this post was submitted on 15 May 2025
27 points (96.6% liked)
Hardware
2318 readers
94 users here now
All things related to technology hardware, with a focus on computing hardware.
Rules (Click to Expand):
-
Follow the Lemmy.world Rules - https://mastodon.world/about
-
Be kind. No bullying, harassment, racism, sexism etc. against other users.
-
No Spam, illegal content, or NSFW content.
-
Please stay on topic, adjacent topics (e.g. software) are fine if they are strongly relevant to technology hardware. Another example would be business news for hardware-focused companies.
-
Please try and post original sources when possible (as opposed to summaries).
-
If posting an archived version of the article, please include a URL link to the original article in the body of the post.
Some other hardware communities across Lemmy:
- Augmented Reality - !augmented_reality@lemmy.world
- Gaming Laptops - !gaminglaptops@lemmy.world
- Laptops - !laptops@lemmy.world
- Linux Hardware - !linuxhardware@programming.dev
- Mechanical Keyboards - !mechanical_keyboards@programming.dev
- Microcontrollers - !microcontrollers@lemux.minnix.dev
- Monitors - !monitors@lemm.ee
- Raspberry Pi - !raspberry_pi@programming.dev
- Retro Computing - !retrocomputing@lemmy.sdf.org
- Single Board Computers - !sbcs@lemux.minnix.dev
- Virtual Reality - !virtualreality@lemmy.world
Icon by "icon lauk" under CC BY 3.0
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
Cheap, low cost goods see only possible due to the suffering of others. The workers pay a steep price for their work as the supply chain is filled with children, under-paid and overworked adults, and inhumane working practices.
If workers abroad were paid fair wages, had better working conditions, and didn't have to make children work, producing in the US would be economical.
Anti Commercial-AI license
Even if you avoid sweatshop style work environments, the US is simply not suited for consumer electronic manufacturing.
There are many countries where say the equivalent of €2,000 net a month would be an above average salary and would be highly competitive for a semi-skilled manufacturing position. €24 K a year in the US is nothing.
There is also the problem of massive corruption in the American medical system (I have a close friend who works in a provider and the rates they charge the insurance companies are borderline comical) and in other areas (e.g. telecommunication costs in the US are just stupid).
If only workers for low cost products were earning the equivalent and had "above average wages". Also above average doesn't mean much if the average is poverty; that's why I said fair wage.
I do think US workers have to experience the same struggles as their foreign comrades to understand and empathise. Maybe it will help them value their goods more. Europe could do with the same as we don't see nor care about the suffering that goes into our low cost products either. Maybe having a silicon, lithium, or rare earth mine in the backyard will make us care about product origins and the supply chain more.
Anti Commercial-AI license