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Judging The Apple 'Sweatshop' Charge
jurgen writes "MacWorld summarizes an article published in the U.K., stating that Apple's iPods are made in China by women who work 15 hours/day, make $50/month, and have to pay half of that right back to the company for housing and food. The article also claims the workers live in dormitories where they are housed 100 per room, and are not allowed visitors." A Wired article looks at the same story, exploring the reliability of the Mail on Sunday's claims. From that article: "The situation is too murky for a rush to judgment on Apple's ethics here, and it may well meet minimum global standards. But for a company that has staked its image on progressive politics, Apple has set itself up as a potential lightning rod on global labor standards. Sweatshops came back to bite Nike after its customers rose up in arms; and Apple can expect a similar grilling from its upscale Volvo-driving fans in the months ahead."
You're already at +5 otherwise I could mod you up, if I could just get a +1 Amen.
I live in Eastern Europe, and the average salary around here is about 200euro/month. The last time I've checked, a cheap car costs 5000-10.000 euro, and a normal house in the suburbs around 100.000 euro.
Just give that old stupid idea "they make less, but the price of living is much lower" a rest, will you.
The only thing that is cheap in 3rd world country is the value of labor. If we could produce cars, food and clothes so cheaply, what would prevent us from flooding your markets with them? You already know the answer to that one, we make cheap low quality stuff. Expanding that house might have cost $1000, but would any westerner live in it?
Then suggest it to your employer. A quick method to almost double your salary, right?
As far as I see it, Steve Jobs is an up-standin' Amer-kin. Jis doin' his pert to keep them red commie bastards demoralized...and such...God Blerss Amer-ka (F@$K YEAH!) ;)
P.S. I'm being humourous....don't flame me!
And the real question is, which one of you hypocrites is ready to pay double for your consumer electronics?
I say yes to child and sweatshop labor 'cause i'm a realist, and don't give a damn about people who are making my dvd-players.
The awful truth is that you also don't care.
Everybody's interested until you tell them they're gonna have to pay double for that MP3-player they're going to buy.
Or even more by several multipliers.
After that, child labor ain't so bad. EXCPET if those big moneymaking corporations use it.
And who do you think buys their products, happy to see that the prices have dropped so much.
People who have a clean conscience are happy. People who don't have a conscience are the happiest motherfuckers alive.
My bad.
Of course, in mainland China, $50 a month (which, as it turns out after RTFA, is the wage after food and lodging, not before) is an even greater amount of money, relative to the cost of living.
Information wants to be anthropomorphized.
The only people to blame are consumers. Demand something else and you'll get it.
No, I blame voters and the big dumb companies that control their media.
The US used to not trade with non free countries. That's not true anymore and we are all poorer for it, despite having piles of cheap slave labor stuff around.
There is little hypocrisy and no sin in buying those cheap goods though. By allowing companies their share of the exploitation, the government has set up a system where those who do wrong will win in all but a few markets. On an individual level, you too will fail to compete if you hobble yourself.
The easy way to break out is to change everyone's import and export laws to reflect public indignation. The indignation is coming but it has to be global.
The hard way to break out is to help China liberate itself. Money and living standards alone won't do it.
Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.