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Q. Mattel designs its toys, but Mattel does not tell Chinese manufacturers to use lead in the toys. Chinese government's argument that its toys contain lead because Mattel designs the toys is irrelevent. What do you think?
Answer
Foreign owned enterprises often make the investment to have the factories set up. The factories then buy and sell and work according to the directives of the foreign investors. It is a misconception to think that these manufacturers run an independent business and foreign investors are duped by their shady manufacturing procedures. The foreign companies count on these things to keep the prices low. Often the only things that are not directly controlled and approved are the scary things that the foreign operators don't want want to be responsible for knowing. They know, they just don't sign off on it. This way they can make China the bad guy in event the truth comes to light.
Mattel, to be fair, is MUCH better than most. It did keep a close eye on local manufacturing and ran one of the more respectable outsourcings. In fact, Mattel recently issued a public announcement and apology to the Chinese manufacturer and admitted that it issued a recall far more extensive than was necessary. It was a PR move that had the wonderful benefit of protecting children. But they knew it was more than necessary. It is hard to be called a bad guy for being over cautious when it comes to children but Mattel, shall we say, over did it.
Now if we can only get a moral recall of all of the products that built on the back of girls from the countryside who are lured away from their family and live in sweatshops that would make a US prison look like a summer camp. Their first checks are held so that they cannot afford to leave. They are penalized out of their checks for minor infractions, live in filthy dorm quarters, work 60 hour weeks and make about $20 a week . Not a joke. I am here and I see these kids. A 20 year old Chinese kid from the countryside has about the street smarts of a 13 year old American girl. Few consider the fact that for every mg of lead paint that reached the US, a 19-21 year old Chinese child was exposed to gallons of the paint on a daily basis with no hope of receiving health care.
Of course they are not all this way. Some offer the kids nice clean housing and the best hope of getting out of the countryside. Some owners treat the kids like family and in that way they are actually better than US factories. There are few black/whites in this world.
I am not an young American expat/ socialist or populist. I am not a Walmart basher and I am not here to "shed light" on the Chinese government or social injustice. I am just an attorney who came here to learn the language and work construction. I didn't really care or believe this stuff was true. I thought all this crap was propoganda until I met the kids and saw the factories behind brick walls with guards and bars. These little work prisons pepper the inland trucking routes in southern China. That way truckers can pick up the goods in between regulated factories and bring in the products where they are assembled under the guise of supervision and regulation. THIS is where places like Mattel get infiltrated with shoddy products. It is so transparent that is difficult to say that they are hiding it.
I am sure that is more than you wanted.
Foreign owned enterprises often make the investment to have the factories set up. The factories then buy and sell and work according to the directives of the foreign investors. It is a misconception to think that these manufacturers run an independent business and foreign investors are duped by their shady manufacturing procedures. The foreign companies count on these things to keep the prices low. Often the only things that are not directly controlled and approved are the scary things that the foreign operators don't want want to be responsible for knowing. They know, they just don't sign off on it. This way they can make China the bad guy in event the truth comes to light.
Mattel, to be fair, is MUCH better than most. It did keep a close eye on local manufacturing and ran one of the more respectable outsourcings. In fact, Mattel recently issued a public announcement and apology to the Chinese manufacturer and admitted that it issued a recall far more extensive than was necessary. It was a PR move that had the wonderful benefit of protecting children. But they knew it was more than necessary. It is hard to be called a bad guy for being over cautious when it comes to children but Mattel, shall we say, over did it.
Now if we can only get a moral recall of all of the products that built on the back of girls from the countryside who are lured away from their family and live in sweatshops that would make a US prison look like a summer camp. Their first checks are held so that they cannot afford to leave. They are penalized out of their checks for minor infractions, live in filthy dorm quarters, work 60 hour weeks and make about $20 a week . Not a joke. I am here and I see these kids. A 20 year old Chinese kid from the countryside has about the street smarts of a 13 year old American girl. Few consider the fact that for every mg of lead paint that reached the US, a 19-21 year old Chinese child was exposed to gallons of the paint on a daily basis with no hope of receiving health care.
Of course they are not all this way. Some offer the kids nice clean housing and the best hope of getting out of the countryside. Some owners treat the kids like family and in that way they are actually better than US factories. There are few black/whites in this world.
I am not an young American expat/ socialist or populist. I am not a Walmart basher and I am not here to "shed light" on the Chinese government or social injustice. I am just an attorney who came here to learn the language and work construction. I didn't really care or believe this stuff was true. I thought all this crap was propoganda until I met the kids and saw the factories behind brick walls with guards and bars. These little work prisons pepper the inland trucking routes in southern China. That way truckers can pick up the goods in between regulated factories and bring in the products where they are assembled under the guise of supervision and regulation. THIS is where places like Mattel get infiltrated with shoddy products. It is so transparent that is difficult to say that they are hiding it.
I am sure that is more than you wanted.
What was the best invention for kids that made one crazy inventor and investor a millionare?
Q. Remember those animal rubber bands? The guy probably is at home in retirement on his pool,exercising,young, and living the dream life selling those animal rubber bands. I'm doing a project for Economics about the best product made for children because kids are particulary suckers somewhere at age 3-5 years old.
That woman who made a book for kids who are in stress I know its kinda funny but she made millions of dollars probably at home same as that animal rubber band guy. LOL
That woman who made a book for kids who are in stress I know its kinda funny but she made millions of dollars probably at home same as that animal rubber band guy. LOL
Answer
It has to be LEGO. A small Danish toy company with only seven or eight employees bought a plastic injection moulding machine and invented a 'self binding brick'. In less than twenty years, by the 1960s, the company was worth millions. No other invention: doll, clay, game, construction set or gadget, comes close to it.
Kids love it: they buy a few bricks and play for weeks on end. They start at 4 or 5 years old, and are still playing and collecting at 12.
There are compatible bricks, (such as Canadian Mega Bloks) but parents prefer the original brand, so it still sells like hot cakes. LEGO fans always seem to need the latest set.
It has to be LEGO. A small Danish toy company with only seven or eight employees bought a plastic injection moulding machine and invented a 'self binding brick'. In less than twenty years, by the 1960s, the company was worth millions. No other invention: doll, clay, game, construction set or gadget, comes close to it.
Kids love it: they buy a few bricks and play for weeks on end. They start at 4 or 5 years old, and are still playing and collecting at 12.
There are compatible bricks, (such as Canadian Mega Bloks) but parents prefer the original brand, so it still sells like hot cakes. LEGO fans always seem to need the latest set.
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