# Chinese lead conspiracy? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 16, 2007, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-lead-conspiracy/415764 "2007-08-16T01:19:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2007, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-lead-conspiracy/415764/21 "2007-08-18T07:22:55Z")
The [price of failing](http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7008187838) in the conspiracy is high. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2007, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-lead-conspiracy/415764/22 "2007-08-18T09:34:38Z")
[QUOTE=Will Repair] The [price of failing](http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7008187838) in the conspiracy is high. [/QUOTE] Ah, Vader would be proud. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2007, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-lead-conspiracy/415764/23 "2007-08-18T12:05:09Z")
It seems that China is starting to add the word conspiracy to statements with “They want to sabotage our Olympics”. China has also been saying “We’ll have that fixed before the Olympics.” I hope they don’t decide to shoot or hang the people who are causing them concern. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2007, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-lead-conspiracy/415764/24 "2007-08-18T16:17:41Z")
Ooo, anti-Olympic activists! Now that’s a conspiracy I hadn’t even considered! So, so far, we have possible links to conspiracies against: China Children Outsourcing Toy mongers in general, and Mattel in particular. The Olympics Big Bird (everything else was collateral damage) Fraternal infighting in the Chinese power structure. Or, it could be a rise of NeoMaoists! (Give capitalism a bad name, and cry out for a return to the purity of the original revolution!) Keep it up! ## Tris “There is nothing so absurd but some philosopher has said it.” ~ Marcus Tullius Cicero ~ ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2007, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-lead-conspiracy/415764/25 "2007-08-18T21:23:37Z")
[http://japundit.com/archives/2007/08/10/6689/](http://japundit.com/archives/2007/08/10/6689/) About China trying to remove food vendors from public toilets before the Olympics. ---
**Author:** ![Klaatu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Klaatu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Klaatu)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2007, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-lead-conspiracy/415764/26 "2007-08-19T05:25:58Z")
[QUOTE=China Guy] Here’s the deal. A big chunk of the toys/parts/items sourced from China are done so by small middlemen that are really small business owners. I know many people doing this business. Usually deal with one off orders, small batch orders, promotional toys like for McDonalds, etc. It costs about USD10,000 to have an independant lab test a batch. One batch is maybe worth a maximum of USD50,000 profit to the middleman. The middleman generally only does the testing if required because he is closing a few deals a year and the testing is a big chunk of money. Until the buyers require testing, it’s not going to be self policing. Now, in China, if you’re the little end producer out in the countryside somewhere, you buy cheap materials. These materials may or may not be labeled correctly. Or the producers are unknowingly using pirated materials, and these can contain banned products. So, there is there is no great conspiracy or even malice. (I’ll grant the toothpaste anti freeze is an exception, but no one is out there thinking they will deliberately put lead into American children) The Chinese government certainly doesn’t want to see any of this happen because it hurts the “Chinese brand image” and reduces export demand. Exports drive standards of living up, and rising living standards keeps support for the government. So, this is a freaking nightmare for the Chinese government. It’s mindboggling how difficult it is to put in the regulatory agencies, testing, verification, etc into place, and everyone would agree China has a long ways to go. [/QUOTE] I don’t know how accurate[this](http://www.guardian.co.uk/china/story/0,,2151322,00.html) story is, but if true, it is a very sad commentary on the toy industry and the plight of Chinese workers. I would be interested to hear your thoughts on this article. ---
**Author:** ![LonesomePolecat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a88e57/32.png) [@LonesomePolecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonesomePolecat)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-lead-conspiracy/415764/27 "2007-08-23T17:03:35Z")
[QUOTE=Klaatu] I would be interested to hear your thoughts on this article. [/QUOTE] Isn’t globalization wonderful? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-lead-conspiracy/415764.md?page=1)