This is one of those moments where I'm utterly distressed by the lack of a solution to curb all the frivolous consumerism of the world.
I don't think frivolous consumerism is the cause, it's what humans will do to others to get ahead. In other words, greed. The people that run the factories don't view the people as human, otherwise they wouldn't be able to treat them like machines.
I'm inclined to believe that Foxconn and its ilk exist because there is an insatiable need for the latest and greatest gadgets.
I absolutely agree that greed will always be a major factor in the equation but I can't help but think that our rabid consumerism is the culprit providing the opportunity for the greedy to reign.
Let's turn this around. Let's look at coal miners and the problems they've gone through. I don't think the consumers of coal would be considered frivolous or the cause of the bad conditions of the miners. It's the companies that want to squeeze out that last drop of profit at the expense of their workers. That's the problem.
Humans can abuse other humans for any reason, and greed is the cause.
The more separated someone is from a situation the less they relate. People buying smartphones are removed enough from the working conditions at Foxconn that it's of little significance.
It applies in almost every corner of the world. If Ebola didn't start in a struggling, impoverished and black country there would be a lot more attention being paid to it as a crisis.
I don't think frivolous consumerism is the cause, it's what humans will do to others to get ahead. In other words, greed. The people that run the factories don't view the people as human, otherwise they wouldn't be able to treat them like machines.