Go, Diego Go! - To the Hospital

What the Hell, China?

Posted November 9 2007 07:48 AM by Jp Tech Editor
Filed under: Editorials, Fuuny Jeep Stories, Christian Hazel

Screw China. From now on I'm making a point to buy products not manufactured in that country.

Most parents heard about the first round of Mattel recalls - mostly Barbie, Sesame Street, and Go Diego Go toys made in China that contained unsafe amounts of lead paint. Then there were more recalls, then more, and still a few more. It's a pain to go through the recall process. I know I should have followed through, but instead I just wound up tossing a bunch of my boys' favorite toys into the trash. Now I'm not entirely confident in buying them new toys from Mattel or other manufacturers made behind The Great Wall.

And the latest thing about the Aqua-Dots just pisses me off. Apparently the Chinese manufacturers substituted a harmless chemical they had been contracted to use for one that basically turns the product into something akin to a date rape drug. Toddlers are eating the stuff and going to the hospital.

What the F? Do they really think that's gonna fly? Are we just gonna look the other way to save $0.50 on a toy. I already stopped shopping at Wal-Mart. Now I'm actively searching out companies that manufactur outside of China. It doesn't have to be made in the USA, but that's always preferential. If you wanna stick it to China or just support America there are a lot of web sites dedicated to tracking down products made in the USA. My favorite is www.stillmadeinusa.com. On there you can find everything from toys to tools to appliances. I'm telling my family not to buy my kids any Chinese products for Christmas or birthdays from now on. Screw it. It's time to take back our manufacturing capabilities. I'll gladly pay a couple extra bucks to know my boys won't be eating lead paint or injesting hazardous chemicals.

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Reader Comments:

1. First, I gotta say I totally understand your concern for your kids. But the funny thing is when we were kids, they were still painting entire houses and even wooden cribs that we (or I at least) chewed on with lead-based paint. I don't think you are over-reacting because of course you worry about your kids health. But the amount of lead and other toxins in some of these toys is minutely low compared to what we dealt with. I mean there is only so much anyone can do to to protect them. I suspect a loose lead wheel weight found in the gutter contains more harmful levels of lead than any toy even made, and whose to stop kids from picking them up, playing with them, or even putting them in their mouths. Not to mention the contact of food or finger-to-mouth after lead weight play-time. I think the information era has turned us into hypochondriacs. Everything from new-car smell to mustard is likely cancerous so what are you supposed to do? I mean we can't live in a bubble...

Jp Editor - Posted November 9 2007 08:34 AM

2. My dad told me a funny story. When he retired he spared little expense in building his dream home in the woods. Everything was new, even the tested clean well for water. After moving in, for several years, he would let the water run a few minutes before filling a drinking glass. To make sure the water was good. This is a brand new house with copper pipes and all! Then he thought about his life. He remembered the corroded lead plumbing he drank from as a kid in New York and even the lead pipes in our family's first house. He realized 35 or so of his first years were spent drinking water directly from lead pipes. He's 72 this month.

I know, I don't have kids. However, I suspect if and when I do I'll be concerned just like you are...Dangit!

But I still like the buy-U.S. idea.

Jp Editor - Posted November 9 2007 08:50 AM

3. I think it's a huge crock of B.S., that we're almost forced to buy stuff that's made in China. You gotta look long and hard to find anything that's made here. I make it a point to buy American made products whenever possible. I'd like to think that I am helping to protect a fellow Americans job. I heard somewhere that alot of the products that China sells, the money goes to finance their military machine....Hmmm.

chariotofmanliness - Posted November 9 2007 11:13 AM

4. I couldn't have said it better myself. Months and months there have been nothing but toy recalls. I have a 17 month old son, and he is absolutely not getting any more Chinese made toys. I have thrown out the ones he has.

khristal23 - Posted November 9 2007 03:45 PM

5. wow. i don't even want my dogs to have certain chew bones because i heard they weren't good for dogs.

is this how worried i'll be when i have kids?

probably.

but for good reason.

and i'm glad to hear someone else gave up the wal-mart.
oh well. they don't have jeep parts there anyway.

erichapman - Posted November 9 2007 04:51 PM

6. Another great on-line site for buying American products is www.shopforamerica.com. The site represents hundreds of American companies selling thousands of US-made products. Check it out.

cindy1 - Posted November 10 2007 03:05 PM

7. I think when considering China the western mind needs to understand that China is well suited to conduct strategic business endeavors that are designed to return benefit over the LONG RUN. With thousands of years of history behind them China is making decisions that seem to offer little return in the short term but hold a much greater implication when viewed in the long run.

China has allowed foreign manufacturing expertise to use their slave labor in return for at least 50% of their industrial secret/know-how, as a matter of national policy. That is to say that these companies know up front that they will be required to move at least 50% of the technology to China and hire at least 50% of the Chinese Nationals to work with it. This equates to guaranteeing China's ability to conduct espionage against these trade secrets...

We get a little cheaper product but lose our own capability to produce for our selves while these vary products target our children's cognitive abilities, our future...

AverageAmerican - Posted November 13 2007 06:51 AM

8. Why are they even using lead in 2007? Wasn't it banned years ago?

53flyboy - Posted November 30 2007 09:01 AM

9. Our government is actively promoting sending jobs to China (and other low cost labor countries) through Foreign investment Tax Credits, the Import/Export Bank, etc. Corporate America goes to Congress with money in hand and demands special favors which almost always contribute to the erosion of the middle class in this country. What's a person to do? Avoid Mao Mart and vote against anyone who thinks that what is good for Big Business is good for America.

jeepnuts99 - Posted December 2 2007 10:02 PM

10. mad props Mr. Clean, I mean Mr. Hazel, tech editor extraordinaire!

While you are feeling economically responsible (as a result of looking out for the safety of your kids) you should pick up a copy of "The Wall Mart Effect" and read it. (I know that should be underlined instead of in quotes but I cannot get the font to work right).

China's national (read government owned) oil company went public last month and sold it's stock (for capital raising purposes only, the Chinese government maintains controlling interest) for 1.3 TRILLION dollars. They instantly became the world's first trillion dollar company. Most of this money raised by selling stock came from the USA. What does this mean? Almost a trillion dollars left the united states economy and came under control of the Chinese government overnight. This is almost as much as we give them every year to make Wal-Mart crap for us that just breaks and needs replacement a year later.

jaytee - Posted December 6 2007 03:58 PM

11. The manufactors say that, our children's health is their biggest concern. Bull, their profit is their biggest concern. There is only one way to make this change, don't buy crap toys from China. I think we worry to much about illegal immigrants in this country. Everytime we buy foreign goods we send our money and our jobs overseas. We as a country and individuals need to realize the true cost of our addiction to cheap foreign goods.

dyamitedaggonit - Posted December 30 2007 10:31 AM

12. I too am going to by American only the Chinese will soon owen U.S. and when they cash-in like they have said they would it will destroy our economy, so lets start off and slowly make America great again because we only have each other and that is where our stregth is.

redplanetcv - Posted January 14 2008 05:00 PM

13. I hear a lot about Walmart on this blog, but I can't help but think that some of you are missing the point! Believe me, I understand all the anxst against Walmart, but if you think any other big corporation in America is looking out for American interests...well, you're stupid! Big business in America cares about only one thing; the bottom line, their own. The government is partially to blame, but what about us??? why wouldn't businesses take the jobs overseas? they can no longer afford to pay American workers. I would love to go on and on, but I will spare you all. My two cents...

old.jeep.lover - Posted February 14 2008 11:30 AM

14. WHEN I TAKE MY KIDS TO MC Ds TO EAT (YUCK!!!) THEY GET THE HAPPY MEAL AND EVERY TIME THEY GET THE TOY MY 5 YR OLD BLURTS OUT "MADE IN CHINA! HERE DADDY THROUGH THIS IN THE GARBAGE!" THATS FUNNY CAUSE ALL THE TOYS ARE CRAP AND MADE TO BREAK AFTER 5 MINS...I TRY TO STAY AWAY FROM WALMART AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TOO AND I AGREE THAT THIS COUNTRY NEEDS TO PUT OUR MANUFACTURING LABOR WORK BACK TO THE STATES, AND I TOO WILL GLADLY PAY MORE FOR HOME MADE STUFF, WE NEED TO SUPPORT OUR COUNTRY AND NOT OTHERS...AND PEOPLE WILL SAY THAT THEY ARE SUPPORTING OUR COUNTRY EVEN THOUGH STUFF IS MADE IN CHINA OR OTHER PLACES, STUPID TRADE POLICIES! I KNOW WE ARE CAPABLE TO MAKE ANYTHING WE WANT SO WE NEED TO QUIT SENDING OUR MONEY OVER SEAS AND KEEP IT HERE ALONG WITH OUR MONEY TO SUPPORT OUR FAMILIES, SCHOOLS, AND MEDICAL PERSONAL...OH THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR! BLEH!

keithpapa - Posted May 20 2008 12:01 PM

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