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#1 2008-08-04 1:14 pm
- radarman
- Member
- Registered: 2005-02-28
- Posts: 3614
Questionable Chinese mining practices in Africa...
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid= … =australia
July 23 (Bloomberg) -- Adon Kalenga works seven days a week collecting minerals from the ground with his bare hands.
He is 13 years old and lives in Katanga province in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He has no home and can't afford the $6 a month it costs to attend public school in this central African country of 62 million. Sometimes he sleeps in the streets; other nights he spends in an orphanage.
Mostly, he works, earning about $3 per day. He's one of 67,000 people in Katanga who earn a living collecting stones infused with two minerals that are in demand worldwide: copper and cobalt. Reddish-brown copper is used to make the electrical wires needed to light the world's cities. Cobalt, a silver-gray metal, is used to make jet engines, ink and mobile phone batteries.
Tough call. On the one hand, if no one operated these mines - the pittance paid would not, and people might starve. On the other hand, it's a bit hard to justify no safety gear at all...
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#2 2008-08-04 1:36 pm
- sturner
- Royal High Poobah
- Moderator
- From: Carrollton, TX USA
- Registered: 2000-01-31
- Posts: 13778
Re: Questionable Chinese mining practices in Africa...
O come on. What safety gear do you need to collect stones? 
I'm not dead yet.
There are 3 types of people, those who can count and those who can't.
"There are few things graven in stone, excepting your date of death."
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#3 2008-08-04 1:38 pm
- Tallgeese
- Sternly Advising
- From: Pool Party
- Registered: 2000-10-17
- Posts: 34066
Re: Questionable Chinese mining practices in Africa...
Terrible labor conditions? In MY Chinese business?
I still believe in liberalism today as much as I ever did, but, oh, there was a happy time when I believed in liberals.
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#4 2008-08-04 1:40 pm
- sturner
- Royal High Poobah
- Moderator
- From: Carrollton, TX USA
- Registered: 2000-01-31
- Posts: 13778
Re: Questionable Chinese mining practices in Africa...
China is a special nation. It deserves to be treated specially. It cannot be judged with the standards used for other nations.
No smurf, that's what they believe. So keep your unfair, non-chinese standards to yourself.
I'm not dead yet.
There are 3 types of people, those who can count and those who can't.
"There are few things graven in stone, excepting your date of death."
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#5 2008-08-04 2:03 pm
- ShnickyShnack
- ::: title edited due to Satanic influences :::
- From: Rockin' out
- Registered: 2001-05-25
- Posts: 22237
Re: Questionable Chinese mining practices in Africa...
Hilarious! The west has been raping the Congo for its raw materials for decades. But apparently it only becomes a moral quandry when the employers are Chinese.
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#6 2008-08-04 2:04 pm
- Tallgeese
- Sternly Advising
- From: Pool Party
- Registered: 2000-10-17
- Posts: 34066
Re: Questionable Chinese mining practices in Africa...
Uh-oh... Shnicky's yellow fever is flaring up again.
I still believe in liberalism today as much as I ever did, but, oh, there was a happy time when I believed in liberals.
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#7 2008-08-04 2:30 pm
- JakeTheTall
- Cargo Cultist
- From: In Permanent Opposition
- Registered: 2003-03-13
- Posts: 9609
Re: Questionable Chinese mining practices in Africa...
Three dollars a day in Congo might put that individual in the top 40% of wage earners ?
Of all the problems with Congo, I don't think this is an important one.
Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet." They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew.
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#8 2008-08-04 4:19 pm
- sturner
- Royal High Poobah
- Moderator
- From: Carrollton, TX USA
- Registered: 2000-01-31
- Posts: 13778
Re: Questionable Chinese mining practices in Africa...
yeah, but when the top wage earners are still starving, it doesn't help all that much.
Hey, it's the Yellow Man's burden to enlighten these child-like heathens.
I'm not dead yet.
There are 3 types of people, those who can count and those who can't.
"There are few things graven in stone, excepting your date of death."
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#9 2008-08-04 4:25 pm
- Tallgeese
- Sternly Advising
- From: Pool Party
- Registered: 2000-10-17
- Posts: 34066
Re: Questionable Chinese mining practices in Africa...
wages don't mean anything except as compared to cost of living
I still believe in liberalism today as much as I ever did, but, oh, there was a happy time when I believed in liberals.
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#10 2008-08-04 4:57 pm
- ShnickyShnack
- ::: title edited due to Satanic influences :::
- From: Rockin' out
- Registered: 2001-05-25
- Posts: 22237
Re: Questionable Chinese mining practices in Africa...
Tallgeese wrote:
Uh-oh... Shnicky's yellow fever is flaring up again.
Is that the same as calling me wrong?
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#11 2008-08-04 5:32 pm
- Tallgeese
- Sternly Advising
- From: Pool Party
- Registered: 2000-10-17
- Posts: 34066
Re: Questionable Chinese mining practices in Africa...
Yes, actually.
I still believe in liberalism today as much as I ever did, but, oh, there was a happy time when I believed in liberals.
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#12 2008-08-04 6:50 pm
- ShnickyShnack
- ::: title edited due to Satanic influences :::
- From: Rockin' out
- Registered: 2001-05-25
- Posts: 22237
Re: Questionable Chinese mining practices in Africa...
About what, exactly?
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#13 2008-08-04 7:43 pm
- Tallgeese
- Sternly Advising
- From: Pool Party
- Registered: 2000-10-17
- Posts: 34066
Re: Questionable Chinese mining practices in Africa...
Well, if you think that there has been no moral outrage about the West's treatment of the Third World, you need to exit your cave.
Second, if you think that "but Europe/America did it tooooo!" is a relevant point to make about China's actions, you need to join the NokX/everlong "Clinton did it tooooo!" brigade.
I still believe in liberalism today as much as I ever did, but, oh, there was a happy time when I believed in liberals.
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#14 2008-08-04 8:48 pm
- ShnickyShnack
- ::: title edited due to Satanic influences :::
- From: Rockin' out
- Registered: 2001-05-25
- Posts: 22237
Re: Questionable Chinese mining practices in Africa...
It puzzles me to think that anyone can find a justification of maltreatment of Africans in my post. At least not anyone with an IQ above that of a sweat sock.
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#15 2008-08-04 8:56 pm
- Tallgeese
- Sternly Advising
- From: Pool Party
- Registered: 2000-10-17
- Posts: 34066
Re: Questionable Chinese mining practices in Africa...
Justification? Didn't say anything about that. Deflection, lots.
I still believe in liberalism today as much as I ever did, but, oh, there was a happy time when I believed in liberals.
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#16 2008-08-04 9:54 pm
- ShnickyShnack
- ::: title edited due to Satanic influences :::
- From: Rockin' out
- Registered: 2001-05-25
- Posts: 22237
Re: Questionable Chinese mining practices in Africa...
Deflection?
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#17 2008-08-04 9:57 pm
- Tallgeese
- Sternly Advising
- From: Pool Party
- Registered: 2000-10-17
- Posts: 34066
Re: Questionable Chinese mining practices in Africa...
Well, we all know what you think about Westerners criticizing Chinese labor practices...
Care to let us know what you think about Chinese labor practices in Africa? You know, the subject of the thread?
I still believe in liberalism today as much as I ever did, but, oh, there was a happy time when I believed in liberals.
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#18 2008-08-04 10:08 pm
- iBubba
- Displaced
- From: central Iowa
- Registered: 2000-10-06
- Posts: 7109
Re: Questionable Chinese mining practices in Africa...
Tallgeese wrote:
Well, we all know what you think about Westerners criticizing Chinese labor practices...
Care to let us know what you think about Chinese labor practices in Africa? You know, the subject of the thread?
I think this is kind of silly to ask, yea? This is a flame war that doesn't need to happen.
"Hell, I'm sure Og had some cool way of banging two rocks together, until he took himself too seriously."
- Pithecanthropus
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#19 2008-08-04 10:32 pm
- Robert B.
- Reality Deficient
- From: The pit of despair
- Registered: 1999-03-09
- Posts: 10269
Re: Questionable Chinese mining practices in Africa...
meh, non-issue.
"Evil will always triumph because Good is dumb."
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#20 2008-08-04 11:08 pm
- iBubba
- Displaced
- From: central Iowa
- Registered: 2000-10-06
- Posts: 7109
Re: Questionable Chinese mining practices in Africa...
Robert B. wrote:
meh, non-issue.
Your avatar disturbs me. Just like your old one. Quit looking at me like that.
"Hell, I'm sure Og had some cool way of banging two rocks together, until he took himself too seriously."
- Pithecanthropus
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#21 2008-08-05 8:02 am
- bratboy
- laden with emotion
- Royal Wombat
- From: Austin, Texas
- Registered: 2003-01-19
- Posts: 34106
Re: Questionable Chinese mining practices in Africa...
That has to be the first time someone has responded to a Robert B. post in months.
"One thing we've learned is there's a difference between being disappointed and having madmen in authority."
--Paul Krugman
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#22 2008-08-05 8:20 am
- Farmerkev
- Official Dementor
- Moderator
- Registered: 2003-01-03
- Posts: 18615
Re: Questionable Chinese mining practices in Africa...
bratboy wrote:
That has to be the first time someone has responded to a Robert B. post in months.
I would but there was a small "incident" with one of his hookers so I'm trying to stay off his radar until it blows over.
Do your part to combat global warming.
Eat a cow.
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#23 2008-08-05 10:10 am
- Robert B.
- Reality Deficient
- From: The pit of despair
- Registered: 1999-03-09
- Posts: 10269
Re: Questionable Chinese mining practices in Africa...
bratboy wrote:
That has to be the first time someone has responded to a Robert B. post in months.
Yes, I'm sure it's true because you say so.
"Evil will always triumph because Good is dumb."
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#24 2008-08-05 11:24 am
- ShnickyShnack
- ::: title edited due to Satanic influences :::
- From: Rockin' out
- Registered: 2001-05-25
- Posts: 22237
Re: Questionable Chinese mining practices in Africa...
Tallgeese wrote:
Well, we all know what you think about Westerners criticizing Chinese labor practices...
Care to let us know what you think about Chinese labor practices in Africa? You know, the subject of the thread?
I think it's OKAY. So-called "oppression" of workers is fine as long as it's being done by CHINA. That's what I think, for real and for true!
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#25 2008-08-05 1:06 pm
- sturner
- Royal High Poobah
- Moderator
- From: Carrollton, TX USA
- Registered: 2000-01-31
- Posts: 13778
Re: Questionable Chinese mining practices in Africa...
iBubba wrote:
Robert B. wrote:
meh, non-issue.
Your avatar disturbs me. Just like your old one. Quit looking at me like that.
iBubba, if you need them, here are the eyes that went along with that avatar...
I'm not dead yet.
There are 3 types of people, those who can count and those who can't.
"There are few things graven in stone, excepting your date of death."
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