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Comment by projectazorian | Hacker News Reader

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."

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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.

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