toy Companies Stress After Recall

Frantic Search For Tainted Products Begins After Fisher-Price Recalls Nearly 1 Million Chinese-Made Toys

Bashing China.
China is the enemy.
Inferior products from China.

This is EXACTLY what BushCo wants you to believe. We did this to Cuba, Viet Nam, France and on and on. When Saddam didn't give BushCo what they wanted, we waged war and so far have killed over a million innocent people.

China is a threat because they left us in the dust economically and have us by the balls, BushCo is blacklist their meats and other products and set them up as the enemy in Americans eyes. Who's next?

China isn't the problem...America is the problem. Mattel didn't do their job, other US corporations are cutting expenses, not inspecting products and our government is sitting on the job as well. When only 1% of our imported foods are inspected, you know we're in trouble. At any point, we can put any country or US manufacturer under the microscope and find more than enough to put them out of business with us, if they don't do what BushCo wants.

The Minneapolis bridge that collapsed yesterday is an example of our infrastructure falling apart. Why? Because our money is diverted to funding an illegal war and lining the pockets of BushCo and the elites, rather than fixing our infrastructure, improving education and helping our citizens. You can expect more roads and bridges to collapse - think Katrina.

We need to be complaining to our government, politicians and corporations - not blame other countries. If we do our job, they will be forced to do theirs.

http://zeitgeistmovie.com/

[pastdue1]

However, he expressed concern about how the recall and other toy recalls will play out in consumers' minds in advance of the holiday season.
Maybe the American consumer will note how "American" corporations are raping the American people. They want bigger and bigger profits so they can pay their CEOs bigger and bigger salaries and bonuses, all the while, putting more and more middle class Americans into poverty. They need to be ashamed for inflicting yet another poor product onto the American public. These companies are not run by true Americans, they are the least patriotic and loyal citizens in our country and should never be admired.

[pdhlondon]

Let's all do the math together....

We start by exporting jobs to China in an effort to reduce manufacturing costs. This results in increased local unemployment, a lower tax base for the State and higher unemployment and welfare costs for those left with jobs.

Next, add in the social and political costs of creating a generation of unemployed and unemployable American and Canadian citizens - not to mention the money wasted on retraining programs that have little or no value: After all, if these unemployed workers were suitable for jobs as accountants and computer programmers, they would have never taken factory jobs in the first place.

Finally, add in the cost of the recall, the lost revenue opportunities and the legal suits against offshore suppliers. And, don't forget the loss of reputation to the company in the marketplace.

Now, add it all up and convince yourself that exporting jobs to a country with a proven record of exporting bad food, drugs and manufactured goods is a good idea.

Wake up folks. Balanced trade is one thing. Exporting our health and welfare is another.

[omega39-2009]

However, that Easy Bake Oven & Tickle Me Elmo will probably triple in price!! U.S. workers/manufacturers would likely meld into a giant union, and ruin the industry JUST LIKE THE AUTO WORKERS DID!
Posted by seandgreen

Seandgreen, before wall street started demanding obscene growth rates, and before regulatory measures spurring competition by limiting mergers were completely ignored, and well before "golden parachutes", almost everything we used was produced in this country. We had a vibrant middle class that enjoyed job security, pensions, health benefits and homeownership. The claim by the zillionaires that there isn't enough money to go around and Americans are overpriced is just a bunch of hot air.

[antoniof123]

What did you think would happen when you take a place that has is 50 years behind us in infastructure they don't have the same laws as us and you want them to be like us too bad you have been mislead once again.

[omega39-2009]

Vote in 2008 for ANY candidate willing to bring the jobs back to America!
Posted by kirstinharr

I agree. Is there one?
Posted by rushlimpdrug at

Dennis Kucinich is the only one that has stood up and said he would get rid of NAFTA and the WTO. Hillary by contrast has went before Silicon Valley executives and promised to raise the H1B1 caps.

[drummer94]

Fisher-Price; An all American company: Made in China. And America goes.......... SIGH.

[rushlimpdrug]

. Vote in 2008 for ANY candidate willing to bring the jobs back to America!
Posted by kirstinharr

I agree. Is there one?

[ov442]

what scares me most is that this is a major player in the toy industry and yet there are hundreds of 'no name' manufacturers selling toys to Americans through places like Wal-Mart, and dollar stores for peanuts but i can guarantee there would be far less scrutinization by these almost invisible companies importing and reselling to those retailers.

[macusweil]

When will corporate America wake up?? Corporate executives need to realize you get what you pay for !!

Outsourcing manufacturing short cuts US consumer protections and safeguards that on paper saves BIG $$ money for BIG business, but in reality it costs more for everyone.

* consumers are hurt by unsafe products
* companies suffer loss of reputation
* companies must pay to settle legal issues
* US labor is hurt by lost jobs

[luckygirl042]

...but think about what it'd be like in America with no FDA, EPA, OSHA, Child Labor Laws, the Clean Air Act or Clean Water laws.
Posted by RandalDS at 12:12 AM : Aug 02, 2007


I never really thought about it--but boy, you got that right.
The worst of it is, is if you go out and try to "buy American" it's almost impossible.
I once read that the strongest and fastest rising stocks were the various dollar stores.
I wish we could all get together and start boycotting these crappy little places. But I know it'll never happen.

[trillion1]

US companies know that China will lie,cheat, steal and kill to make a buck. Something they don't want to admit to, to make a profit. Kind of like bush with torture.

[coffeehead-2009]

They are just testing more things now because of everything else that has been happening.



uhhh-

The Bush administration's nomination of Michael Baroody to head the Consumer Products Safety Commission
Public Citzen President Joan Claybrook explains the opposition:

Michael Baroody has spent years at the heart of the industry trade association that lobbied the CPSC to weaken consumer safety rules, including the one on disclosure of known safety defects described above. NAM's record is one of unrelenting hostility to the safety of consumers, including small children. Baroody should not be confirmed to lead a safety agency that has a vital role in protecting American families.

[erasmus6]

Surely no one is surprised by this, are they? I bet there has been lead in those toys forever and a million others. They are just testing more things now because of everything else that has been happening. There has been I don't know how many cases of lead being in kids jewelry for years so you would have thought when that happened they would have been testing for lead more often. I bet EVERYTHING has lead in it. There was a recall of plastic mini blinds years ago because there was lead in them. I bet that everything in the dollar stores has lead in it, even the dishes. Any dishes that don't have dishwasher safe on them probably have lead in them.

[randalds]

If you must blame someone, blame your revered and beloved corporations for taking your jobs and poisoning you in the process.
Posted by incog-nito at 01:00 AM : Aug 02, 2007

Amen, it's time Americans started to realize that there are no more "American" companies any longer. From oil companies to cars to food to children's toys, these companies are all now international, global, and could care less about Americans. Certainly no more so then they do about any other consumers anywhere else in the world. Americans also ought to realize that this same attitude is the one that the big business supporters in the republican party also follow. People like Bush and Cheney and their buddies in war contracting and big oil are NOT Americans! They are internationalists first and last and any of them would take a giant dump on any and all Americans if it turned them a profit.

[incog-nito]

To all the people who blame the Chinese through their thinly veiled prejudice, let me repeat one more time. Standards in China have ALWAYS been low or nonexistent. It's the AMERICAN companies such as Mattel (parent of Fisher Price) who have chosen to move their operations to China PRECISELY because of the cheap labor AND the aforementioned lack of health and safety standards, taking American jobs with them. If you must blame someone, blame your revered and beloved corporations for taking your jobs and poisoning you in the process.

[randalds]

Posted by ibsteve2u at 09:46 PM : Aug 01, 2007

Tom DeLay was once asked if he could think of a single government regulation that he wouldn't get rid of and he said no, not a one. Some republicans talk about deregulation when running for office and it always gets big applause because they've convinced many Americans that the government is somehow evil and wrong all of the time, but think about what it'd be like in America with no FDA, EPA, OSHA, Child Labor Laws, the Clean Air Act or Clean Water laws. Disease would skyrocket (and no health help from the government) and our average life expectancy would drop back down into the 40's. Of course big business would be rich and the rich would live long and prosper because they'd be able to afford what 99% of the rest of us couldn't and for them that's all that counts. Big government is not the enemy, bad government is!

[tbweb]

Is it me or are we under attack from China? Why all of this now, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, all at the same time? Hopefully Chinese weapons are this bad as well, but that's right, China has Russian weapons don't they, like Iran! Good old North Pole Stealing Russia, the World better watch out, next Russia will be claiming the Moon too!

[prinzowhales]

Good old lead! They thought they were done with you when they banned you in gas. 'knew you'd find a way back into our hearts, minds, liver, kidneys...And, now, with all the vaccines with trace mercury--and those with many times the 'safe' level--you have a friend with which to work synergistically...Look! There's Mr. Aluminum and Ms. Fluoride...What a great couple! One helps the other cross the blood brain barrier and--Look Out... its amyloid plaques all round!!...Boy, oh, boy, there's going to be a head bangin' time in the old schoolhouse today! Don't worry about a thing...if you start to aching...take some Vioxx...tens of thousands of satisfied Merck customers feel nothing at all...nothing ever again.

[mh4cbs1]

Hey stop all your whinning! You get what you vote for.

This is globalization in action. The fascist Chinese were given 'most favored' trade status by Clinton, who also brought us NAFTA.

When will Americans realize that their elected officials represent American Corporations, not American Citizens? As Ralph Nader says, capitol hill is "corporate occupied territory".

Vote Green Party (gp.org) and at least you can live knowing you voted your values: citizen control of democracy, economic justice, a sustainable economy, and no more needless War!