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Poison Apple?

You're probably talking about Molycorp, but remember the Mountain Pass site was closed down in 2002, mostly because of huge environmental issues. Processing of the ore is another nut to be cracked--I understand that Moly purchased a refiner in Estonia, of all places to fill that gap.

In other words, it's a work in progress.

Then again, there are other basic issues, such as the complete and utter lack of anyone in the US who actually makes LCDs. (TI owned the original patent, but never bothered to write any licenses until the patent was almost expired.)
 
Making LCD's is a dirty business, which is why they are made in countries who don't care about pollution. Apple could make everything they sell here in the US if they wanted to, they are big enough and have the volume for companies to set up production (or Apple could do it all themselves). The problem in doing it here with the EPA and labor laws is it would cut into their profits (but not eliminate them). So you have a corperation sitting on tons of cash it will never give to its shareholders or pay US taxes on, at the same time it is using slave labor to make all that extra cash. Makes me wonder what the point of all that is.
 
Greed?

The are flaunting China labour laws (such as they are), are indirectly responsible for the deaths of, at least, 14 individuals, condoning Draconian working conditions, scamming people in vocational schools by having them do work which will avail them nothing. Did you see the nets between the buildings? They are suicide nets, so people can't kill themselves by jumping out the windows.

The figure I've heard for wages is $1.67 US per hour for those 60 to 70 hours a week and they charge them $17/mo for a cot in a barracks.

The worse part is, unlike other corporations that have been caught using sweatshops, Apple doesn't seem the least remorseful, nor are they intending on doing anything for over a year about it.

It's pure greed and the "cool people" just keep on buying.
 
The figure I've heard for wages is $1.67 US per hour for those 60 to 70 hours a week and they charge them $17/mo for a cot in a barracks.
At the risk of sounding defensive, the cost of living in CN is substantially lower. So a couple of dollars an hour is a living wage. Per the number you quoted, 10 work hour pays their monthly lodging. Food is provided free in company cafeteria (quality is debatable, but it is free for what it's worth.) In Fremont, rent for apartment is at least a grand and house is almost two grands. If you fit two into each of 2/3 bedrooms, it works out to at least 250 a head excluding utilities (which is included in that 17/mon in CN) or about 25 hours of work at minimum wage. Tell me again who's worse off.
 
Making LCD's is a dirty business, which is why they are made in countries who don't care about pollution. Apple could make everything they sell here in the US if they wanted to, they are big enough and have the volume for companies to set up production (or Apple could do it all themselves). The problem in doing it here with the EPA and labor laws is it would cut into their profits (but not eliminate them). So you have a corperation sitting on tons of cash it will never give to its shareholders or pay US taxes on, at the same time it is using slave labor to make all that extra cash. Makes me wonder what the point of all that is.

That can be said about all the companies in the world who are moving their production to China.
 
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