Mattel’s Real Toy Story: Slave Labour in Sweatshops

This is London ^ | August 16, 2007 | This is London

[cripplecreek]

A real parent will pay the price for safe toys.

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

Lots of Libs buying these toys!

Merry Christmas, Christians! It is time for Christians to redefine “christmas”...the couple in the article tells it all” but what do we tell the kids?”

How about the real story of christmas and a scaled down toy scene.

[vetsvette]

“But increasingly, there is evidence of inadequate safety standards, poor quality control and slave labour.”

There is no doubt that all of this is true — but, it’s also true that most Chinese workers would rather have those jobs than the alternatives that are available to them.

It would be nice if China conformed to American standards, but if they did, America would be producing all of the things we currently have China produce for us.

[sweetiepiezer]

Purchase products that are 100% MADE IN THE USA!

Continue to take a stand and be a voice for our pets and our loved ones! Do everything you can to boycott goods made by China and this includes ingredients made in China, Chinese plant processing and Chinese exporting!

Our animals couldn’t speak for themselves.
Were they the canaries of the food chain?

We have to protect our families now.
BOYCOTT CHINA!!!!!!

Thanks for the ping JACK.

[Ramius]

There is no doubt that all of this is true

I'm sure some of it is true, and that's appalling enough. But much of it too is just union hype. The unions that chased those jobs overseas in the first place.

[Jaysun]

It would be nice if China conformed to American standards, but if they did, America would be producing all of the things we currently have China produce for us.

That's right. When someone tells me about child labor in some third world country I say that those kids were probably starving. And they probably were.

[cripplecreek]

So sending us poison food, toys, baby bibs and who knows what else is OK?

[Dysart]

I went out this evening to buy a spray nozzle for my garden hose at Big Lots, just because it’s pretty close to me. Got home, watering my new sod with the new attachment and twenty minutes into my project the damn thing nearly explodes in my hand as it begins to rip apart.

I checked the packaging which was nearby, and imagine my surprise when I saw that it read, “Made In China.” Worst $8 I’ve ever spent.

[Musketeer]

Simple solution..... Just tell your kids Santa relocated his home and workshop to China where he is commonly known as "Mr. Ho".

[Tirian]

Hear, hear! I’d like to see this story spread widely in order to help the people who are being effectively enslaved and to help the West learn the price of cheap imports...

[Kay Ludlow]

The crux of the problem is this: by demanding that their suppliers produce goods at ever cheaper prices and demanding deadlines, the toy industry is almost forcing them to act illegally, despite the codes of practice it struggles to impose on them. For consumers, this presents a dilemma which was neatly summed up for me by a couple pushing a loaded trolley down the toy aisles of a large superstore last Christmas. "They're probably made under awful conditions but what do you do?" they asked. "Accept it, or leave the kids with nothing."

The answer is not a boycott of Chinese toys.

The toy industry is ALMOST forcing them? Supply and demand is a two-way street. They have been flooding the market with cheap, subsidized goods, and that generates higher demand.

Most of us have children/grandchildren/nieces/nephews etc who plainly have more toys than they even want. The low, low cost generates a buying frenzy from those who can afford to pay as gifts to those who can't afford it. If the endless supply of low-cost goods wasn't there, the temptation to buy 10 cheap gifts instead of just one gift wouldn't be there. That's the other side of "companies demand so much and we just have to cut corners or lose the contract".

The price mechanism has been distorted by the chinese government (who own part of ALL chinese businesses, and refund any excise taxes the company has to pay in the destinating country), and the impacts slosh back and forth between the buyers and the sellers at all levels until equilibrium is reached.

[Westlander]

‘Purchase products that are 100% MADE IN THE USA!’

Bingo! If only everyone at FR spent 10 minutes on a search engine finding USA products. Those products ARE out there.

[Eagles6]

Communism is slavery. Folks here are still outraged about Black slavery here in the US but are unconcerned or ignorant of the slavery of Whites or Native Americans back then.

Now they are unconcerned about slavery of Chinese or Vietnamese as long as the have access to cheap crap.

The only reason that communism is still a threat is because of the hard currency we give them. If it weren't for that they would have imploded like the USSR.

[manic4organic]

Hey, if you can get a cheap Elmo what’s the problem? /s

[cripplecreek]

The only reason that communism is still a threat is because of the hard currency we give them. If it weren't for that they would have imploded like the USSR.

As it is, Russia is watching the way we're treating China and are becoming ever more belligerent.

[shield]

Looks like ‘reaping and sowing is at play here.’ Shame on you Mattel...

[Eagles6]

They’ve also signed military partnership agreements with the chicoms and are selling them advanced weapon systems including nukes. They not only want to, they have to. China could arm an horde with rocks and sticks and march on russia and put a hurtin’ on the bear.

[cripplecreek]

I’ve read right here at FR about Chinese weapons finding their way into Iraq by way of Iran.

[Musketeer]

The multitude under the stress to pay rent and utilities will only be look for what toys are affordable and still try to put food on the table for their children.