Quote:
Originally Posted by molman
. . . feeding western consumption to allow many to go whoo hoo a $200 tablet, how sweet.
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The technology used in the Kindle greatly overlaps that of cell phones, especially if you (as I do) have a 3G model. And according to a slightly dated web site I found, which I think is accurate,
at the end of 2010 there will be 3.8 billion mobile subscriptions in the developing world – that’s 73 percent of global subscriptions.
I'm not saying there are zero labor or environmental concerns. But from what I can see, the Foxconn factories manufacturing the Kindle, as well as technically overlapping devices widely used in the non-western world, pay wages above the Chinese standard and are helping to pull the country out of its dire poverty. I was concerned by the articles concerning working conditions at US Amazon warehouses, which seem worse than the local standard. Also there are environmental advantages to these devices as well as concerns. In my case, they have resulted in a big newsprint consumption decrease.
Your profile says that you don't have an eBook device. Where do you draw the line on which electronic devices are and are not moral to own or use? Is paper consumption more moral than rare earth consumption?