Re: 12 Years a Slave
I liked your entire post but snipped this part to discuss the idea American Slavery was the first that was a consistently profitable form of commerce that extended to overseas trade. All of the products slaves produced were big trade items shipped to other countries. Profits overruled morality and human rights.
In my opinion, American slave owners are a few clicks below the apparel manufacturers who had no problem with children working in third-world factories for pennies per 12-hour day, seven days a week, to make running shoes. For them, profits also overruled morality and human rights.
Although there was a crackdown on child labor once these companies were disgraced in the press in the mid 90s, it still goes on. Even in China where many of our goods are made.
Let's take Apple as one example. As recently as this year, Apple found out that child labor is still being used in its supply chain. http://www.theguardian.com/technolog...-labour-supply
Although they apparently did the right thing in this situation, their main factories are still exploiting cheap labor for $1.50 per hour. Here's a link to pictures of Chinese workers in an iPhone factory who live in dormitories on the factory grounds: http://www.businessinsider.com/pictu...ctories-2013-7
Here's a written description of the schedule for these same workers and it seems to me their bosses do "own" them in many ways:
http://www.fastcompany.com/3014988/a...factory-worker
Here's a link to the top 10 worst countries using child labor. Note the text mentions China ranks 20th on this list: " ... Despite its fast-growing economy, China has witnessed a substantial increase in child labor risks over the past year, ranking 20th compared with 53rd a year earlier. The report said that unofficial estimates suggested that 100,000 children are employed in the country's manufacturing sector.... http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/15/world/...or-index-2014/
Link to 15 products that involve child labor: http://viewmixed.com/15-products-tha...ild-labor/1730
I really hope everyone takes the time to read these links. Yes -- US slavery was horrible. And the societal issues it created extended through the centuries. I am in no way minimizing this fact.
However, the practice of profits trumping morality and human rights is still at play today. And you and I and everyone in western society who buys these goods is involved. But we don't think about it when we use our iPhones. The same way those who used the goods made from slave labor didn't think about it, 200+ years ago.
We can rail against inhumanity of pre-civil war slave owners and we can rail against evil corps who exploit cheap labor. But let's keep in mind the end users were and are average people like you and I. And 200+ years ago they did something about it. But, now ...?
Originally posted by mgwriter
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In my opinion, American slave owners are a few clicks below the apparel manufacturers who had no problem with children working in third-world factories for pennies per 12-hour day, seven days a week, to make running shoes. For them, profits also overruled morality and human rights.
Although there was a crackdown on child labor once these companies were disgraced in the press in the mid 90s, it still goes on. Even in China where many of our goods are made.
Let's take Apple as one example. As recently as this year, Apple found out that child labor is still being used in its supply chain. http://www.theguardian.com/technolog...-labour-supply
Although they apparently did the right thing in this situation, their main factories are still exploiting cheap labor for $1.50 per hour. Here's a link to pictures of Chinese workers in an iPhone factory who live in dormitories on the factory grounds: http://www.businessinsider.com/pictu...ctories-2013-7
Here's a written description of the schedule for these same workers and it seems to me their bosses do "own" them in many ways:
http://www.fastcompany.com/3014988/a...factory-worker
Here's a link to the top 10 worst countries using child labor. Note the text mentions China ranks 20th on this list: " ... Despite its fast-growing economy, China has witnessed a substantial increase in child labor risks over the past year, ranking 20th compared with 53rd a year earlier. The report said that unofficial estimates suggested that 100,000 children are employed in the country's manufacturing sector.... http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/15/world/...or-index-2014/
Link to 15 products that involve child labor: http://viewmixed.com/15-products-tha...ild-labor/1730
I really hope everyone takes the time to read these links. Yes -- US slavery was horrible. And the societal issues it created extended through the centuries. I am in no way minimizing this fact.
However, the practice of profits trumping morality and human rights is still at play today. And you and I and everyone in western society who buys these goods is involved. But we don't think about it when we use our iPhones. The same way those who used the goods made from slave labor didn't think about it, 200+ years ago.
We can rail against inhumanity of pre-civil war slave owners and we can rail against evil corps who exploit cheap labor. But let's keep in mind the end users were and are average people like you and I. And 200+ years ago they did something about it. But, now ...?
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