Jay Honeck wrote:
They are doing exactly what Japan used to do and what we did 30 or 40
years ago. Cut corners to save money.

Um, well, yes. That's how the system is supposed to work. Money flows
toward the lowest cost of production because that's what we (consumers)
demand.

However, if a factory produces shoddy products, no one buys their junk
and they go out of business. It's a system always seeking balance, and
(best of all) it finds this balance automatically, without human oversight.

It only gets really screwed up when gummint ("for the sake of the
children", always) gets involved.

I understand that you are a free market guy and so am I. But there are
certain things that it is just more efficient for we as consumers to
outsource to either the government or some other centralized source.

Am I expected to have a lab at home to check for toxic chemicals on my
kids toys?

The model of Underwriters Laboratories works quite well or at least used
to when anyone paid attention to it.