A Response to "Worker Abuse and Underage Employment at Six More Samsung Factories"

           Today, I read an article that was supposed to shock me but didn’t. The title is called Report: Worker Abuse and Underage Employment at Six More Samsung Factories. Sounds absolutely terrible, doesn’t it? It’s awful to hear about when workers are being abused in factories, but to be quite honest with you, I believe that it’s part of nature, unfortunately.

            I’m probably going to Hell for even thinking this, but it’s true: In order to move forward, sacrifices need to be made. Throughout history, workers in factories have almost always had it bad, and I agree that changes have to be made in order to better the human condition. What Samsung is doing to their hard-working employees is wrong and selfish, but nothing is going to happen; no changes will occur because, if it does, our technology performance will drop tremendously. And that’s something we cannot have.

            I believe that this is a topic that people absolutely hate hearing about, but there’s a silent agreement that it’s necessary. People even die in these factories, and the average American consumer just pretends that it didn’t happen. We benefit from these poor people’s misfortunes. They employ underage workers, force employees to work an average of 150 hours overtime PER MONTH, and even abuse them physically and verbally. And you’re probably thinking: “Gee, I really wish they would improve their labor conditions, but I enjoy my smart phone way too much to make them stop”. At least, that’s what I’m thinking.

             

            My point is this: I’m not going to stop using my smart phone just because some underpaid Chinese twelve-year-old made it. If I did that, then I would also have to do some research on who made everything I’ve ever owned. Chances are I own a shirt or two that was made in a sweatshop or something of that nature. I understand what’s happening is bad, but I won’t lift a hand to stop it because then I (the consumer) will suffer.