John Biggs has an interesting post about the hidden costs of gadgets, triggered by the recent suicide of a Foxconn employee, apparently due to pressure related to Apple's secrecy requirements.
Is it right to utilise an invisible underclass to fuel our passion for gadgets? Has consumerism gone too far?
Even if we were prepared to pay more for locally and/or humanely built technology, is it even possible to do so now that we have willingly abdicated the knowledge, technology, and mindset required? I could imagine western labour unions flat out refusing to work on a modern high-tech production line.
