Mike Daisey's Foxconn Cause

Mike Daisey:

So you’re going to see some good people [...] who happen to love their Apple products very much, say some horrible things because they don’t actually understand how to reconcile the beauty and grace of their wonderful Apple products with the unvarnished, verified truth of how they are produced.

Mike, as sad as the situation may be over there, the people are not slaves, they can leave if they choose, and people are lining up to get in just the way it is.

Also — if you want change, Mike, real change, it has to come from within. Do developed nations have good working conditions because those employers are just nice guys? No. Americans and Canadians and Brits and everyone else takes what they can get and give the least they have to. That's sadly the way it is. But workers in the United States (for example) stood up for themselves and said "no". They forced the employer to listen, and they forced the government to back them up.

I'm all for these workers striking in quantities unseen before in history and forcing the employers (and the government) to take care of their workers. I don't mind my iMac, Xbox, ThinkPad, or other electronic device being held up because the factory is in turmoil while those employees fight for their rights. I would support that entirely.

(via Cult of Mac)