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Comment by heavyset_go | Hacker News Reader

Just so that we're on the same page, you're claiming that virtual slave prisoners are being lifted out of poverty through forced labor, correct?

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That's a straw man. They're saying that hundreds of millions of Chinese people (and others around the world) have risen out of poverty because of globalism. You're only giving credit for the negative impacts of globalism, and in kind of a duplicitous manner.

If the virtual slaves aren't being made wealthy from their forced labor, then who is and why should we support them?

I am not sure I understand this argument. The article states the "laborers" in question are given a choice as follows: submit to unpaid forced labor else go to a CCP reeducation camp. Nowhere is it stated those subjected to this choice have the opportunity to take advantage of rising living standards.

I agree “forced work” or slavery should be stopped. But go and visit these factories in China... the people are their voluntarily... because their alternative is worse than those conditions.

Like I said economies develop, China should improve its workers rights laws, and slowly it has and will.

We should avoid and remove slavery. Agree.

But using developing countries as an example of why developed countries should be more protectionist at exactly the point in time where the US tried that and lost out on almost every front is insane and disconnected from reality

Mostly agree but highly doubt if China would change the worker rights laws. Actually they do not need change since they already got a good one (including 40 hour work week and overtime pay), but it's rarely enforced by local governments.

As the saying in China goes: "Government Policy, Peoples' Anti-Policy". If the government don't police the laws, then they aren't really laws.

Working conditions in a lot of Chinese companies are terrible in comparison to US/EU counterparts. Any evidence you need is just look at how much a Chinese company will change things if they hire a "westerner" (just for that westerner mind you)... It's ridiculous, China can and should do better.

True, but really if they hire a foreigner, that must be a different position that natives are not capable of. If you are a native and asking something even legal according the law (like double payment for working in weekend), your boss could fire you and there're plenty of people want that job. Also suing that company for wrongful termination takes much time and effort, many blue collar workers even do not know how to do it. With all being said, the working condition is getting better comparing that decades ago, but it's not because of government, it's only because the economy are growing and it takes more money to hire people.

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