On February 27th there was an article posted in the Daily Mail online about Apple using child labor to make iPods and iPhones. It claims that they discovered eleven 15-year old children working in factories during an audit. In my opinion, a 15-year old is perfectly capable of working. This is different from sweatshops that force 10 or 11-year olds to work long hours in horrible conditions for very little pay. Friedman might say that the 15-year old children are simply trying to obtain total freedom, which stems from economic freedom. This can only happen if one has a job and is earning pay. If a 15-year old is unable to work because of a law, then this is an economic restriction that the government implies which keeps teenagers from obtaining total freedom. It might be argued that Friedman is only speaking about adults when he talks about economic and political freedom, although he never specifies.
The article also discusses long working hours for employees at some Apple factories in Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, the U.S., the Czech Republic, Malaysia, and the Philippines. It talks about how Apple ignores some labor laws in order to make the most profit. Friedman would probably say that these actions are simply how capitalism works. Furthermore, he says that capitalism is imperative for a person to obtain political freedom. This is a trickledown effect where the political freedom leads to total freedom. He goes on to describe how is the ways of business change how it is necessary for the government to change. This is a very cynical view, but possibly he would say that the government needs to change its labor laws to better suit the ways the business works, therefore bettering capitalism.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Flawed Life Activity for Marx
On February 10th there was an article in the Chicago Tribune that talked about a man killed in a Connecticut power plant explosion. The man’s brother and fellow workers stated the substandard safety on the job site along with the pressure to complete the project very quickly. They claim that there was a lot of tension over the job and the laborers were working seven days a week for up to thirteen hours a day or eighty hours a week! The workers had a negative attitude towards the job overall and would not benefit personally from their intensive work. The safety plan and regulations are still being examined to try to determine the cause of the deadly explosion that stemmed from a gas line. The safety agencies are not ruling out the possibility of fatigue or negligence of the workers to be the cause of the explosion.
The moral issue here relates to Marx’ idea of estranged labor or a life activity that wrongly benefits someone else. It more directly relates to the film Harlan County USA with the thought of workers being commodities. If a laborer dies, it does not affect the company at all; they can just hire somebody else. Marx expresses that the life activity of a man should yield something that the man uses to benefit himself. In this case the power plant explosion, the labor of the man was not to benefit himself. This man’s life was taken while he was laboring to merely earn a wage as opposed to benefitting himself or his family. He was estranged from his labor just like all the other workers at the plant who are controlled by the capitalist. They do as they are told in order to make a wage to sustain their life even though it is impossible for them to move to a higher class.
Marx believes that a man’s labor should yield a product that will better his own life instead of laboring to make another man a profit. With this sad story, a man’s life was taken while working extreme hours on a project that he did not believe in only to earn a wage to sustain his life.
Link to the Article: www.chicagotribune.com/business/sns-ap-us-power-plant-explosion,0,4223586.story
The moral issue here relates to Marx’ idea of estranged labor or a life activity that wrongly benefits someone else. It more directly relates to the film Harlan County USA with the thought of workers being commodities. If a laborer dies, it does not affect the company at all; they can just hire somebody else. Marx expresses that the life activity of a man should yield something that the man uses to benefit himself. In this case the power plant explosion, the labor of the man was not to benefit himself. This man’s life was taken while he was laboring to merely earn a wage as opposed to benefitting himself or his family. He was estranged from his labor just like all the other workers at the plant who are controlled by the capitalist. They do as they are told in order to make a wage to sustain their life even though it is impossible for them to move to a higher class.
Marx believes that a man’s labor should yield a product that will better his own life instead of laboring to make another man a profit. With this sad story, a man’s life was taken while working extreme hours on a project that he did not believe in only to earn a wage to sustain his life.
Link to the Article: www.chicagotribune.com/business/sns-ap-us-power-plant-explosion,0,4223586.story
Sunday, January 31, 2010
News According to Locke
Today in the Wall Street Journal, there was a story about building new natural gas pipelines in Europe. The article talks about Nabucco, the main gas company in Europe. Nabucco plans to construct a 3,300 kilometer pipeline in hopes of taking over some of Russia’s gas territory which supplies most of the West. This is an $11.03 billion project that is planned to begin in 2011 if everything goes right. Apparently, the reason for this new gas pipeline is because European gas usage is going up while the production of the gas is going down. Although, rising gas usage is only an estimation ,not a fact.
The ethical issue here is whether or not the gas pipeline is necessary for the benefit of the European nations, or if it is simply to create competition among the gas companies so they can raise their prices. The article states that the global gas market has been oversupplied and will continue to be until 2015. With this fact, I find it hard to believe that the gas pipeline is necessary.
According to Locke, there are natural limits of property. He believes that one should only take what is possible to use within a timeframe. In the case of the gas supply, if it is oversupplied, then the left over gas is not being used; therefore, the excess gas is wasteful. Locke believes you should not take more than you need, so why should Nabucco build a new pipeline that will be used to make more gas than they need. This is wasteful and therefore stealing from mankind according to Locke.
In addition, this relates to Aristotle’s views about man’s obsession with money and wealth. This pipeline is only being built for business purposes to increase profits for the major gas companies. Building this pipeline is unethical and unnecessary.
The ethical issue here is whether or not the gas pipeline is necessary for the benefit of the European nations, or if it is simply to create competition among the gas companies so they can raise their prices. The article states that the global gas market has been oversupplied and will continue to be until 2015. With this fact, I find it hard to believe that the gas pipeline is necessary.
According to Locke, there are natural limits of property. He believes that one should only take what is possible to use within a timeframe. In the case of the gas supply, if it is oversupplied, then the left over gas is not being used; therefore, the excess gas is wasteful. Locke believes you should not take more than you need, so why should Nabucco build a new pipeline that will be used to make more gas than they need. This is wasteful and therefore stealing from mankind according to Locke.
In addition, this relates to Aristotle’s views about man’s obsession with money and wealth. This pipeline is only being built for business purposes to increase profits for the major gas companies. Building this pipeline is unethical and unnecessary.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
How Aristotle Relates
There is an article written in The Chicago Tribune on Sunday, January 17th that discusses the differences of the American society compared to the Haitian society. It talks about how American Society is obviously “superior to Haiti’s in almost everything that touches on human well-being.” The article goes on to suggest that American’s have a more successful society because we begin life with the necessary components to succeed as a society compared to the severe lack of necessary components in Haiti including a stable government, individual freedom, and a complex economy.
The ethical issue here involves how to help the Haitians, not just in this time of extreme distress from the earthquake but also on a long-term basis. Steve Chapman, author of this article states, “They inherited a world they didn’t make and have only minimal capacity to change. That’s their misfortune.” How can we help turn the country of Haiti around and help them back on their feet considering the horrible state of the country even before this disaster?
Aristotle talks about living a good life using one’s wealth and not letting wealth become limitless. Considering this, how can one attempt to live a good life if the very foundations to obtain a good life are lacking. He talks about the men in a state coming together and sharing what each has to offer with the entire community. This idea could only have a chance at working if it was in a peaceful state. The current Haitians were born into a state filled with chaos and unjust behaviors; therefore, their chance at attempting to live a good comfortable life is hindered.
The ethical issue here involves how to help the Haitians, not just in this time of extreme distress from the earthquake but also on a long-term basis. Steve Chapman, author of this article states, “They inherited a world they didn’t make and have only minimal capacity to change. That’s their misfortune.” How can we help turn the country of Haiti around and help them back on their feet considering the horrible state of the country even before this disaster?
Aristotle talks about living a good life using one’s wealth and not letting wealth become limitless. Considering this, how can one attempt to live a good life if the very foundations to obtain a good life are lacking. He talks about the men in a state coming together and sharing what each has to offer with the entire community. This idea could only have a chance at working if it was in a peaceful state. The current Haitians were born into a state filled with chaos and unjust behaviors; therefore, their chance at attempting to live a good comfortable life is hindered.
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