"Peculiarly self-obsessed... inaccurate and disrespectful"
- See Leslie T. Chang's TED Talk.
Windyasari Septriani of Indonesia can learn Bob Dylan's song Hurricane, and can share it with us, because she is part of the 3B3K... 3 Billion People who live in countries earning, plus or minus, $3K per year. You know, the fastest growing segment of internet users.
If people living in Seattle Washington earned $3,000 per year, and had internet available, I'm pretty damn sure they'd be repairing and reusing CRT monitors rather than shred them into toxic piles and call themselves "Stewards".
Hurricane Benson has company.
According to Leslie T. Chang, Windyasari would probably use that job to do exactly what she is doing - afford a guitar, get online, and cover Bob Dylan tunes. (See Chang's TED Talk Below).
Leslie T. Chang has worked in a reporter in Donggong City in Guangdong Province, and in Cairo, Egypt. Those are places I visited ten years ago, visiting the factories which purchased 17" CRT monitors from California and made them into affordable displays (a popular refurbished model worked as both a television AND computer monitor).
Asian techs took monitors from Seattle, and turned them into affordable new displays to get around Hosni Mubarak's ban on used computers and monitors, which were being used to play music critical of his thirty year dictatorship.
What about the factories in Asia which bought and re-manufactured those display devices for Egyptian protesters and Indonesian guitarists?
WR3A visited them in Guangdong, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Adam Minter wrote about one of the factories in Junkyard Planet.
Journalist Leslie T. Chang's parents are Chinese immigrants who sent her in NY City, Leslie went to her parents homeland in 2006-7, the same years I was becoming very concerned about the green anti-globalist "primitive" accusations, and met Chinese workers at tech manufacturing plants like Foxconn and Proview - which were buying back the CRTs from California. As a reporter in Cairo, she has seen 3B3K.
Leslie Chang wrote a book, "Factory Girls", which describes the Chinese factory workers in non-exotic, non-primitive, ordinary terms. Mike Daisy beat her out in the USA broadcasts, but she was right and he was a liar. Adam Minter began to focus on the "off key" descriptions of Chinese workers that year.
About Leslie T. Chang's TEDTalk
Journalist Leslie T. Chang's book Factory Girls: From Village to City in a Changing China traces the lives of Chunming and Min, two young women working in Dongguan, a factory city in South China. Leaving their home villages far behind in pursuit of work, Chunming and Min are part of an estimated 10 million young migrants who work in China's booming factories. These migrants live in a "perpetual present," forging individual and nontraditional lives amid the breakneck pace of manufacturing. Chang lived in China for a decade as a correspondent for The Wall Street Journal. She is now based in Cairo, Egypt.
Windyasari, Leslie Chang, Joe Benson, Adam Minter, Frederic Fahiri Somda, Emmanuel Eric Nyaletey, Ow Fung Su Young, and a few others should get together. We must figure out how to stop our fellow environmentalists from taking orders from E-Stewards' Jim Puckett, in a friendly-fire bloodbath of screechingly bigoted boycott of the poor.
Adam Minter, Leslie T. Chang, Jim Puckett and myself were all tooling around the same neighborhoods about a decade ago. One of us drew hyperbolic, white guilt waving, anti-globalist conclusions, and raised millions with pictures of workers children. And he's responsible for #HurricaneJoeBenson being in prison, having personally vouched for Africans guilt to Emile of INTERPOL and Lord Chris Smith of UK's Environmental Agency.
Jail. A television repairman is in jail, in England, for trading in fixing TVs, based on fudged up, hoax statistics peddled by the Basel Action Network.
Who are you going to side with? The loud and cocky? Or those of us who see the world is flat, in Tom Friedman's terms?
Toli Morilla puts it best (Huracan).
And here, below, is a smug response to my blog, copied and pasted on the anti-globalists behalf. They phone it in these days, having boiled the arguments down to a nuance-free checklist.
Toli Morilla puts it best (Huracan).
And here, below, is a smug response to my blog, copied and pasted on the anti-globalists behalf. They phone it in these days, having boiled the arguments down to a nuance-free checklist.
You have chosen to rationalize the exploitation of Chinese workers, probably using a product you or your employer couldn't afford to purchase if manufactured by someone that shared your pleasant lifestyle. Your rationalization is characterized by one or more of the following possible memes;
[_] Making iPhones in a Chinese factory is better than being a Chinese peasant
[_] iPhones/Pads would cost too much if I had to pay my fellow citizens to make them
[_] iPhones/Pads would cost too much given environmental regulations I vehemently insist on for myself
[X] All the other manufacturers are doing it too
[_] Some/Many/Most Chinese workers appreciate 70 hour weeks and breathing my aluminum dust
[X] It's not Apple, it's Foxconn
[_] It's not Apple, it's the Chinese government
[_] They should quit if they don't like it
[_] It's just capitalism at work
[_] It's just communism at work
[_] Apple's disposable workers are paid better than non-Apple disposable workers
[_] Apple's auditors didn't find any serious issues
[_] Some day the Chinese will be too wealthy to exploit
[_] Your Android is Foxconn too
[_] You're an Apple hater using Apple as a scapegoat
[_] I also work 60/80/100/120 hour weeks at my IT job
[_] Apple designers are in the US
[_] The US did the same thing to the British
[_] The US had slaves once too
[_] The US has prison labor today
[_] It's up to the Chinese to stand up to their oppressive government
[_] There are lines of willing workers outside Foxconn factories
[_] If any company were to stop the exploitation, I really think it'll be Apple
[_] Your free Linux runs on Chinese hardware too
[_] Foxconn workers think they have it great, so it's ok!
[_] Foxconn worker suicide rate is lower than Chicago's murder rate
[_] Foxconn worker suicide rate is lower than China's suicide rate
[_] We can't pollute the whole world!
[_] Half of all US households have an Apple product
[_] If we don't exploit them they'll never develop
[_] The suicide's families get the insurance money
[_] You're posting from a macbook/iphone/ipad right now
[_] There are suicide nets on American bridges
[_] Interns in the US don't get paid
[_] They don't beat the workers, apparently.
[_] Why is this news? We expect this from China.
[_] It's their country; we have no right to judge.
[_] iPhones/Pads would cost too much if I had to pay my fellow citizens to make them
[_] iPhones/Pads would cost too much given environmental regulations I vehemently insist on for myself
[X] All the other manufacturers are doing it too
[_] Some/Many/Most Chinese workers appreciate 70 hour weeks and breathing my aluminum dust
[X] It's not Apple, it's Foxconn
[_] It's not Apple, it's the Chinese government
[_] They should quit if they don't like it
[_] It's just capitalism at work
[_] It's just communism at work
[_] Apple's disposable workers are paid better than non-Apple disposable workers
[_] Apple's auditors didn't find any serious issues
[_] Some day the Chinese will be too wealthy to exploit
[_] Your Android is Foxconn too
[_] You're an Apple hater using Apple as a scapegoat
[_] I also work 60/80/100/120 hour weeks at my IT job
[_] Apple designers are in the US
[_] The US did the same thing to the British
[_] The US had slaves once too
[_] The US has prison labor today
[_] It's up to the Chinese to stand up to their oppressive government
[_] There are lines of willing workers outside Foxconn factories
[_] If any company were to stop the exploitation, I really think it'll be Apple
[_] Your free Linux runs on Chinese hardware too
[_] Foxconn workers think they have it great, so it's ok!
[_] Foxconn worker suicide rate is lower than Chicago's murder rate
[_] Foxconn worker suicide rate is lower than China's suicide rate
[_] We can't pollute the whole world!
[_] Half of all US households have an Apple product
[_] If we don't exploit them they'll never develop
[_] The suicide's families get the insurance money
[_] You're posting from a macbook/iphone/ipad right now
[_] There are suicide nets on American bridges
[_] Interns in the US don't get paid
[_] They don't beat the workers, apparently.
[_] Why is this news? We expect this from China.
[_] It's their country; we have no right to judge.
--
"You have chosen to rationalize non-tariff trade barriers to free employment of Chinese workers, probably to protect markets for a product you or your employer couldn't manufacture affordably enough for world (e.g. Chinese) consumers to buy and share your pleasant lifestyle. Your rationalization is characterized by one or more of the following possible memes;
[_] Calling engineers and employees of Chinese ODM factory "Chinese peasants"
[_] iPhones/Pads would cost too much for Chinese, Indian, and other emerging consumers if I had to pay my fellow wealthy citizens to make them
[_] iPhones employment/affluence overseas will not evolve the environmental regulations the industrial revolution caused me to vehemently insist for myself
[X] All the other progressive claiming manufacturers are using racial #whitesaviorcomplex memes too
[_] Some/Many/Most Chinese workers appreciate shrinking 40 hour weeks, quintupling of pay, and breathing their own consumption's aluminum dust
[X] It's not Foxconn, it's Apple
[_] It's not the Chinese government, it's Apple
[_] They (ODMs like Foxconn) should use their engineering degrees to continuously redesign products they patented if they don't like it
[_] OMG It's capitalism at work!
[_] OMG It's communism at work!
[_] My crass generalizations about "disposable workers" are paid applied to Apple disposable workers than my nation's agriculture and food (apple) harvesting
[_] Apple's auditors didn't prove a negative, that Mike Daisy's fictitious serious issues might not apply anyplace they didn't audit
[_] Five years ago, thanks to Taiwanese engineering firms like Foxconn, the Chinese who worked in Shenzhen were too wealthy to exploit
[_] My Android is Foxconn too
[_] I'm an Apple hater using Apple as a scapegoat
[_] I also work 60/80/100/120 hour weeks at my IT job
[_] Apple designers are in Taipei and Vancouver
[_] Every sanctimonious protectionist colonial power did the same thing to every successfully emerging market
[_] China outlawed slavery too.
[_] The Chinese manufacturers have no prison labor today
[_] It's up to the Chinese to stand up to their oppressive government
[_] There are lines of willing workers trying to do my job, better than I do, at Foxconn factories
[_] If any company were to stop hyperbolizing the exploitation, I really think it'll be Apple
[_] My affordable Chinese hardware runs on Android and Linux, and its white box OEMs made computers too affordable to the masses
[_] Foxconn workers think they have it great, but it's no ok until Anti-globalists say so!
[_] Foxconn worker suicide rate is lower than Chicago's suicide rate
[_] China's worker homicide rate is lower than Chicago's homicide rate
[_] If poor people get to use the same devices the wealthy use, it can pollute the whole world!
[_] Half of all Chinese households have an Foxconn product
[_] If they develop emerging cities like Shenzhen, I'll have no anti-globalist #whitesaviorcomplex causes to champion
[_] The falsely claimed high incidence of suicides didn't get the insurance money for hyperbolized suicide claims
[_] You can afford to read from a macbook/iphone/ipad right now
[_] When I post about suicide nets on American bridges, it's less exotic and altruistic sounding
[_] I'm writing to Interns in the US who don't get paid to make them think it's because of immigrant farm workers and engineers in Taipei and Hong Kong
[_] By merely suggesting the inference that some high tech Chinese factories beat the workers, apparently I score points as a do-gooder
[_] Why is this news? We expect false claims and hyperbole from anti-globalists
[_] We have a right to judge and decide what jobs Chinese aspire to."
[_] iPhones/Pads would cost too much for Chinese, Indian, and other emerging consumers if I had to pay my fellow wealthy citizens to make them
[_] iPhones employment/affluence overseas will not evolve the environmental regulations the industrial revolution caused me to vehemently insist for myself
[X] All the other progressive claiming manufacturers are using racial #whitesaviorcomplex memes too
[_] Some/Many/Most Chinese workers appreciate shrinking 40 hour weeks, quintupling of pay, and breathing their own consumption's aluminum dust
[X] It's not Foxconn, it's Apple
[_] It's not the Chinese government, it's Apple
[_] They (ODMs like Foxconn) should use their engineering degrees to continuously redesign products they patented if they don't like it
[_] OMG It's capitalism at work!
[_] OMG It's communism at work!
[_] My crass generalizations about "disposable workers" are paid applied to Apple disposable workers than my nation's agriculture and food (apple) harvesting
[_] Apple's auditors didn't prove a negative, that Mike Daisy's fictitious serious issues might not apply anyplace they didn't audit
[_] Five years ago, thanks to Taiwanese engineering firms like Foxconn, the Chinese who worked in Shenzhen were too wealthy to exploit
[_] My Android is Foxconn too
[_] I'm an Apple hater using Apple as a scapegoat
[_] I also work 60/80/100/120 hour weeks at my IT job
[_] Apple designers are in Taipei and Vancouver
[_] Every sanctimonious protectionist colonial power did the same thing to every successfully emerging market
[_] China outlawed slavery too.
[_] The Chinese manufacturers have no prison labor today
[_] It's up to the Chinese to stand up to their oppressive government
[_] There are lines of willing workers trying to do my job, better than I do, at Foxconn factories
[_] If any company were to stop hyperbolizing the exploitation, I really think it'll be Apple
[_] My affordable Chinese hardware runs on Android and Linux, and its white box OEMs made computers too affordable to the masses
[_] Foxconn workers think they have it great, but it's no ok until Anti-globalists say so!
[_] Foxconn worker suicide rate is lower than Chicago's suicide rate
[_] China's worker homicide rate is lower than Chicago's homicide rate
[_] If poor people get to use the same devices the wealthy use, it can pollute the whole world!
[_] Half of all Chinese households have an Foxconn product
[_] If they develop emerging cities like Shenzhen, I'll have no anti-globalist #whitesaviorcomplex causes to champion
[_] The falsely claimed high incidence of suicides didn't get the insurance money for hyperbolized suicide claims
[_] You can afford to read from a macbook/iphone/ipad right now
[_] When I post about suicide nets on American bridges, it's less exotic and altruistic sounding
[_] I'm writing to Interns in the US who don't get paid to make them think it's because of immigrant farm workers and engineers in Taipei and Hong Kong
[_] By merely suggesting the inference that some high tech Chinese factories beat the workers, apparently I score points as a do-gooder
[_] Why is this news? We expect false claims and hyperbole from anti-globalists
[_] We have a right to judge and decide what jobs Chinese aspire to."
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