The Unbelievable Truth about Sweatshops

Students: Hear Benjamin Powell live at the Challenges and Future of Liberty Seminar this summer - http://lrnlbty.co/zvFZfS

Prof. Ben Powell discusses the importance of sweatshops in third world countries. Despite conventional views on the issue, sweatshops are actually the best alternative available to several third world workers. Further, sweatshops are part of an industrial development process that leads to higher wages and better working conditions. Heartfelt attempts to eliminate sweatshops actually reduce the choices, wages, and working conditions of workers in third world countries.

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Education

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• sweatshops
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• labor
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• poverty
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• learn liberty
• liberty

[Watcher3223]

@soberchimera61

If it's speculated that the risk won't yield reward, then their stock value could sink with too many SELL orders from those who want to get out and not many buyers who want to be exposed to the risk.

It's not that I don't like idealism, but you must consider reality. Things take time to work out and, unfortunately, people can and do get hurt in the meantime. As cruel as this sounds, that's how the cookie crumbles.

[Watcher3223]

@soberchimera61

And, yeah, Apple could build and start their own manufacturing facilities. But questions would be where to build it and how much would it cost, both initially and in the long term, including in ways that aren't immediately obvious.

Apple is a big and profitable company. But, as they are publicly traded, they still have a responsibility to their shareholders since they're the ones that get exposed to the stakes.

[Watcher3223]

@soberchimera61

The only way Apple can change Foxconn is that they take their business elsewhere or buy them out.

However, Foxconn has a lot of other major clients, so while Apple leaving them would be a loss, that loss can be made up by serving their other contracts.

Apple could buy Foxconn, but there will be complications associated with that move, such as a potential conflict of interest for Apple to suddenly be making laptops for their competition.

[soberchimera61]

@Watcher3223 You're right, the Chinese people can't really do much, which is why not many people in the US know about the pain and suffering of the laborers. Apple is the most profitable company in the history of the world. Its well within their power to improve the working conditions at Foxconn. That's what angers me the most, that it doesn't HAVE to be this way.

[Watcher3223]

@soberchimera61

Sure, Foxconn's clients could go elsewhere for their mass production, but what's accomplished if they end up going to another Chinese contractor?

As for Chinese labor laws, what makes you think the Chinese industrial abide by the law themselves?

Members of the Chinese government have been involved with violating IP laws by being part of counterfeiting so, on the same token, what makes you think they care about labor laws outside of the world's scrutiny?

[soberchimera61]

@Watcher3223 They're still notorious for their human rights violations such as the one-child policy and their treatment of the Tibetans.

[Watcher3223]

@soberchimera61

"China actually has labor laws, its the american companies like Apple and Nike that ignore them."

Apple and Nike hire Chinese contractors to build their products for them. As for nets, as far as I know, that's at Foxconn's Shenzhen facility and it was Foxconn, not Apple or any other of Foxconn's clients, that erected the nets in an effort to protect their own image in light of the news of worker suicides.

[Watcher3223]

@soberchimera61

Not really pathetic in the point that China isn't exactly a communist state after the late 1970s when economic reforms took place. It's socialist, but not maoist communism.