I mean… I kinda get it, but nowadays it’s starting to get absurd.

(EDIT: This was supposed to be a “blow air out my nose and get on with my life” meme…)

  • LainTrain@lemmy.dbzer0.com
    32·
    2 days ago

    I’m sorry, “entire economy” based on “human slavery”? That’s absurd. Yes the CCP abuses the fuck out of the Uighurs and it’s awful, but this is insane hyperbole.

    The US also uses slavery, very literally, very out in the open and doesn’t hide it to the point that the details are fuzzy and unclear.

    It does it both very directly via prison inmates being used for labour for peanuts against their will by corporations in agreement with corpos that run their prisons and in the less direct way where the fed and state governments don’t do shit about/give subsidies to farmers that hoover up disenfranchised illegals to stack em and pack em in sheds so they can work their fields for fuck all.

    Both of those are such mainstream facts there’s even a John Oliver episode about both topics from years ago.

    Would you say the “entire economy” of the US is based on “human slavery”?

    I doubt it.

    Not to mention you bring that up alongside “intellectual property thievery”, are those two really of even similar magnitude? Surely “human slavery” is a bit more serious than downloading a picture of mickey mouse off Google images, nah?

    • shoulderoforion@fedia.io
      6·
      2 days ago

      you really really are that unaware of the pay, living and working conditions of the average chinese factory worker. jfc.

      • LainTrain@lemmy.dbzer0.com
        13·
        15 hours ago

        Do enlighten me then?

        From a quick Google search, the average (mean, presumably) salary for a Chinese manufacturing worker in Shenzen is CNY 47 per hour, which is only £5.21 and seems very low.

        However, per Wise, the average 1-bedroom apartment in Shenzen outside the city centre is approximately CNY 2,900 or CNY 5,400 in the city centre.

        At CNY 8,225 per month, which is far below average for the city (CNY ~12,000), even average rent is quite affordable.

        In China, minimum wage is set by region, so Shenzen’s minimum wage is 2,360 per month, which is still 81% of the average rent.

        Not great pay at all obviously, especially the minimum wage, but I don’t think it’s any more “slavery” than anywhere else really?

        I picked Shenzen because as far as I understand it, it’s kind of manufacturing hub. Half the things I own are prolly made in Shenzen I noticed, and I don’t shop at any Chinese shops (Temu, wish, AliExpress, etc.) nor Amazon.

        I’ve taken the figures from here:

        https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimum_wage_in_China

        https://wise.com/gb/cost-of-living/china/shenzhen

        https://www.erieri.com/salary/job/manufacturing-worker/china/shenzhen

        I’m unsure about the quality of the sources and there is probably better data, plus I’d prefer median figures by age group and whether it’s for full-time/part-time and to balance that with an unemployment rate (and preferably not a bullshit stat that excludes people on benefits etc). That would give us a bit more of an actual indication.

        I’m happy to be educated.

      • shoulderoforion@fedia.io
        3·
        1 day ago

        protip: check out all the downvotes. lol. the ccp are rife on lemmy now. be aware, they are among us, attempting to subvert and promote their bullshit propganda. the chinese ccp can fuck off into the sun.