It has been in the news a lot lately, companies putting profit before people. It is a bit scary to think we are viewed as little more than vermin with wallets to some of these companies.
Some of the biggest news about this has been, dairy out of China laced with melamine to pass a test, peanut butter with known salmonella being shipped in the USA, and that just covers food. The list goes on in several other products that we come in contact with everyday. Even buildings are made with substandard materials and workmanship. Changes being made and not informing the engineers.
This all comes down to one word, and that is greed. As the way things are set up now, it is much of an honor system when it comes to self policing. In a way this mirrors corruption in that turning your head makes more money. To top it off whistle blowers tend to suffer consequences of never getting hired again because other companies have things to hide too. A company that is on the up and up would not have a problem hiring a whistle blower as they may actually improve quality.
There are very few companies world wide that market themselves based on quality. Most simply just provide a product or a service. A few car manufactures strive for excellence like Volvo, and much of the technology implemented there makes a Volvo about the safest thing on four wheels.
Ironic as it is, the US is complaining about being understaffed in various inspection areas, and that is due to cutbacks of the past. So while the cat is away, the mice will play seems to apply. Seeing as the government is trying to make jobs, it would seem there are some waiting and needed once these agencies are properly funded. This is actually a bit of a no brainer seeing as the quality and safety problems are such a big concern to put congress to work grilling CEOs who suddenly become best friends with the fifth amendment using it to avoid self incrimination.
With all that sub standard and contaminated product finding its way to the public, one has to think how we arrived here. There is only one answer and that is greed of a few. Dealing with that greed is up to each country. China has already issued a death sentence to several associated with the melamine scandal, and the US looks to pounce but in a politically correct way that should take much of the sting out.
On the other side of the coin, there are some companies that are looking to better their products for consumers. Take the manufactures of toilet seats for example. They have changed the underside of the seat from having 4 feet to having 6 feet to accommodate the increased weight of American’s. 
No doubt Home Depot along with other such stores were seeing a lot of returns of broken toilet seats that were being subject to fat ass people, so it made sense to beef up the product.
Another notable profitmaker: pharmaceutical companies – and perhaps their lobbyists as well.
I just met by chance a man for breakfast that works for one of the biggest commercial ship surveying companies in the world. His company had been contracted to check out the quality of some very large chemical carrier ships being built in China. This extra round of quality control had been deemed necessary after a similar brand new made in China chemical carrier had been taken out of commission in Singapore because it had hundreds of defects which made it dangerously unseaworthy. Chemical carriers are a special class of ship that is built to extremely high standards because of the critical nature of their cargo that could wipe out sea life and human life for hundreds of miles around were anything to go wrong. In the inspection of the ships under construction, 99% of all welds were defective and would not meet the barest minimum for even carrying water, never mind chemicals. As the testing proceeded and the results became known to the upper Chinese echelons, the foreign testing crew was warned by their embassy to get out of the yard fast as their safety could not be assured anymore. I am being deliberately vague on details here because if this news got out the foreigners in question would not be allowed into the country again and obviously they are sorely needed there. Normal modus operandi for China.
When will the Western world learn that China is not a country that you want to trust with anything important. The rest of the world has created high standards that are closely inspected and met in all areas. It took a long time to imbue society with the kind of ethical behaviour that keeps our buildings, planes, ships, food safe. China has not reached this level and because of their cultural bent to not care for anyone or anything beyond their immediate family, they may never attain that level of social responsibility. So when western companies and western governments allow such critical things as chemical carriers to be built in China just to save a few million, they are playing with our lives. They exhibit no more social responsibility than the Chinese themselves. It is high time to bring these industries home. Being politically correct and forever excusing China for their screw ups because they are poor and ignorant and need Western help holds no water. The Chinese engineers had already tested the welds on those chemical carriers and knew they did not meet standards. They just doctored the reports. They would be in jail in any self respecting country. Enough is enough.
Richard,
Please don’t be a sheep for Volvo advertising… stastically they are as safe as other cars with airbags & anti-lock brakes.