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Comment by projectazorian | Hacker News Reader

> Recall, right now slave labor makes up a large amount of what you use.

Citation needed

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jun/15/us-prison-wo...

You've identified that slave labor happens in the US prison system and elsewhere, I think that most people would agree with this. I don't see any evidence that slave labor comprises "a large amount of what you use."

Well, no, most people don’t realize US is using slave labor. Most people believe China does, though, despite no proofs. Sadly, people are still quite disconnected from verifiable reality.

China does use slave labor, mostly in its prison system. Just like in the US. It's a marginal part of the overall economy. Just like in the US.

Yet people talk about China like it's an entirely gulag based economy.

Perhaps because of the suicide nets? I get the Foxconn is not technically slave labour, but you must admit that suicide nets may give to the observer the impression that the gap is not that large between whatever it is and slave labour?

They have suicide nets on the Golden Gate Bridge. They don't prove slavery.

The Golden Gate Bridge also isn't a place of work

I lose workers to foxxcon all the time. They are one of the best companies in SZ to work for, with high wages and good benefits.. I dont think many people in CN would agree with your definition of what slave labor is

To note, I don't actually have an opinion on if foxconn is slavery or not, my point was that they can easily appear that way to outside disinterested observers purely based on "they have suicide nets around the buildings" because of the obvious implications thereof, and also the spattering of news stories that play up those implications.

> Well, no, most people don’t realize US is using slave labor

And they shouldn't, since the example you cited is 0.00048 of the US GDP.

$11 billion of goods is a drop in the bucket. Not even close to a large amount of what anyone uses.

Just compare the wages of the people that work on the goods you consume with your local wages? And look at the lack of regulation in the areas where they work and the resulting pollution etc. It's obviously not fair that someone from another country has less rights than you. It's a kind of slavery.

In what universe is that slavery?

Different countries having different standards of living isn't "a kind of slavery." Slavery is when people are forced to work and are not paid for their labor.

You're correct that it's not fair that people have fewer rights in some countries compared to others. For example, as an American, I have fewer labor rights than most Europeans. Am I a slave laborer?

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