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But Tim toured a chinese facility and told us everything was A-OK! He wouldn't have deceived us, would he have?!
 
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No, China has oppressive policies toward LGBTQ. And they have a shocking amount of control over the content of our movies. Everyone who screams censorship because Apple was (apparently erroneously) reported to want family friendly content doesn’t realize one of the reasons we haven’t yet seen major characters depicted as gay in the big franchises is due in part to offending sensibilities in China. China is now a huge market for western films and they also wield influence as both consumers and via investment in production. The recent movie about Mr. Rogers is an example of the latter.

Tim Cook knows this. He’s got Apple stores in countries with laws that are hostile to LGBTQ. It’s all business and nothing personal on that front.
Not sure how much of that I buy. Just restrict certain movies to certain markets, (as far as official distribution channels go)?
They'll still get it i they want it sure, but why not. It happens here with lots of things - even Youtube, 'The uploader has not made this available in your country".
 
So much hypocrisy here.
We are ALL complicit here. Even if I didn’t own any Apple products my health depends on medicine manufactured only in China. I don’t like being in that position at all but this is where our own system fails us. Our stock market thirsts for companies to push more and more growth. Jobs are sacrificed to this goal. Long term health and stability of companies are sacrificed to this goal. We kind of lost our way in the “Greed is Good” era.
 
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You can always switch. If you really feel as strong about the situation as you suggest, sacrificing your principles is a cop-out. Courage. Do it today!

To be honest I’m not even into tech like I was even a few years ago. Tim is a big phony social justice warrior much like most members here.
 
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Apple is in a position to set an example for other corporations on manufacturing. They have the money to create Apple manufacturing plants that can pay a living wage and provide amazing working conditions, even in China. They could start a trend and brag about it like they do with the environmental impact report they do on all products. It would also cut back on leaks from the factories. I would gladly pay extra for an Apple product sourced by someone that was being treated well and paid well.
How much extra?
 
Just read the article; sounds like a China issue and not an Apple one. Based on the actual report, I would not be surprised if Apple was unaware of what was happening.

As it says in the article ,
"The Chinese government should:
•. give multinational companies unfettered access to allow them to investigate any abusive or forced labour practices in factories in China"

Sounds like these things are being hidden from view.
 
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Not sure how much of that I buy. Just restrict certain movies to certain markets, (as far as official distribution channels go)?
They'll still get it i they want it sure, but why not. It happens here with lots of things - even Youtube, 'The uploader has not made this available in your country".
They can’t restrict movies to certain markets that are not China when China has actively invested in production. Keep a lookout for how many of your favorite movies have credits to a Chinese company like Tencent Productions.
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To be honest I’m not even into tech like I was even a few years ago. Tim is a big phony social justice warrior much like most members here.
I don’t know if you’ll see the post but I kind of stood up for you and said we are all complicit. My health depends on medicine made exclusively in China. I’m screwed even if I never buy another Apple product.
 
To be honest I’m not even into tech like I was even a few years ago. Tim is a big phony social justice warrior much like most members here.

Well... Again, since you feel so strongly ("I swear if I wasn’t so invested in apple stuff I would have switched by now"), why not stand up for your principles and simply switch?

If I were to feel the same way, I would have switched in a heart beat, long ago. There are plenty of choices and options.
 
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The fact that all big businesses are just as bad doesn't stop it being bad.
I never said Apple or any other business was bad. Everybody says they would pay more for something not manufactured in China but they don’t say how much more. And how about when it’s not just one thing (like a cell phone) but most things? At what point is it not affordable, especially for people who don’t earn a lot and are living paycheck to paycheck.
 
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Well... Again, since you feel so strongly ("I swear if I wasn’t so invested in apple stuff I would have switched by now"), why not stand up for your principles and simply switch?

If I were to feel the same way, I would have switched in a heart beat.

I’m keeping my iPhone X till it breaks and then I really will think long and hard about what to buy next.

Im not as anti google as most members here.
 
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They can’t restrict movies to certain markets that are not China when China has actively invested in production. Keep a lookout for how many of your favorite movies have credits to a Chinese company like Tencent Productions.
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I don’t know if you’ll see the post but I kind of stood up for you and said we are all complicit. My health depends on medicine made exclusively in China. I’m screwed even if I never buy another Apple product.
Of course you can. It's difficult but not impossible. Apple could do it if they wanted.
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why? I’ve owned Apple gear since the 90s and with all my iTunes and App Store purchases it makes switching harder. Don’t see any hypocrisy here, none at all... unless your definition differs from the rest of society ?
I see hypocrisy too, (not saying I'm any different by the way). If it means enough to you, you'll change it.
 
We are ALL complicit here. Even if I didn’t own any Apple products my health depends on medicine manufactured only in China. I don’t like being in that position at all but this is where our own system fails is. Our stock market thirsts for companies to push more and more growth. Jobs are sacrificed to this goal. Long term health and stability of companies are sacrificed to this goal. We kind of lost our way in the “Greed is Good” era.

Yep, Western Greed enabled China. They bowed, smiled, and allowed their cheap labor to be exploited.

Now 30 years later, they tail is now wagging the dog.
 
Maybe an option for made in USA iPhone at different price?

people pay more for a Tesla so they can lessen their carbon footprint.

well I would like to lower my Chinese footprint.

moving manufacturing offshore may have been the dumbest and most shortsighted economic event in history.
 
I never said Apple or any other business was bad. Everybody says they would pay more for something not manufactured in China but they don’t say how much more. And how about when it’s not just one thing (like a cell phone) but most things? At what point is it not affordable, especially for people who don’t earn a lot and are living paycheck to paycheck.
It is a dilemma certainly. The many years of North American companies offshoring manufacturing etc. to China tremendously impacted the number of jobs available at home. There were so many jobs that paid a decent middle class wage that disappeared. Yes, there have always been many living paycheque to paycheque but the offshoring has led to more being in this category and in those with no paycheque.

The opportunities for a decent paying job for those without credentials for a "white collar" job have been drastically cut. I am not wishing to be insulting to any member of society when I say that those with less education or interest in typical office work used to be able to get a decent paying job in a manufacturing facility and in some cases, a very well paying unionised job in one of the major car plants.

All this was sacrificed due to the all mighty cost cutting CEOs and the focus on very short term results, completely ignoring the impact on society. Due to this, many can only afford to shop at Walmart and the local small and medium businesses have been decimated. This is progress??? I think not. And there are no obvious solutions to these problems.
 
Switch to what? Some other tech product or medication with components from where? Even that organically grown local food you ate was probably packaged in material recycled from some oppressive regime or polluting process.

The context of the conversation was about using Apple products while supporting a company and CEO whose practices outrage so many people here.

Simply pick another tech company whose policies don't trigger so much outrage and anxiety. And then vote with your wallet and reward those companies with your currency who are aligned with your principles. Not doing so is hypocritical.
 
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Two things: people want things cheap, and maximizing profits is the only thing people care about. That's why companies outsource to china, why private prisons lobby so hard in the US, etc. People want the best for themselves, but treat other people like ****.
 
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Moving Uyghurs around China is a way to destroy Uyghur culture in China. Apparently Foxconn is controlled by the Communist Party because it appears to be easy to place Uyghurs in factories.
 
I never said Apple or any other business was bad. Everybody says they would pay more for something not manufactured in China but they don’t say how much more. And how about when it’s not just one thing (like a cell phone) but most things? At what point is it not affordable, especially for people who don’t earn a lot and are living paycheck to paycheck.
I know this is a tangent, but Apple products (which I love and have no intention of turning away from) are luxury items priced way higher than competing products thanks to Apple's incredible margins. They're already not affordable, especially for people who don’t earn a lot and are living paycheck to paycheck.

As for how much more, it certainly is hard to say isn't it? I'd certainly pay an extra £50 (on top of the price of a £1,000 iPhone) for it to have been made by people working under decent conditions. Would I pay £100 more? Maybe. Maybe I'd pay that each year, or maybe I'd pay that and upgrade less often, I don't know. If you'd asked me when iPhone cost £800 what's the maximum I'd pay for one I'd have had an equally hard time answering (turns out it's at least £1,000). What I'd like to know is how much more would it have to cost/would Apple's profit have to drop by to make it work?
 
Apple doesn't operate manufacturing plants in China. This has nothing to do with them.
Of course it does. Apple contracts with Foxcomm etc. Apple pays the bills and has the power to say how things are done. If the Chinese government says that they will make the final decision as to who is "hired" (or brought into the facility as a slave) then Apple can decide to withdraw its business. There is always a choice. Some choose to turn a blind eye as it seems you do.
 
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I feel that this whole "get everything made cheap in China in massive quantities" thing is just the current terrible phase in Human history and just like it happened with slavery in America or the Holocaust, it has to end. This is neither sustainable nor good

Whats the next phase? Everything is made by robots and millions starve in the streets?
 
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