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If you have ever done blue collar work in the US, you would see there is a big range in industrial labor conditions. You have filthy, dirty, hot, dangerous plan

If you have ever done blue collar work in the US, you would see there is a big range in industrial labor conditions. You have filthy, dirty, hot, dangerous plants and clean, modern, safe plants along with everything in between. China is an even bigger country with many more industrial plants with a wide range. There are enough good plants to fill infinite propaganda reels. The best propaganda is true. It's not mistaken if it's accurate video of real facilities. Americans generally are at least 10-15 years out of date with their impressions of urban Chinese quality of life and working conditions because our news coverage of China is very poor quality. Foxconn is a Taiwanese company, by the way, it just has lots of facilities on the mainland as well, and to show I'm not a shill Taiwan is an independent country, Mao was a bad man, etc.

baybal2 5y ago
Industrial work in USA has been indeed cheaper than in China for a few years, and not just labourers, and materials. Now, dozens more countries are jumping onto the space in the market that China is retreating from. Unfortunately, US is not one of them. It's easier to open a factory for me even in a country like Bangladesh (which stands on ∞ place in ease of doing business index,) than in the most business friendly states in US, despite nominally better tax rates in the US, and cheaper non-labour inputs.
- mountainb 5y ago
  The US also has a culture that considers hand-work to be distasteful and even evil, whereas mind-work as something to be aspired to. It's probably more prestigious to be on the dole and to be in education to your mid-30s than it is to drive a truck.
  - Bayart 5y ago
    It's a trope in every developed country, but I've got a bit of a different impression. Manual work seems better considered and paid in the US than in Continental Europe where I live. Furthermore, as far as I'm aware, blue collars are very poorly considered in China and the social gap between classes is greater than in egalitarian Western nations.
  - throwaway0a5e 5y ago
    >The US also has a culture that considers hand-work to be distasteful and even evil, whereas mind-work as something to be aspired to. It varies. Your statement is definitely true in most of the places the demographics on HN mostly live. But nobody is trying to build manufacturing facilities in those places.

baybal2 5y ago

Industrial work in USA has been indeed cheaper than in China for a few years, and not just labourers, and materials. Now, dozens more countries are jumping onto the space in the market that China is retreating from. Unfortunately, US is not one of them. It's easier to open a factory for me even in a country like Bangladesh (which stands on ∞ place in ease of doing business index,) than in the most business friendly states in US, despite nominally better tax rates in the US, and cheaper non-labour inputs.

mountainb 5y ago
The US also has a culture that considers hand-work to be distasteful and even evil, whereas mind-work as something to be aspired to. It's probably more prestigious to be on the dole and to be in education to your mid-30s than it is to drive a truck.
- Bayart 5y ago
  It's a trope in every developed country, but I've got a bit of a different impression. Manual work seems better considered and paid in the US than in Continental Europe where I live. Furthermore, as far as I'm aware, blue collars are very poorly considered in China and the social gap between classes is greater than in egalitarian Western nations.
- throwaway0a5e 5y ago
  >The US also has a culture that considers hand-work to be distasteful and even evil, whereas mind-work as something to be aspired to. It varies. Your statement is definitely true in most of the places the demographics on HN mostly live. But nobody is trying to build manufacturing facilities in those places.