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Yet most of us probably wear textiles made in a mill in Bangladesh and use electronics manufactured in East Asia at a huge environmental cost. The only thing y

Yet most of us probably wear textiles made in a mill in Bangladesh and use electronics manufactured in East Asia at a huge environmental cost. The only thing you're doing by supporting "Health and Safety" laws is offshoring suffering. The only way to stop the cycle is to consume less, but that seems to be a foreign concept.

jotm 9y ago
I'm specifically thinking of forklift drivers and factory workers. I've been around them when HSE was auditing, and they were openly mocking them for telling them to wear their goggles. Why? Can't say anything about other countries, since there's so much shit at home, they need to take care of their own... But yeah, they also buy the latest shit (on credit), and when asked why, there's no good answer. I use my stuff until it's completely dead, and even then it's fixable. If everyone did it, maybe we'd get rid of planned obsolescence, which is an insane, but sadly profitable concept.
- walshemj 9y ago
  Not sure why wearing goggles when driving a fork lift improves h&s. The trouble is there tends to be a one size fits all h&s I see track side workers wearing hard hats and the failure modes for accidents tends to be things like runaway trucks not heavy objects falling on your head. I have also seen all the local bus drivers wearing high vis vests for no reason - I could see having one the bus in case it breaks down and they have to get out and put out hazard signs but when I have seen busses broken down they don't do that.
hansjorg 9y ago
While it's probably good to aim for less consumption, there's no fundamental reason that those countries couldn't have the same progression in workers rights. What needs to stop is western tax money pouring in through different channels to support repressive and corrupt regimes and policies under the guise of keeping these countries "business friendly". The working and middle classes in the west have been undermining themselves for quite some time now.
- jimmywanger 9y ago
  > there's no fundamental reason that those countries couldn't have the same progression in workers rights. There is in that a high level of unemployment leads to social unrest and governments toppling. Most people in the developing world are willing to suffer in order for a better future for their family. If you take that away (as I mentioned, more automation) then you take that away, and you get a lot of pissed off people. It's a lot easier to live in a sweltering room with your family if you have a reassurance that your children won't suffer the same fate.

jotm 9y ago

I'm specifically thinking of forklift drivers and factory workers. I've been around them when HSE was auditing, and they were openly mocking them for telling them to wear their goggles. Why? Can't say anything about other countries, since there's so much shit at home, they need to take care of their own... But yeah, they also buy the latest shit (on credit), and when asked why, there's no good answer. I use my stuff until it's completely dead, and even then it's fixable. If everyone did it, maybe we'd get rid of planned obsolescence, which is an insane, but sadly profitable concept.

walshemj 9y ago
Not sure why wearing goggles when driving a fork lift improves h&s. The trouble is there tends to be a one size fits all h&s I see track side workers wearing hard hats and the failure modes for accidents tends to be things like runaway trucks not heavy objects falling on your head. I have also seen all the local bus drivers wearing high vis vests for no reason - I could see having one the bus in case it breaks down and they have to get out and put out hazard signs but when I have seen busses broken down they don't do that.

hansjorg 9y ago

While it's probably good to aim for less consumption, there's no fundamental reason that those countries couldn't have the same progression in workers rights. What needs to stop is western tax money pouring in through different channels to support repressive and corrupt regimes and policies under the guise of keeping these countries "business friendly". The working and middle classes in the west have been undermining themselves for quite some time now.

jimmywanger 9y ago
> there's no fundamental reason that those countries couldn't have the same progression in workers rights. There is in that a high level of unemployment leads to social unrest and governments toppling. Most people in the developing world are willing to suffer in order for a better future for their family. If you take that away (as I mentioned, more automation) then you take that away, and you get a lot of pissed off people. It's a lot easier to live in a sweltering room with your family if you have a reassurance that your children won't suffer the same fate.