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What are the 10 most harmful jobs?

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Re: What are the 10 most harmful jobs?

#3

Factory farming considered worse than weapons research? Unless it refers to a specific kind of farming of which I'm not aware, I think the author led their own views cloud their judgement.

They aren't in order from worst to least worst. I've added a footnote to clarify this.

Re: What are the 10 most harmful jobs?

#4

Factory farming considered worse than weapons research? Unless it refers to a specific kind of farming of which I'm not aware, I think the author led their own views cloud their judgement.

Good point. It is possible that weapons research has positive externalities and a deterrence factor. The lack of any armed forces on this list is somewhat surprising - although definitely not all armed forces roles would belong.

Agriculture and the systems built around it in much of the world has serious problems for the world and it's future.

Re: What are the 10 most harmful jobs?

#5

Factory farming considered worse than weapons research? Unless it refers to a specific kind of farming of which I'm not aware, I think the author led their own views cloud their judgement.

Good point. It is possible that weapons research has positive externalities and a deterrence factor. The lack of any armed forces on this list is somewhat surprising - although definitely not all armed forces roles would belong. Agriculture and the systems built around it in much of the world has serious problems for the world and it's future.

They were considered, see:

"Military decision-makers"

and

"Working in the army"

They didn't make the top ten in part for the reason you gave.

Re: What are the 10 most harmful jobs?

#6
This wasn't a bad list. However, one factor I'd consider is the individual role's role and options.

For instance, I've read (I think it was in "Fast food nation") that factory farms in the US are often staffed by people who are not legally permitted to work or reside in the US and who are at constant risk. They generally don't have much education or options, and have no recourse if they are mistreated on the job or denied pay. I'd also be disinclined to hold a burger flipper at macky d's responsible for, well, macky d's.

A patent troll, on the other hand, is a well educated person, almost certainly a US citizen or someone with legal rights and options, who had every opportunity to choose a different path in life, and indeed still does.

By the way, there's this job where you collect vast amounts of personal information about people, who may be unaware or only semi-aware of what is being collected, and then using sophisticated machine learning to get them to click on ads... where does that fall in the spectrum of harmful jobs?

Re: What are the 10 most harmful jobs?

#10
post #7

Liberal bias? Ridiculous article. Show me the republican version then we can reconcile.

What do you think conservatives would regard as the most harmful careers?

Professors, scientists, and school teachers are regularly demonized by the republican party.
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