:)

*snort*

Don’t forget to take your ulcer meds tonight.

Just out of curiosity, do you scan the newspapers each day for something else to worry about, and do you check the chain of manufacture of all the goods you purchase?

The services you pay for? What if your doctor is a wife beater? Aren’t you an accomplice by using his services?

I bet you don’t check for stuff like that huh? What if the place where you by groceries employs someone who deals drugs on the side? You may be complicit in those dealings huh?

I don’t mean you cause you any (more) undo stress, but you gotta be careful am I right?

I will continue to buy Apple products, (the ones I want) fuel for my vehicles, meat, milk, clothing, etc; and I’ll STILL sleep like a baby.

And please read more carefully, you seem to be consistently missing the point, and I have to continue to explain is in increasingly simpler terms.

And guess what, those problems aren’t going to magically fix themselves. Instead, the cost of the externalities you want to hide under the covers from are only going to get higher and higher. Eventually, you’ll have to pay, but don’t worry about Apple, Monsanto, or Shell. They’ll be alright. I hear they’ve got divisions in China already and are ready for the transition.

I know what your reply will be though, so I guess my question is rhetorical.

“many of them don’t have a choice”

Am I right?

But at least I have a better understanding of who I’m discussing this with.

Because I can guarantee you that if you do your little “six degrees of separation” trick on many of the products you buy, you will find a problem down the line.

Where does it end?

When you have a company with the best margins of anyone in their industry, and a reputation for doing the most to force suppliers to limit their costs, and you have staff working for those suppliers killing themselves on the job, it’s delusional to think the company hiring that supplier doesn’t share responsibility for what’s going on.  I’m not saying their completely responsible….but they *share* responsibility.  If they were not exerting the limitations on labour costs that they do, the workers wouldn’t be placed into work conditions that are detrimental to their health.

If people are really that concerned about how the workers are treated, then they should vote with their wallets and stop giving Apple money.  The fact that they don’t would imply to me that it’s all talk.

The government shares a responsibility yes…..but Apple (and other companies) take advantage of the government.

That almost seems willful blindness.

When we’re talking those volumes of money, if Apple says “we’re taking a lot of flack for abusing workers in China, and we’re concerned it will affect our brand, so we want to improve conditions for your workers.  We’re willing to increase what we pay Foxconn by 20% per unit (or whatever), if that money will go to improving pay for workers, and their working conditions”……you really think Foxconn would turn them down?

Even in that interview, the Foxconn reps said they’d love to pay their workers more, if Apple was willing to do so.

With $98 billion in reserves, Apple can afford to treat their workers better, or demand better treatment for their workers.

There is a reason the United States is the United States, and China is…..not.

Neither is curing all disease, or creating world peace.

I know EXACTLY where my products come from, and I will still buy an iPad 3 next month.

Should I feel guilty because of that also? Something tells me you have enough guilt for the both of us, and some to spare.

It seems to me that our argument is one of morals, and not of facts. Unfortunately, such a dispute cannot be solved. My viewpoint is one of monetary independence with conscience- yours is monetary independence with impunity. That is where we differ. 
I’ve found this conversation an eye opening experience- I hope you continue to express your opinions so that intelligent conversation is cultivated. I only ask that you remember to put thought behind your statements instead of blind defense. Have a good day.

Don’t worry, Santa Claus and his elves assemble all electronic devices and they use magic, not exploitation of labor. Your burden is lifted.

Don’t worry, Santa Claus and his elves assemble all electronic devices and they use magic, not exploitation of labor. Your burden is lifted.

And read the article before making comments please.

And read the article before making comments please.

That’s like making an insulting comment and adding “just sayin’”

That’s like making an insulting comment and adding “just sayin’”

And if I make a a lot of money, I will darn well say what I want about it.

And if I make a a lot of money, I will darn well say what I want about it.

But you go right ahead.

Also, are you implying in your penultimate sentence that the world’s poor are such by choice?