"Blood Diamond" not so good for diamonds - Page 2

6SpeedTA95 · 12-12-2006, 12:31 PM

Originally Posted by hsmith

Since when are slaves allowed to do whatever they want?

Sure they can quit, but they would be shot in the face.

Doesn't sound like free labor to me!

its not free labor

DosEquis · 12-12-2006, 12:56 PM

Originally Posted by hsmith

Since when are slaves allowed to do whatever they want?

Sure they can quit, but they would be shot in the face.

Doesn't sound like free labor to me!

They get paid... they just get paid the equivilant to pennys a week. They showed up and said they would work for it. Free market at its finest. The owner just wants to make his share holders happy... who are you to tell them that pennys a week, 100 hour work weeks, are out of line. They are just feeding the bottom line to ensure their company has the least amount of overhead and maximizing profits. Are you suggesting that government should *GASP* regulate their diamond mine labor? My god wedding ring costs would soar! Jewelry stores every where are out of business!

Scrum · 12-12-2006, 01:04 PM

Originally Posted by DosEquis

They get paid... they just get paid the equivilant to pennys a week. They showed up and said they would work for it. Free market at its finest. The owner just wants to make his share holders happy... who are you to tell them that pennys a week, 100 hour work weeks, are out of line. They are just feeding the bottom line to ensure their company has the least amount of overhead and maximizing profits. Are you suggesting that government should *GASP* regulate their diamond mine labor? My god wedding ring costs would soar! Jewelry stores every where are out of business!

IminWonderland · 12-12-2006, 01:17 PM

Originally Posted by Phantom

you're going to hell because you are conservative, so you might as well enjoy some of the benefits.

IminWonderland · 12-12-2006, 01:19 PM

My concious is clean. I don't like jewelry and own no diamonds, not even in my engagement ring, I didn't want a real stone, I asked for a fake.

nbiggershaft · 12-12-2006, 01:58 PM

Originally Posted by hsmith

Since when are slaves allowed to do whatever they want?

Sure they can quit, but they would be shot in the face.

Doesn't sound like free labor to me!

Assume for a second, however correctly or incorrectly, that they aren't originally slaves. Change anything?

hsmith · 12-12-2006, 02:10 PM

Originally Posted by nbiggershaft

Assume for a second, however correctly or incorrectly, that they aren't originally slaves. Change anything?

if you can leave freely at any time and you choose to start the job then i could not care less.

i am 110% against slavery of any kind.

nbiggershaft · 12-12-2006, 02:48 PM

Originally Posted by hsmith

if you can leave freely at any time and you choose to start the job then i could not care less.

i am 110% against slavery of any kind.

Situation 1: Impovershed African's are payed pennies to mine diamonds. They are beaten and killed for not properly doing their stealing and not doing their job well enough. The diamonds are used by warlords to buy guns to commit genocide and stage coups. The commerce insures foreign influence that impedes efforts to help restructure society.

Situation 2: Impovershed African's are payed pennies to mine diamonds. If sufficient workers are not available, they are collected from local villages and forced. They are beaten and killed for not properly doing their stealing and not doing their job well enough. The diamonds are used by warlords to buy guns to commit genocide and stage coups. The commerce insures foreign influence that impedes efforts to help restructure society.

worlds of difference

hsmith · 12-12-2006, 03:04 PM

Originally Posted by nbiggershaft

Situation 1: Impovershed African's are payed pennies to mine diamonds. They are beaten and killed for not properly doing their stealing and not doing their job well enough. The diamonds are used by warlords to buy guns to commit genocide and stage coups. The commerce insures foreign influence that impedes efforts to help restructure society.

Situation 2: Impovershed African's are payed pennies to mine diamonds. If sufficient workers are not available, they are collected from local villages and forced. They are beaten and killed for not properly doing their stealing and not doing their job well enough. The diamonds are used by warlords to buy guns to commit genocide and stage coups. The commerce insures foreign influence that impedes efforts to help restructure society.

worlds of difference

do a better job of reading and don't pretend to know my opinion on the matter. both of your "assumptions" have nothing to do with being able to freely work

nbiggershaft · 12-12-2006, 04:37 PM

Originally Posted by hsmith

do a better job of reading and don't pretend to know my opinion on the matter. both of your "assumptions" have nothing to do with being able to freely work

Which part you want me to read better?

hsmith · 12-12-2006, 05:02 PM

Originally Posted by nbiggershaft

Which part you want me to read better?

if you can leave freely at any time and you choose to start the job then i could not care less.

i am 110% against slavery of any kind.

i fail to see how killing someone for not doing their job correctly falls into anything i said

Ardentfrost · 12-12-2006, 05:08 PM

Originally Posted by nbiggershaft

Situation 1: Impovershed African's are payed pennies to mine diamonds. They are beaten and killed for not properly doing their stealing and not doing their job well enough. The diamonds are used by warlords to buy guns to commit genocide and stage coups. The commerce insures foreign influence that impedes efforts to help restructure society.

Situation 2: Impovershed African's are payed pennies to mine diamonds. If sufficient workers are not available, they are collected from local villages and forced. They are beaten and killed for not properly doing their stealing and not doing their job well enough. The diamonds are used by warlords to buy guns to commit genocide and stage coups. The commerce insures foreign influence that impedes efforts to help restructure society.

worlds of difference

In situation 1 they are beaten for not doing the job... regardless of pay, that is slavery.

In situation 2, workers are "collected" and forced to do the job. Regardless of pay, that is slavery.

The ok situation is that people (kids included if they want) work at the mine if they want to (want being determined by treatment and pay). At that time, the market can work on the industry. What the mine owners do with the money is their business, but if they're out commiting genocide for no reason at all, I doubt they could staff their mine (given this situation's use of the free market).

I don't know why people see the African diamond situation as capitalism at it's core. IMO, it's more of statism at it's core. You have a governing body (people with guns) and citizens (people without guns) who are forced to do things for the "good" of the governing body, regardless of how it affects the citizens' well-being.

nbiggershaft · 12-12-2006, 07:33 PM

Originally Posted by hsmith

i fail to see how killing someone for not doing their job correctly falls into anything i said

I'm trying to point at that just people being forced to mine the diamonds and being killed in the process does not cover all the problems of the diamond industry. They aren't called 'conflict' diamonds because of a conflict of conscience.