The Human cost of Apple's success

[TarJak]

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/tec...126-1qjyy.html

So what will either China or the US do about this? Sod all I'll bet.

[CCIP]

And let's not solely point the finger at Apple, China and the US here - this is the cost of the globalized economy and the consumer lifestyle that many of us enjoy. Apple is just a good example of how to be successful in creating demand for a moderately expensive luxury (the use value of which is actually low) while manufacturing it at a very low price and with little accountability to the public (who are themselves happy to buy into the product). They win because at the end of the year, everybody still wants one of their trinkets under the Christmas tree. What are we gonna do about that?

Vote with your dollars and don't buy into marketing and peer pressure, that's what I say. But remember that Apple's just a tip of the iceberg here.

[Tchocky]

More like what will *we* do about it. If we want cheap electronics, then this will continue.

Tip of the iceberg really, when you think about the minerals from DRC that make our mobile phones etc, and Apple are hardly the only company that employs companies like Foxconn.

That said, this kind of story really shuts up the Apple missionaries nice and quickly.

[CCIP]

...I like how me and Tchocky were thinking the exact same thing at the same time (what with 'we' and 'tip of the iceberg', even)

[krashkart]

The early years of the industrial revolution were much like this, right?

Before fire codes and all that...

[Tchocky]

Originally Posted by CCIP

...I like how me and Tchocky were thinking the exact same thing at the same time (what with 'we' and 'tip of the iceberg', even)

Great Scott!

[longam]

Originally Posted by krashkart

The early years of the industrial revolution were much like this, right?

Before fire codes and all that...

My thoughts also, seems to be a rerun of our past. next will come unions.

[CCIP]

It's not really a rerun, it's just a continuation of the same processes. Unions, workplace safety, guaranteed standard of living are all good, but who is going to pay for it? Who's gonna provide the affordable commodities that a healthy middle class thrives on?

China's already beginning to court Africa, as though almost for the same purpose. And so the cycle of exploitation continues.

It's very difficult to see a sustainable and fair world where everyone owns an iPod and companies like Apple continue to make billions on marginally-useful things that everyone wants to get their hands on, at the expense of cheap labour and others' suffering. But that's nothing new, just a continuation of what's been going on pretty much forever. People have always believed that something - be it power, religion or level of civilized development - entitled them to take advantage of the rest of the world. In a globalized economy, the only difference is scale.

[nikimcbee]

Sweet, a tech discussion.

They just had a great discussion regarding the subject on the radio, why tech jobs are (atleast regarding apple) going to China. Basically it's because of the regulations and lack of skilled US workers (according to the apple dude in conversation). He said it was just too much work to to meet apple's business needs here in the US. One of his examples was the army of engineers it takes to develope the product. He said it would take around 9 months fill the engineering postions if done in the US, in China, they filled the needs in 15 days!

It's not really a rerun, it's just a continuation of the same processes. Unions, workplace safety, guaranteed standard of living are all good, but who is going to pay for it? Who's gonna provide the affordable commodities that a healthy middle class thrives on?

It's not a union thing either. I can't vouche for China, but Korea is unionized and they get worked like dogs and they have minimum safety standards. And even Korea is shifting to China because it is easier (cheaper) to do business. The tech industry is mainly (afaik) not unionized, so if they did unionize, I guaranty the tech industry would never come back to the US. They would simply price themselves out of a job.

[nikimcbee]

regarding unions, I think the Western definition of a union and the Asian definition of a union are 2 different things.

[AVGWarhawk]

Workplace conditions and safety are who's responsibility?

[nikimcbee]

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

Workplace conditions and safety are who's responsibility?

My safety training says mine.

[Schroeder]

Originally Posted by krashkart

The early years of the industrial revolution were much like this, right?

Before fire codes and all that...

There's a little difference. Back then the transportation of goods was expensive. Therefore unions could form and force the employers to raise the safety standards, wages etc. because he wanted to produce in his country (mostly at least). If you rise up today your boss will just move to the next low cost country and ship his stuff from there.

[Ducimus]

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

Workplace conditions and safety are who's responsibility?

In this case, China's. This article i think isn't just about apple. Its probably the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

Do people ever pause to wonder why EVERYTHING IS MADE IN CHINA? Cheap labor with a strong work ethic, and little to no labor laws that protect the employees.

In other words China is how big corporations love the labor. Work hard, work for peanuts on the dollar, and no annoying laws to deal with. Until China fixes that for themselves, the outlook for their people will never improve. Of course, China is, also, at its core, a communist country, so its highly unlikely the people will change their lives for the better like other industralized nations did long ago. If anyone remembers, while they don't serve much function now, Labor unions were originally formed because of deplorable conditions.

[AVGWarhawk]

Exactly Ducimus. But like anything else the media pins a companies ills on the entity that happens to contract work with said company. Just another sweat shop article. I'm guessing the author of this article is using a Mac to write it. Epitome of stupidity. Sure, its the tip of the iceberg. Apple just happens to be the Titanic in this article.