: > I would just like to tell everyone that is putting down the Happy Meal toys,
: > that I have over 700. I really enjoy collecting them, and they bring joy to
: > many children and adults. I applaud McDonalds's for making them.: First of all, get a life. Second of all, it's more than likely that those "Happy Meal" toys were not "made" by McDonald's but were rather mass-produced by Chinese women and children working terribly long hours in sweatshops. Why? Because its cheap, and profit is the name of the game for McShit.
: I hate to burst your little bubble of happy toys and burger joys, but you have to get real. Look, there are so many other neat toys you can collect--antique toys, toys made by creative people who WANTED to make toys as opposed to having been forced to make toys to support their starving families who were reeling from human rights violations. Get it? Buy some jacks and cook up a turkey burger! You can call it your "At Peace Meal", because you'll be at peace knowing that you are not giving your money to McHell.
First I have to say that if you have any evidence of forced labor than let me see it, I am just as concerned as anyone else. But if you think the "sweat shops" are bad you have never been in developing countries or have any comprehension of how an economy evolves.
The US went through it's own period of Sweat shop evolution as part of it's transition to a level where most, and I emphasise most, of the masses have some level of comfort and security to their lives. I have spent many years in third world counties and I can tell you that most of the workers in these situations prefer it over the alternative;;; starvation for themselves or their families. It is easy in this situation to take advantage of the workers but in many cases the prosperity the "company"/country sees from these shops forces them into the international world and forces them to apply a level of worker rights. This is going on today in Korea. Labor unions are now in a position to work out problems with work conditions, benefits, salaries, etc. But it wasn't long ago that they all worked for nothing in conditions you cannot even imagine.
As far as MDs use of sweat shops for a fast buck... this is where you show your short-sightedness in economics. MDs is at a level of high scrutiny and makes enough on everything else they produce to avoid taking on the international liability of known forced labor manufacturing in China. I am not saying that this could not happen. Big business never surprises me, but I get tired of people like yourself making conslusions with little or no data.
In response to your critisism of the collector "Judge not lest ye be judged. I am sure your navel lint collection is one for the books. The fact is you have your interests as does everyone else. Your critisism only shows your lack of self confidence by trying to lower everyone else.
