the unix eunuch on Nostr: a related thing which irritates me and you see a lot: it's a well known fact that ...

a related thing which irritates me and you see a lot: it's a well known fact that many of the minerals used in computers are mined in horrific conditions, particularly in central Africa. however. often through the process of commodity fetishism people will talk about this as though this job is inherently and unavoidably exploitative, dangerous, and unrewarding, when in fact mining does not need to be any of those things. some danger is always present in some industries, sure, but it's a choice of political economy to deny workers the safety checks and healthcare they need in order to acquire it as cheaply as possible. this goes for literally every "conflict mineral". it's not the minerals themselves which cause the conflict and the exploitation, it's capitalism and imperialism!