Bill Maher interviewed Mike Daisey last week on Real Time, adding to the scourge of recent negative publicity surrounding the conditions at Apple supplier Foxconn. Daisey is the actor who wrote and performed the one-man show The Agony and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs, a musing that faces the labour issue head-on. He actually went to China and talked to workers outside the infamous Foxconn factory in Shenzhen.
That conditions at Foxconn can be controversial isn’t new, but for those who hadn’t heard a first-person account, it’s a reminder that virtually all tech companies — certainly not just Apple — are overdue for a long, hard look at how their supply chain workers are treated. [HBO]
I really like Bill Maher, he is forth right in outing anything that stands out needing to be heard, and he does it with a very dry wit. I really wish we could get his late show here, he is definitely worth watching.
he's a frickin' genius.
But the fact of the matter is, aussie tv is run by monkeys. I mean actual monkeys.
So is most US TV, have a close look at Murdoch. A REAL close look...
I'd rather not thanks, I just ate.
A lot of (american) people don't like him and I can understand why. He does come off as a bit condescending at times and a douche. I love him and has some bloody funny stand up shows. What makes his show so great though is he always tries to have a panel of people from each of their major political groups, and frequently stands up for people who he may strongly disagree with, if the audience is booing them or giving them a hard time. I'm always seeing him telling them to calm down or knock it off. He is a good host like that.
I don't pay for his show either. Get the podcasts. They're free!
Can someone start reporting the facts?
Foxconn employ 920,000 across the globe. Theres 350,000+ people working within the Chinese FoxConn facilities that are at the centre of this story. Which as you know is the equivilant of a private city. The story which sparks ALL this mayhem is based on 18 suicide attempts between January and November 2010 (with 16 succesful).
If you look at it on a statisical level the suicide rate within Foxconn is actually half of the national average!
Now if you choose to NOT to belive this.... its fine. But dont ignore the fact that Foxconn produces at least products for Dell, HP, Motorola, Nintendo, Sony and Nokia.... NOT JUST APPLE!
Yes, Apple is in a position to make a difference... but the debate needs to move on from the suicides that happened 2 years ago to something that can actually acheive a result.
This story has been the only dirt available to slow down the most profitable company in the world.
People - stop being slaves to opinionated stories and articles - do some reasearch and make your own mind up!
"The story which sparks ALL this mayhem is based on 18 suicide attempts between January and November 2010 (with 16 succesful).
If you look at it on a statisical level the suicide rate within Foxconn is actually half of the national average! "
The national average is reported on a 24 hour day, including days off. Try comparing apple with apples (no pun intended), research the national average of at work suicides and get back to us.
How many of those in the general population had jobs? How many of those other companies have more money than the US Gov't?
How many of those working for Foxconn can have a life of any kind that does not resemble a gaol?
Apple may not be the only contender here, but what have they done to mitigate the issue?
The "national average" is not entirely relevant because that is spread over a gigantic, highly culturally disparate population. It's actually a nonsense, idiotic point.
It's like saying there us no real significance or pattern to people wearing green in the military because when looked at as a percentage of the entire population it's a normal statistical amount of people who wear green by choice.
What matters is the number of people within a single organisation. What is the "normal" figure of suicides within corporations? If you don't know that, don't quote numbers and base your argument on that.
And profitability at the expense of underpaid workers in poor working conditions isn't that great an achievement.
Just to add to the existing replies, I will point out that no matter what the statistics may be, these people are committing suicide at their work. This isn’t some crazy coincidence, these people are trying to bring attention to their employer and are actually willing to die for it – the only thing that has slowed this down is that Foxconn have put a bunch of suicide nets around the area.
I hate people that need to go against the trend just to feed their own egos. Get over yourself, this site is populated by people that are connected to the internet and have the capability of reading by themselves, no one here is being a “slave”.
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I first started watching Bill about 3 months ago and it is now my only never to be missed show. This guy should be mentioned in the same breath as Bill Hicks and George Carlin. Genius. He makes serious topics entertaining and he speaks the truth. He's not religious but maybe he should invent one! I'll be the first to sign on!
I have a secret crush on Bill Maher--only when he doing Real Time. But outside, Im not quite sure...
I've been a long time fan of Bill Maher. He's the only person I know who can dig out the REAL truth/meaning of an event and then miraculously figure out a way to make it funny. Example: calling out the idiots who talked about poor people driving through rich neighborhoods imagining the day they would be there. HA! As usual, Bill set that crap straight. He's just spot on. His fearlessness is another wonderful attribute. I even cringe at some of his topics. But, I can't think of a topic where he's been wrong.
Remember when these guys got banned from the iStore? http://www.phonestory.org -it was for the same thing. Apple isn't the only guilty party, but they are among the worst.