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First of all, Foxconn is taiwanese company, it's not run by the china that the U.S seems to be on a big PR push against, it's run by the other china. Secondly,

First of all, Foxconn is taiwanese company, it's not run by the china that the U.S seems to be on a big PR push against, it's run by the other china. Secondly, this factory is in the most competitive and cutthroat area of mainland china, and it's producing the most secretive goods that can be produced. If the livelyhood of your entire business depends on the secrecy required (for marketing purposes) by companies from the UNITED STATES, then I think it is reasonable that you will take steps to stop people from standing outside and photographing into your company. And they did not try to execute the man or put him on a prison in an island for 5 years without trial, they just took steps to make sure he did not have pictures that would compromise their factory. Tens of thousands of people owe their daily bread to the secrecy. In this idealistic world view promoted by the article, kicking a man in the leg is a worse crime than letting 10 thousand people lose their job. In the U.S, guards routinely shoot 10.000 volts of current into people. Kicking someone on the leg is nothing compared to that.

yummyfajitas 17y ago
If the livelyhood of your entire business depends on the secrecy required (for marketing purposes) by companies from the UNITED STATES, then I think it is reasonable that you will take steps to stop people from standing outside and photographing into your company. Indeed. I'd build opaque fences and windowless buildings. I might also situate my factory out of sight from the main road. I would not, however, commit assault. In the U.S, guards routinely shoot 10.000 volts of current into people. And when they do, we criticize them for it rather than make excuses for their bad acts. (Note that the top story on HN right now is criticism of the US government for spying.) [edit: really curious why I'm being downmodded for suggesting I would not commit assault.]
- shpxnvz 17y ago
  From a semi-recent example, we actually seem to react by making it an internet meme and national joke, and printing up snarky t-shirts. ex. http://www.bustedtees.com/donttasemebro http://www.bustedtees.com/donttasemebro
j_baker 17y ago
"And they did not try to execute the man or put him on a prison in an island for 5 years without trial, they just took steps to make sure he did not have pictures that would compromise their factory." For all we know, they could have intended to do horrible things to him. They tried to drag him into the warehouse. And I doubt they were doing it to apologize to him. "In the U.S, guards routinely shoot 10.000 volts of current into people." To be pedantic, voltage isn't the best measure of how harmful electricity is. A 12 volt car battery is much more lethal than a 10,000 volt tazer.

yummyfajitas 17y ago

If the livelyhood of your entire business depends on the secrecy required (for marketing purposes) by companies from the UNITED STATES, then I think it is reasonable that you will take steps to stop people from standing outside and photographing into your company. Indeed. I'd build opaque fences and windowless buildings. I might also situate my factory out of sight from the main road. I would not, however, commit assault. In the U.S, guards routinely shoot 10.000 volts of current into people. And when they do, we criticize them for it rather than make excuses for their bad acts. (Note that the top story on HN right now is criticism of the US government for spying.) [edit: really curious why I'm being downmodded for suggesting I would not commit assault.]

shpxnvz 17y ago
From a semi-recent example, we actually seem to react by making it an internet meme and national joke, and printing up snarky t-shirts. ex. http://www.bustedtees.com/donttasemebro http://www.bustedtees.com/donttasemebro

j_baker 17y ago

"And they did not try to execute the man or put him on a prison in an island for 5 years without trial, they just took steps to make sure he did not have pictures that would compromise their factory." For all we know, they could have intended to do horrible things to him. They tried to drag him into the warehouse. And I doubt they were doing it to apologize to him. "In the U.S, guards routinely shoot 10.000 volts of current into people." To be pedantic, voltage isn't the best measure of how harmful electricity is. A 12 volt car battery is much more lethal than a 10,000 volt tazer.