So Mattel has its 3rd product recall in about as many weeks.
(see Financial Times article)
So... the real question -- IMHO -- is will consumers commit to paying more for safer (ethically produced) products? Not just toys, but everything. If something seems so cheap at retail; that we in Canada or the US are nowhere close to competing on a production cost basis; is that not a warning sign that it might just be too good to be true? Or, not safe enough to be true?
Is it a fool's paradise to want low(est) prices, without inviting/accepting any risk?
I don't think Mattel should be singled out and flagellated.
It's not because the said toys were manufactured in China. It's not because the workers are Chinese. It could happen in any market where there is tremendous pressure to absolutely minimize (the cost of) all factors of production.
I know, we can't all afford to shop at Williams Sonoma and Whole Foods. That's the other extreme.
But there is surely a middle ground: fair wages for workers; ethical, safe production practices; transparency into compliance; and, of course, slightly higher prices to pay for all of this.
Or, the alternative – the fool's paradise – the status quo – more product recalls – more sick people – more scapegoats.
What do you think?