Yeah, let's heap a lot of abuse on the problem. This a case of industrial/agricultural abuse with a few people at the top taking advantage of a corrupt system. The huge bulk of the victims are likewise Chinese so it's not a globalization issue, however it is an important indicator of how future issues could go global in no time.

Kind of reminds me of a certain defective economic product produced in America and sold globablly and having precipitated a world class eoncomic crisis, has initiated a lot of well deserved distrust of American institutions.

Getting back to China. What the melamine affair has brought forth is the corruption of a single party controlled government. The Chinese Communist party controls the court system which discourages class-action lawsuits.

The common people of China, already having endured the loss of hundreds if not thousands of children under collapsed schools in the recent earthquakes, have a ways to go. I think it is a matter of time before a middle class arises capable of pushing for democratic political and social reforms. This won't keep bad stuff from happening lord knows, but it will help balance the power equation that makes all people targets of their governmnt in totalitarian regimes such as the People's 'Republic' of China.