China's new slave empire...

Reverend_Hellh0und · 09-28-08, 07:53 AM

China is so 19th century.

Read the link and be appalled.

Quote:

PETER HITCHENS: How China has created a new slave empire in Africa

PETER HITCHENS: How China has created a new slave empire in Africa | Mail Online

These poor, hopeless, angry people exist by grubbing for scraps of cobalt and copper ore in the filth and dust of abandoned copper mines in Congo, sinking perilous 80ft shafts by hand, washing their finds in cholera-infected streams full of human filth, then pushing enormous two-hundredweight loads uphill on ancient bicycles to the nearby town of Likasi where middlemen buy them to sell on, mainly to Chinese businessmen hungry for these vital metals.

To see them, as they plod miserably past, is to be reminded of pictures of unemployed miners in Thirties Britain, stumbling home in the drizzle with sacks of coal scraps gleaned from spoil heaps.

Except that here the unsparing heat makes the labour five times as hard, and the conditions of work and life are worse by far than any known in England since the 18th Century.

Many perish as their primitive mines collapse on them, or are horribly injured without hope of medical treatment. Many are little more than children. On a good day they may earn $3, which just supports a meagre existence in diseased, malarial slums.

We had been earlier to this awful pit, which looked like a penal colony in an ancient slave empire.

Tashah · 09-28-08, 11:20 AM

Just a brief aside here. It is estimated that there are between 10-20 million people in India who exist in debt bondage. For most, they are now the third generation enslaved for an original debt of less than $1 USD.

Carry on...........

Summerwind · 09-28-08, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tashah

Just a brief aside here. It is estimated that there are between 10-20 million people in India who exist in debt bondage. For most, they are now the third generation enslaved for an original debt of less than $1 USD.

Carry on...........

Shhh! Didn't ya know we are only allowed to criticize our "enemies".

DarkWizard12 · 09-28-08, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Summerwind

Shhh! Didn't ya know we are only allowed to criticize our "enemies".

India is our enemy or...ally?

since when did they even care about the US at all?

cherokee · 09-28-08, 04:27 PM

I want to know where I can get some slaves for just $1.

Reverend_Hellh0und · 09-28-08, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tashah

Just a brief aside here. It is estimated that there are between 10-20 million people in India who exist in debt bondage. For most, they are now the third generation enslaved for an original debt of less than $1 USD.

Carry on...........

two things. ok, five.

1. Awsome, start a thread on it.

2. this is a red herring and not partcularly germane to the conversation.

3. In india, it is abhorrent as well, but it is an internal situation, not like this where china goes to africa and essentially enslaves people.

4. Should we not be appalled at this?

5. Should it not be discussed?

Reverend_Hellh0und · 09-28-08, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Summerwind

Shhh! Didn't ya know we are only allowed to criticize our "enemies".

Why would this poster who loves to brag that she has me on ignore, post in my threads.

Doesn't that indicate that she is ignorant of the conversation from the get go?

jfuh · 09-28-08, 06:13 PM

China is to blame for this? What of the nation's own government? If you are to blame China for this then wow, when will you be addressing all of south america? Afganistan? Iraq? Balkan states? Thailand? Indonesia? China? Vietnam?
If you are to blame this on China, then for everything else you will have to blame on the US and western europe than are to blame for everything else.

Reverend_Hellh0und · 09-28-08, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jfuh

China is to blame for this? What of the nation's own government? If you are to blame China for this then wow, when will you be addressing all of south america? Afganistan? Iraq? Balkan states? Thailand? Indonesia? China? Vietnam?
If you are to blame this on China, then for everything else you will have to blame on the US and western europe than are to blame for everything else.

typical apologist behavior....

so you hold china blameless?

jfuh · 09-28-08, 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reverend_Hellh0und

typical apologist behavior....

so you hold china blameless?

Why are you even here, you're not here to debate you're just here to shake your fists in feigned anger, scream and kick.
As you've demonstrated in this forum, I doubt you give two ****s about anything that's happening to anyone in Africa, South America or hell even in the US of those less fortunate then you.
Like I said, if for this you are blaming China, then you will have to blame the US for the troubles of the same nations, including China.
If you are to say that China is in the policy of slavery, then the same is said for the US.
So to answer your question of course they are blameless, it's the blame of the governments of these African states that are to blame for not instigating workers rights legislation.
So please, spare me your feigned outrage, everyone here know's your just faking it so as to demonize everyone you don't agree with.