What the fuck is wrong with our country?

[syntheticgerbil]

So anything targeted towards kids under 12 will be banned coming February 10th thanks to the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. Instead of going after the major corporations that are importing cheap shit from China that are coated with lead paint, Congress makes a blanket law that anyone selling "untested" toys, books, comics, costumes, clothes, and school supplies.

Of course the only ones who can afford to have a third party test are big companies, but what about everyone else?

I doubt anyone is going to heavily enforce this Act but what a shitty and retarded thing to do. I really don't feel like I'm in control at all here.

Here's a link on the same thing from one of my favorite comic artists:

http://evandorkin.livejournal.com/

Also the libraries don't know what to do either:

http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=1322

Gawd bless 'merica, y'all!

[Chris]

This seems like the type of thing towards which people will--either deliberately or inadvertently--act civilly disobedient on an extremely broad scale, and it will end up becoming irrelevant or appropriately modified.

[syntheticgerbil]

I hope for both of your predicted outcomes, sir.

I just get the feeling some laws aren't read before they are passed.

[MrHoatzin]

I hope for both of your predicted outcomes, sir.

I just get the feeling some laws aren't read before they are passed.

I think a surprising number of them simply aren't. The Patriot Act comes to mind as a scary example. It was a hideously long document that was rushed through Capitol Hill far faster than it could've possibly been read, let alone thought about, debated, etc.

I hope that Obama's sangfroid and calm deliberativeness influences the way things are done in DC for the better.

[nonamermcgee]

So anything targeted towards kids under 12 will be banned coming February 10th thanks to the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. Instead of going after the major corporations that are importing cheap shit from China that are coated with lead paint, Congress makes a blanket law that anyone selling "untested" toys, books, comics, costumes, clothes, and school supplies.

Of course the only ones who can afford to have a third party test are big companies, but what about everyone else?

I doubt anyone is going to heavily enforce this Act but what a shitty and retarded thing to do. I really don't feel like I'm in control at all here.

Here's a link on the same thing from one of my favorite comic artists:

http://evandorkin.livejournal.com/

Also the libraries don't know what to do either:

http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=1322

Gawd bless 'merica, y'all!

Time to invest in testing companies. These laws strike me as just simple ways to make money.

Case example: The ammunition ID laser etching law that has been floating around unsuccessfully for years. Law proposes that all ammunition manufactured will be required to have a unique identifier number etched into the bullet and casing. That number is recorded at point of sale so they can track bullets and casings back to the purchaser.

Outside of whether or not that is a good idea or bad idea, the funny part is the law was introduced by members of congress with vested interest in the sole company who has a patent on the technology to laser etch bullets. Said company has been spending millions to lobby the bill (unsuccesfully).

Silly laws like this always seem to have a hidden agenda, but I'm dubious of everything. Even kittens.

[nonamermcgee]

I think a surprising number of them simply aren't. The Patriot Act comes to mind as a scary example. It was a hideously long document that was rushed through Capitol Hill far faster than it could've possibly been read, let alone thought about, debated, etc.

I hope that Obama's sangfroid and calm deliberativeness influences the way things are done in DC for the better.

The Patriot Act is pretty scary in length. The name is killing me though, no one wants to touch it 'lest they be called "unpatriotic". It really needs to be revised dramatically, here's hoping.

[Banks]

I just get the feeling some laws aren't read before they are passed.

some laws? try all laws

[David]

The Patriot Act is pretty scary in length. The name is killing me though, no one wants to touch it 'lest they be called "unpatriotic". It really needs to be revised dramatically, here's hoping.

Don't worry, it's just an acronym! An acronym for a horrible thing!

USA PATRIOT Act = Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001

Someone who was paid much better than I am now thought that was clever!

[James]

There's something vaguely pathetic about backronyms.

[syntheticgerbil]

some laws? try all laws

But someone's gotta read something sometime right?

Right?!

USA PATRIOT Act = Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001

Someone who was paid much better than I am now thought that was clever!

I actually didn't know it was an acronym full of bullshit verbiage until about a year ago when someone on the local radio was going over it.

And in more news about the CPSIA, Snopes is arguing back and forth with other people, but amends are being proposed.

More large text blocks here:

http://overlawyered.com/2009/01/cpsia-continued/

Also you can tell this guy to go back and fix the damn thing... wonder if he cares?

Honorable Henry A. Waxman

Chairman

Committee on Energy and Commerce

2125 Rayburn House Office Building

Washington D.C. 20515

http://www.henrywaxman.house.gov/contact.htm

Either way, I don't see why this has to be passed even with amends. Just tell companies to stop importing cheap dangerous shit from poverty stricken countries that they outsource to for the cheap labor. I seriously doubt any problem products are coming from businesses founded and doing production in the US.

[syntheticgerbil]

I'm not going to jail if I just sent a letter full of curse words to a member of the House of Representatives am I?

[brkl]

There's something vaguely pathetic about backronyms.

You really nailed exactly how I felt about that, but couldn't really put into words. I never knew it was an acronym, and it's pretty sad the world's then most powerful people resorted to it. Like they're the bad guys from a 60s spy thriller.

[James]

It took me a moment to work out exactly what my problem with it was. At first I thought perhaps it suggested some sort of worrying insanity, but then I realized it was more a kind of sad attempt at sounding impressive. I guess how I feel about it depends on context. Scientists and programmers seem to be forever coming up with "amusing" acronyms, which I guess I can tolerate, but when it's the people in charge of the world, perhaps working out a way to phrase something such that it spells another word -- particularly one as long as 'patriot' -- cheapens the whole affair quite significantly. It's like delivering the news of the economic crisis in the form of a haiku. It doesn't seem appropriate. So I guess there is something vaguely worrying about it, after all -- it's ultimately a frivolous and humorous device (regardless of how funny this implementation actually is) being applied to a matter completely devoid of frivolity or humour. But it's also sad. Like a dad trying to impress his son's friends with crap jokes and dated cultural references.

Perhaps you're right, and they have ideas of 1960s spy glamour. This is international espionage! We're sending James Bond to take out Osama Bin Laden! He'll do the job and have time left over to bed a bevy of women on the way! It'll be so cool!

[SignorSuperdouche]

They're like THRUSH. Both the villains from The Man From UNCLE and the STI.

[nonamermcgee]

You really nailed exactly how I felt about that, but couldn't really put into words. I never knew it was an acronym, and it's pretty sad the world's then most powerful people resorted to it. Like they're the bad guys from a 60s spy thriller.

Agreed!

[syntheticgerbil]

Aaaaaaaaand, sort of a win for a year, at least.

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09115.html

Guess everyone will figure it out by 2010.

[ThunderPeel2001]

You know this actually seems like a sensible thing to pass, if you ask me. We've had it in Europe for decades and there's still plenty of cheap plastic shite around.

Edited February 2, 2009 by ThunderPeel2001

[SignorSuperdouche]

So what you're saying, Thunderpeel, is that it's ineffective but at least the cost of business was raised enough to put the smaller firms under? Sounds awesome

[syntheticgerbil]

Well, I'm not sure you read how problematic it is/was through the links, Thunderpeel, but it's not that lead paint and harmful chemicals in plastic or children's toys is disagreeable, it's that Congress is putting out a blanket act which requires almost all products under the sun for kids 12 and younger to be submitted to a third party for testing under general guidelines.

It especially presents a dilemma for the libraries who all have for decades checked out books to kids under 12, but suddenly must get every book targeted to that age demographic tested in order to check them out. Libraries are funded by state and city governments, so there's no way anyone is already going to give them the money on the country's tight budget to get all their books tested that are all already obviously fine. It's cheaper for them to just throw them all away or ban kids under 12 from checking out books.

And besides there's already laws against harmful chemicals and lead paint in toys, but for small businesses and DYI type sellers, they can't afford to submit everything they make to some other business setup just to tell you your product is okay to sell. Of course Mattel can afford it and companies like them are the biggest perpetrators on selling cheap harmful shit to kids, but as someone else in this thread already said, it smells like someone is just trying to make a useless middle man business to profit off of.

Everyone making and producing toys, books, clothes, and costumes in the US is very aware of what they can and can't use to make them. It's just an act something that appears to be rushed to appease the parents that think their kids are going to die when they open their gifts on Christmas because of the fear-mongering bullshit every news network here is up to. And everytime there is a product recall, I'm sure it nearly always is a Chinese import, if not every single time. I worked at a Walgreen's two years ago and this kind of thing would happen all the time with cheap ass shit that kids probably don't need anyways.

[Scrobbs]

...with cheap ass shit that kids probably don't need anyways.

That's the important bit.

[ThunderPeel2001]

So what you're saying, Thunderpeel, is that it's ineffective but at least the cost of business was raised enough to put the smaller firms under? Sounds awesome

Quite the opposite.

[SignorSuperdouche]

I was tired and being a dick. Pay me no heed.