Counterfeit Product or Industrial Terrorism

Some things just don't seem like they should be questioned, for example, toothpaste? Do you ever wake up and wonder "wow, is this real toothpaste, or is this label a lie?" But now we must, it's no joke, this stuff could be harmful. One story came out of ABC that counterfeit brands of many products contain portions of anti-freeze a poison, which some generic manufacturers use in place of glycerin to cut expense.

What we must do is become vigilant about some things:

1) Check the spellings of the names, counterfeit products are often spelled differently or don't carry the traditional FDA markings on the back of the product.

2) Products sold in everything a dollar or other volume discount shops may be imported and may be substandard, buyers in these outlets should be particularly cautious.

3) Avoid products marked for sale in other countries.

ABC focused on toothpaste but mentioned that other products are being discovered which are not inspected by the U.S. FDA. In one instance ABC noted that Fluoride levels found in toothpaste meant to be sold in Africa would be harmful if used in the U.S. where our water already contains the drug. This and other items mentioned are enough to create a necessary sense of caution about something that usually we aren't cautious about (when was the last time you read a label on something you bought).

In an age where too much information tends to train us to become adverse to news glut, important and health related information such as this, may be overlooked when it is incautious to do so. A little awareness might lead to a lot more health? What to check out and when to check it out are being set for us, be aware all the time, check it out, all the time.

It may be an inherit ill in a world where what the consumer always wants is "more, more, more" ("Rebel Yell"-Billy Idol) and they (we) want to pay, "less, less, less". The "something for nothing" syndrome enters into the marketing paradigm and what comes out the other end is not satisfaction. This isn't what you and I bargained for, not what we wanted, but it may be what we are left with.

Certain standards of product control exist in the United States (theoretically) which are higher and more stringent than standards controls on import items which are for volume redistribution, for example, from China. This is not to slam Chinese or other imports at all, but it is a warning against a mixing of standards in the cultural milieu- the result is much like tea with too much water, or, watered down coffee, they just don't have the flavor, and if they are watered down with anti-freeze they might make you chill, instead of the other way round.

What you might find shocking about this whole series of events is that the outcome is beyond reasonable controls, imports or not, volume purchases or not, what happens as a result of this forces heightened buying stress into your life. This makes it hard for products, hard for purchasers, hard for distributors; this won't be the first time you've heard it, but if you wanted to really "mess over" a capitalist nation, fouling up their goods at market is tantamount to a coup.