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In the 1980s the West used boycotts and divestment to criticize apartheid South Africa. It's time the West does the same to China to criticize its treatment of

In the 1980s the West used boycotts and divestment to criticize apartheid South Africa. It's time the West does the same to China to criticize its treatment of the Uyghurs. The problem though as an individual consumer is that electronics products made in China are so ubiquitous that it's difficult to impossible navigate a boycott. Please HNers at big corps, if you are in any sort of position to influence where your hardware products are made, please push to have your products made elsewhere.

wonnage 6y ago
This is a curious comment in that the West set up apartheid in the first place. Millions of Africans suffered under it and thousands died in the struggle to overthrow it. The role that external condemnation from western countries played, if any, pales in comparison to what actual Africans sacrificed and accomplished. Western sanctions generally produce misery and discontent as their main outcomes. North Korea has been sanctioned for decades and shows no signs of responding positively. Iraq was sanctioned for decades until the US invaded and further ruined the lives of everyone there.
- novok 6y ago
  The reason why north korea is still around is because China enables it's existence, and as a result, that little hell, which wasn't that much different from china 35 years ago, still persists.
  - wonnage 6y ago
    South Korea was similarly ravaged after the war, and was ruled by a series of various dictators until the 90s. Luckily they were authoritarian capitalists instead of authoritarian communists, and were propped up by US aid (much better than Chinese aid, since the Chinese could barely feed themselves).
- Tiktaalik 6y ago
  I'm not calling for sanctions I'm calling for boycotts. Sanctions means that a country can't buy the raw materials it needs for its citizens. Boycotts mean that foreign consumers don't buy the products the country produces. Massive difference.

wonnage 6y ago

This is a curious comment in that the West set up apartheid in the first place. Millions of Africans suffered under it and thousands died in the struggle to overthrow it. The role that external condemnation from western countries played, if any, pales in comparison to what actual Africans sacrificed and accomplished. Western sanctions generally produce misery and discontent as their main outcomes. North Korea has been sanctioned for decades and shows no signs of responding positively. Iraq was sanctioned for decades until the US invaded and further ruined the lives of everyone there.

novok 6y ago
The reason why north korea is still around is because China enables it's existence, and as a result, that little hell, which wasn't that much different from china 35 years ago, still persists.
- wonnage 6y ago
  South Korea was similarly ravaged after the war, and was ruled by a series of various dictators until the 90s. Luckily they were authoritarian capitalists instead of authoritarian communists, and were propped up by US aid (much better than Chinese aid, since the Chinese could barely feed themselves).
Tiktaalik 6y ago
I'm not calling for sanctions I'm calling for boycotts. Sanctions means that a country can't buy the raw materials it needs for its citizens. Boycotts mean that foreign consumers don't buy the products the country produces. Massive difference.