Lead paint in Mattel toys

Just months after the massive product recall of pet food, another scandal hits the Chinese manufacturing market: lead paint in toys by Mattel. Over the weekend, a Chinese executive hanged himself after allegations of the lead contamination hit. The news report goes on to say that Chinese manufacturers are often under pressure to cut costs, and so they tend to substitute cheaper labors and parts to save. I think this is again a good indication of why the corporate structure the way it is designed is fundamentally hauled and need a serious reexamination before more people are hurt in a serious way.

In this particular incident, I wonder where you can place the blame. If the allegations are true, and I think the suicide seems to point to it being the case, then the manufacturers ought to burden most of the blame. However, I don't think that means the Mattel people, or whoever else manufacturers their products in China, are off the hook.

(Lack of) daycare tragedy

I was disturbed by this tragedy of a mother who had to do a double-shift and had to leave her children in her car and ended up killing her children. Allegedly, her boss threatened that she would be fired if she didn't show up to work, so when her babysitter canceled at the last minute, she decided to leave her children with food, water, and a fan.

It's tragic not only because of what happened, but because so many other countries offer daycare that it's baffling why people still suffer for it in this country. This could so easily have been avoided if daycare was indeed the reason. Not only that, but education (don't leave your children in the car, even with nourishment).

There may be other circumstances that might be revealed as this case unfolds. The mother has been charged with homocide.