I won't get into the whole economic nor company commentary... it's just sad and indicative of something is wrong.

This is the sweatshop work culture of today, how much are these devices actually worth, components wise? iPhone: $20? iPad: $80? N900: $50?

While the likes of Apple report income in the billions, but that's okay because Jobs and Gore and the rest of the false bastards pander to the liberals. No it's not okay you sons of *****es, we're gonna defeat your cap and trade and carbon trading and multi-nationalisation.

And let's not even get into the health issues these workers are suffering from due to the toxic chemicals being handled.

@bourdain: more like $150-200 for parts. google up some numbers from iSuppli.

re: rest of tirade
It's the free market at work, you doofus. these less developed countries accept 'the business' with open arms. sure it'll take years and years before their living standards are comparable to us or europe, but this is pretty much the expressway to get there. Didn't you read the last paragraph of that article?

You wouldn't if you had family to feed.

Also as mentioned earlier, so what that earnings in China are average twice big as in other countries in the area. Some rich people in Hongkong and other big cities are earning great money when people living in province are starving.

I saw statistic for mining workers - there were like 3000 dead people per year. In poland if 10 miners will die it is big deal, in China no one give a f**k about it.

Kind of modern slavery... also companies like Nokia or Aplle are responsible for it, they are aware of working conditions of that people. If China would set minimal wage then probably our phones would be produced in diferent country where there is no social rights.

Give it a read to this in order to gain some perspective:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/15/op...stof.html?_r=3

Well, I'm technically off-topic, but here goes:

You have zero clue as to what the heck you are talking about. Quitting is something you do with little to no unemployment, with workplace laws. Quitting is something you do when you are overqualified. Quitting is something you do when you have options.

A unique perspective on the issue from a Romanian: 20 odd years ago, people here were fed the heck up with the hunger and the result is now called a revolution.

As a result of the said revolution (not one of the soft kinds with marching, the kind with live ammo and dead people), the entire state system collapsed, along with centralized production and management, and individual economic entities were set up.

But enough with the history. Back then, a few years after the said revolution, a worker getting 50$ a month was considered well employed. So there's your unique perspective, someone who has 50$ look large, and still have a Maemo account.

Allow me to enlighten you:

* There are no alternatives. There are tons of people who have nothing to eat, let alone maintain a family, so it's either the insult or watching your kids fade from hunger.

* Whatever bad things you have to do, the other side of the coin is worse. You do it. Whatever it is.

* Whatever things you have to do, there are other people starving that would gladly do what you do, whatever that is. They don't know or care, they'll do it.

* Large companies employ entire towns. These are called industrial towns here, and are usually set up around the company and after enough years, only people that live there are employed by company either directly, or indirectly as town infrastructure and support personnel. Everyone there works for the company, there is no other company, there is no atomicity that allows you to get a job next door. There is no next door, there's a next country. More below.

So, before I overextend, let me put things in a smaller picture:

Imagine you live in a state where the only company is McDonald's. Your only house, inherited from your old parents, in the said state. Wife works for Mac, kids are in a Mac school, their only training is burger flippers. Chief flippers are from out of state and only come to flog you from time to time in their free time. Your direct boss/supervisor either gets production done or it's his a**. So basically, his becomes yours or else.

You have to feed your family, take care of your old parents, and the silly house costs one or two lifetimes worth of salary and all you know how to do is flip burgers. There are no other major burger companies anywhere. You can't start a business.

You want to eat, or want your family to eat, you flip. They say flip faster, you flip faster of they starve. Your life is flipping, sleeping, and taking your best shot in saving up for when the flippers kick you out or cut your pay. There are 8000 people every day at the gates, hungry, swearing they can do even better than you.

Some days, a few snap.

We have come a long way in 20 years, from nothing to a member of EU, through hard work and a huge pile of non refundable loans from EU, aka free money (thanks, guys, we owe you). Some are either not so lucky, too many, or simply not helped because we all like cheap electronics.

So before you post stuff like "I quit" or "I strike" or "screw family and kids, I'm of to Bahamas" or whatever you think in your rich-a** country reference frame, go through the above small picture and rethink.

And before you accuse me of over-doing the situation, consider this: "Currently Foxconn employs 800,000 people in mainland China of which 420,000 are located in the massive Shenzhen complex where they live and work in shifts." [wiki]

Half a million workers means that those people are able to work 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. They are in their prime. As a result, (assuming a good chunk is male) male population is probably in the range of 2 million. Add kids, wives, support people, and you have an overall linked population of almost 4 million, all things considered. Add those outside compound, they are bound to engage over 4 million (what do you know, Shenzhen has 4 million in urban areas, with another 8 in rural areas, assumingly at least in part feeding others).

There are approximately 100 (98 by my count) countries with under 4 million people.

From the article I linked:

"Look, I know that Americans have a hard time accepting that sweatshops can help people. But take it from 13-year-old Neuo Chanthou, who earns a bit less than $1 a day scavenging in the dump. She’s wearing a “Playboy” shirt and hat that she found amid the filth, and she worries about her sister, who lost part of her hand when a garbage truck ran over her.

“It’s dirty, hot and smelly here,” she said wistfully. “A factory is better.” "

You, my friend, are a bastard. Please, commit it now (no flash 10.1 for n900, so don't delay it).
"Regards"

F**king true

I will tell you something base on my story and 0.5 mln people from my country who invaded UK 5 years ago.

The only reason was to have a better life!
We where fighting 50 years with Soviet Union without any help from outside because clearly cold war was good business for US government. Keep the nation running giving them dreams and enemy to fight against.

When Poland triggered this freedom movement around all Central Europe. They had to accept this fact. As well as Russians showed their inaction in this whole situation. All your Atomic Bombs was useless against this movement because it was to close to self-destruction and to scary for everybody around the world to even think to use this power.

I know that for many of you here Berlin Wall is the symbol but its not historical true where the whole movement begun.

Now imagine our nation and generation that know and remember all the bad things about communism. Fighting with them alone half of century. The only goal was to achieve democracy and freedom.

What you doing after all?

Since the cold war enemy was death you have to invent another one. Terrorism!

Now tell me what is good (25 later) about the won this freedom if 2mln of people had to left the country to be able to survive? What is good about this if you recalculate the currency to EURO and we are like the poorest country in the EU? Earing 200 Euros per month? That's why we had to migrate to countries like UK, Germany, Holland and Itally. They offer us place to work we offer them our contribution and taxes we have to pay instead of pay to Poland government. Who is the winner?

Nobody indeed.

They are complain about migration from EU now because of crisis. Poland was the only country in Europe in 2009 in economical growth! Why?? Because 2mln jobless people left the country if no more! Another one big cheat of our government!
This stick had 2 ends. We love UK, UK even could love Poland. But because of economic and political reasons temperature is heating up against each other.

I won a contract last week as freelancer and working now in Canary Wharf, the most profitable district in London. From my observation in this small area there is entire world working In peace together. My supervisor is a Chinese, colleague in left right hand is British in right hand side Slovakian. Team coordinator is Indian and in other departments US, Spanish and many others. This is prove of concept that entire World can really work together without discrimination and aggression have a lot of fun after work on Friday evening in local Pub.

The reasons and goals are only wrong. Instead of working for entire humanity we are working to satisfy only your own pocked!!! But at least is not your fall as the unit. Our governments playing the game from ages and only who failed is the grey man.

I am really sorry if my English is bad but I just back from Pub having a lot of fun with my British, US, Chinese, Slovakian, Russian, Spanish, French Germans and god know who else friends.

PS. I have seen about 500 hundred people today queuing before Mac store on Regent Street to buy an IPad. And this is what these days people are truly worry about. Nothing I have said above...