When I lost my hands making flatscreens I can't afford, nobody would help me

Re:When I lost my hands making flatscreens I can't afford, n... by reagency on Friday June 12, 2015 @12:04PM (#9706734)

America's wealth is built upon the labor of foreigners whose treatment would be illegal if they were in America. Even our working class benefits. We reflect blame to the "greedy billionaires" but in reality all of us enjoy $thousands of consumer value derived from the suffering of non-Americans. Some of us ignore it, others of us hide behind willfully twisted logic about how the laborers are better off with jobs than without, ignoring the lies employers tell, the violence against employees, and the outsider-driven destruction of their independent opportunities.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:When I lost my hands making flatscreens I can't afford, n... by Zikes on Friday June 12, 2015 @12:21PM (#9706856)

We need harsher penalties and stricter oversight for companies responsible for such activities. Consumers cannot be expected to know the complete history of every product they purchase, especially when companies have so many levels of subcontracting that even government agencies have a hard time untangling them.

We need to push for reforms at the political level, but we can't all bear the guilt personally. Our only other option would be to completely halt spending.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:When I lost my hands making flatscreens I can't afford, n... by melling on Friday June 12, 2015 @12:31PM (#9706917)

How many American companies make flatscreens? I bet if you read the article you'll find that it's not an American company.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:When I lost my hands making flatscreens I can't afford, n... by ceejayoz on Friday June 12, 2015 @12:51PM (#9707065)

The comment you're replying to seems pretty clear on that point.

> America's wealth is built upon the labor of foreigners whose treatment would be illegal if they were in America.

American companies outsource this sort of manufacturing because it's cheap. Stories like this are part of why it's so cheap, and corporations have been pretty effective at disconnecting consumers from this sort of human cost to their expensive consumer devices.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:When I lost my hands making flatscreens I can't afford, n... by sliverstorm on Friday June 12, 2015 @01:30PM (#9707324)

American companies outsource this sort of manufacturing because it's cheap.

Which American companies? LG is not an American company, and they are nobody's subsidiary.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:When I lost my hands making flatscreens I can't afford, n... by ceejayoz on Friday June 12, 2015 @01:34PM (#9707353)

LG has over a hundred local subsidiaries, of which LG USA is one. As with most consumer electronics companies, they outsource much of their production to smaller companies like the Mexican factory in the story.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:When I lost my hands making flatscreens I can't afford, n... by melling on Friday June 12, 2015 @03:46PM (#9708127)

So we're all in agreement that it's a Korean company? The mothership is in Seoul. The rant about American companies is misplaced here.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:When I lost my hands making flatscreens I can't afford, n... by reagency on Friday June 12, 2015 @09:15PM (#9709474)

Who is talking a about companies? GP post is about consumers.

[ Parent | on HN ]