"Mattel Inc. late yesterday identified the Chinese factory involved in the company's big toy recall last week, ending nearly a week in which critics complained that Mattel's unwillingness to do so highlighted a regulatory failure.

"Mattel said the plant is Lee Der Industrial Co., located in Guangdong province. Mattel, of El Segundo, Calif., last week recalled 1.5 million Chinese-made toys believed to contain lead paint. The toys included items involving popular characters like Elmo and Dora the Explorer" (The Wall Street Journal, Aug. 8, 2007).

Other recalled toys contained small magnets that could be loosened and swallowed by children, possibly leading to intestinal blockage or perforation.

The Chinese government, fearful of the impact on its image, quickly banned exports from the company that manufactured the toys.

It's remarkable that Mattel Inc., a highly regarded toy company, would not have better quality control than to allow popular toys coated with lead paint to be sold to unsuspecting parents. Part of the problem appears to be apathy; another appears to be greed. And greed can overlook or overpower the need to show kindness or to live by the golden rule—to treat others as you would like to be treated. (Source: The Wall Street Journal.)