Re: Amused... to death

"Volker Hetzer" <volker.hetzer_at_ieee.org> wrote

> As some people here said, you can live comfortably in $20 a day in india.

I dispute that statement. You can stay at the local YMCA and get enough to eat and a roof over your head for a few dollars per day. And that is living comfortably if you are used to sleeping on the streets in all weather and begging for food.

> That's IMHO utilizing the advantages of a different price and
> value system, not exploitation. Exploitation is to me if you had
> some starving kids programming 10g because their parents sold them
> into slavery to oracle.

Explotation is that you have two people with the same skill sets. However, because one lives in a 3rd world country, has very bleak job prospects, and is prepared to work for up to 80% less than his counterpart, you employ him. You exploit his circumstances and his desperation to work for 80% less than what the usual amount is for such a person of that skill level, doing the job.

Now if you as corporate ploughs real money into the job market, by creating not only job oppertunities, but furthering education, creating economic growth and so on, then that will be different. But if you're in there just 'cause the labour is cheap, then that smells of explotation.

--
Billy