Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

The Green Revolution Is Fueled by 40k Trafficked Congo Child Slaves

atlantablackstar.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 63 posts

Re: The Green Revolution Is Fueled by 40k Trafficked Congo Child Slaves

#31

Post by hunterb123 »

iforgotpassword wrote: post #29
hunterb123 wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Basically the format was, "well what about X Y Z" X = textile industry issues Y = environmental issues Z = industrial farms issues How is that not whataboutism? Noone is saying those aren't problems, but that's not what the article is about.

Ok well, they literally did say "what about..." But generally whataboutism refers to comments that try to deter from the original issue by saying "X does it too so it's alright until they stop too". I didn't read the initial comment that way.

Yes, thus the XYZ part of my comment explaining what issues they were trying to deflect with (those issues aren't even in the same industries)

They essentially said "what about... the textile industry, the shipping industry, the farming industry"

Okay? Those are issues, we'll discuss those when an article is posted about them. But currently the battery supply chain child slave labor issue is TFA.

Re: The Green Revolution Is Fueled by 40k Trafficked Congo Child Slaves

#32

Post by iforgotpassword »

i80and wrote: post #13
rjbwork wrote: post #6

I'm sure it is happening, but I strongly suggest you seek mental help. If you believe that an entire political party, whose voters constitute more than half of the country, is a terrorist organization and whose voters must be hunted down, you have been severely radicalized and are disconnected from reality. I do hope you get the help you clearly need.

For those without showdead turned on, the article poster left a very unhinged comment as his framing for this article.

Aaaah thanks, seems I really should turn that on. I always assumed it would still insert some [deleted] parent or whatnot if you leave it off. Was really confused by all these top level comments written like replies.

Re: The Green Revolution Is Fueled by 40k Trafficked Congo Child Slaves

#33

Post by iforgotpassword »

kybernetyk wrote: post #14

If it wasn't so sad the handwaving going on here would be really funny. Just because it's green and "for the greater good" child slaves suddenly aren't _that bad_

In case you're into German satire for some reason, this has decent auto-translated subtitles: https://youtu.be/OBGinowoYu4

Re: The Green Revolution Is Fueled by 40k Trafficked Congo Child Slaves

#34

Post by throwaway0a5e »

PeterStuer wrote: post #25
Originami wrote: post #9

If not working in a mine, these children will be working subsistence agriculture, which is equally as back-braking. The underlying problem is an excess of manual labor in Africa, caused by excessive birth rates. Take fertility rates down to sub-replacement like they are in the rest of the world, and mining will just be automated.

Did you ever consider that in "sub-replacement" populations they still send poor people down the mines, as that is way cheaper than robots? Never mind the perpetual political destabilization of that region because our oligarch owned nations want the natural treasures buried beneath that African soil for cheap. It's their own fault for having babies. Djeez.

> Did you ever consider that in "sub-replacement" populations they still send poor people down the mines, as that is way cheaper than robots?

As long as the poor guy can choose to work something better wages and working conditions will reflect this (or the mine will shut down). See Europe after the black death.

Re: The Green Revolution Is Fueled by 40k Trafficked Congo Child Slaves

#35

Post by superchroma »

hunterb123 wrote: post #10
superchroma wrote: post #3

Well, you're taking a singular vertical slice. How many plastic widgets and doodads in your house were made by an effective slave in China? What about clothes - from sweatshops in vietnam, bangladesh, etc.? We periodically see sensational stories where workers slip tragic notes into goods, but that's about it. On top of that, what about the animals we've hurt systematically? In the industrial revolution, we rendered…

This comment is pure whataboutism, you laundry listed other problems to deflect from this one. Noone here or in the article are saying those things aren't a problem, just this is as well. Everytime a business (like Hyundai) or industry gets caught using child labor in their supply chain it's an issue and news worthy. EDIT: now my comment is downvoted, and the article is flagged, ask yourself why can't this site's com…

it was partially in reply to the OP's dead comment blaming this squarely on democrats, and the entire thing struck me as weirdly myopic. It is whataboutism, because I think ascribing blame to a team isn't really helping.

Re: The Green Revolution Is Fueled by 40k Trafficked Congo Child Slaves

#36

Post by Aunche »

I really hate when politicians feign interest in human rights when they clearly have some other agenda, and what's even worse is that voters eat that shit up. Clearly this representative is either advocating for mercantilism or is against electrification and doesn't give a damn about child labor. If you want to stop child labor, then provide more aid to African families so they don't have to send their kids off to the mines. These families aren't stupid. They're desperate, and taking away a option from them without providing another won't make them any less desperate.

The most egregious example was during the Iraq War, politicians suddenly started caring about the Anfal genocide, even though that occurred while America was friendly with Saddam Hussein because they shared the common enemy of Iran.

Re: The Green Revolution Is Fueled by 40k Trafficked Congo Child Slaves

#37

Post by hunterb123 »

superchroma wrote: post #35
hunterb123 wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This comment is pure whataboutism, you laundry listed other problems to deflect from this one. Noone here or in the article are saying those things aren't a problem, just this is as well. Everytime a business (like Hyundai) or industry gets caught using child labor in their supply chain it's an issue and news worthy. EDIT: now my comment is downvoted, and the article is flagged, ask yourself why can't this site's com…

it was partially in reply to the OP's dead comment blaming this squarely on democrats, and the entire thing struck me as weirdly myopic. It is whataboutism, because I think ascribing blame to a team isn't really helping.

Currently HN is showing your comment as top comment with no parent comment.

In that context your comment alone is whataboutism and distracts from discussion of the topic of the battery chain child slavery issue.

Do you stand behind your comment alone? If not would you like to edit it to discuss the topic and remove the deflections?

Re: The Green Revolution Is Fueled by 40k Trafficked Congo Child Slaves

#38

Post by registeredcorn »

kybernetyk wrote: post #14

If it wasn't so sad the handwaving going on here would be really funny. Just because it's green and "for the greater good" child slaves suddenly aren't _that bad_

No man, you just don't get it!

See, if they weren't sold into slavery for mining, they would be like farmers or something. Gross! And that's really tiring, too. And that sucks.

So...if they're gonna be miserable anyway, we might as well have them hep make iPhones and junk. :^)

Re: The Green Revolution Is Fueled by 40k Trafficked Congo Child Slaves

#39

Post by AinderS »

superchroma wrote: post #35
hunterb123 wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This comment is pure whataboutism, you laundry listed other problems to deflect from this one. Noone here or in the article are saying those things aren't a problem, just this is as well. Everytime a business (like Hyundai) or industry gets caught using child labor in their supply chain it's an issue and news worthy. EDIT: now my comment is downvoted, and the article is flagged, ask yourself why can't this site's com…

it was partially in reply to the OP's dead comment blaming this squarely on democrats, and the entire thing struck me as weirdly myopic. It is whataboutism, because I think ascribing blame to a team isn't really helping.

I agree that comment was bizarre. Outsourcing and disregard of human rights abuses in supply chains are not remotely limited to the US Democratic party. Especially since the article itself talks about China.
Post reply on HN