The Nobility of Working People To Death

It is rather odd to me.  Under a Republican President, I will hear how terrible it is when companies ship jobs overseas.  Something has to be done about it.  When Barack Obama proposes doing something, like rewarding companies who keep the jobs here in the U.S.?  Suddenly it is “punishing Steve Jobs.”  Listen, there are a lot of positive things to say about Jobs…his humanitarianism is not really one of them.

Seriously… Apple’s charitable giving is pretty low compared to other companies.  And Jobs moved manufacturing to China.  The appeal, of course is that you can pay workers pennies for long hours.  Americans won’t work for thirty five cents an hour.  And that is put forth as if it is a bad thing.  There is also not concept of workers rights, so when I say long hours, I mean employees can work 35 hour days (how does that even work?!).  You can be imprisoned for seeking to join a union.

The Foxxcom buildings have nets to catch jumpers.  Imagine walking up to your place of work and seeing it surrounded by nets to catch suicides.  If you found out that people saw death as a better alternative than continuing to work for your company, would you not question it?  And as much as people try and make it sound like the people are willing to work for $.35 an hour, when death is seen as a better way to provide for your family?  Something is wrong with the picture.

But yet, the Republicans saw fit to frame Obama’s talk of rewarding companies that bring jobs to America as punishing Steve Jobs.  I take a wait and see attitude on State of the Union promises…but I have no problem with the President implementing this one.  I hope he gets the opportunity.