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Comment by ogre_codes | Hacker News Reader

Then by extension if you buy any computer, consumer electronics, smartphone, manufactured toy, etc, you are complicit in human slavery.

There are almost no computer or smartphone companies which do not participate in these markets. Samsung, Dell, HP, Lenovo (which is a Chinese company yet oddly gets ignored every time these discussions come up), Microsoft, LG, etc etc etc. All of them participate in these same industries. Most of them get little or no scrutiny even though they use many of the same supply lines Apple does and have far less in terms of transparency about their supply chain.

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And almost every company on that list will use the same factories, supply chain, and probably labor. There are not that many ODM manufacturers that have enough scale and capability to build high precision electronics.

That would be companies like Foxconn, Pegatron (from the same founders of Asus), Wistron, Compal, etc., etc. Basically every factory that manufactures your Dell, Asus, Samsung (?), etc.

Intel might just be the only company where there's a chance your chip is built in the US and thus uses the minimal amount of forced labor necessary to mine and ship the raw material.

I don't think the issue is with the CPUs. For example TSMC is has always seemed pretty well clear of these issues as well. Forced labor is usually involved in mining for battery components, or mid-low skill tasks like assembly.

Not only do all those other companies use the same manufacturers they use literally the same manufacturer and people and facilities from this article... Lens Technology.

And yet the headline only says Apple. I asked why HN also used Apple in the headline given it is inaccurate in another comment but that was downvoted.

>Then by extension if you buy any computer, consumer electronics, smartphone, manufactured toy, etc, you are complicit in human slavery.

Indeed. I really don't understand the lack of public and political will to end the largest slavery system ever to exist on earth (by which I mean the whole offshore manufacturing sphere, not just Uighurs in China).

And u/echelon was never seen in this thread again.

Where is the reporting on these companies lobbying against a bill to support the Uyghurs?

The only company I'm aware of that is getting any press on this issue is Apple.

Apple fans would rather jump to whataboutism than tarnish their favorite company. None of this is good, and the wealthiest and stingiest company in the world should do better.

I said my piece.

You seem to think you can damn everyone who buys Apple for their participation in abuses, even as you enjoy products which are likely far deeper into this bullshit.

All you've done is point out your own biases and willingness to dive deep into hypocrisy.

There is a big problem with forced labor. Apple is one of the few companies who is remotely transparent about their supply chain. As much manufacturing as Apple does, they are bound to end up buying from some of these vendors. But unlike most of their competitors, we've seen Apple adjust their buying from suppliers who get caught doing this.

Still with the deflection.

Apple is lobbying to protect their access to slave labor. (Reference in my previous post.) How is that in any way ignorable? Why bring up anything else? Why defend them when they're saying one thing and doing another?

Apple fans never condemn their company. They always hurdle accusations at everyone and anything else they can to protect their fruit god. Just like you're doing now.

Say it: "Apple uses and has benefitted from slave labor. I believe this is wrong and should change."

If you can't say that, I have more than proven my point.

It doesn't matter what other companies are doing. They're all bad. But Apple has the least excuse of them all, because they're the richest and most powerful.

Not that you care, but I cut consumption out of my life. My phone is old and I save and invest most of my income.

If my media company gets off the ground, I'd love to make a movie about Tiananmen.

I love the Chinese people (I studied Mandarin in college), but I refuse to support their regime. Businesses that kowtow should not be supported. Businesses that benefit from slave labor and Chinese market access have a lot to answer for.

You are still hypocracizing here in the dark?

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