10-13-2008, 11:58 PM
Pete "Not that the third world countries are processing the waste, for that's a given, but that there is some kind of intentional malfeasance behind it all."
Be it malfeasance (nice word, never used it before) or not, it surely is intentional. Such things don't happen by themselves. But the reason is money, as usual. It's about waste products that cannot be recycled in a 'economic viable' way, and our companies are expected to reduce costs so they can our keep prices low, not? But if you prefer to call it development aid, go ahead.
Jester "Just from a strictly game theory point of view, if they prefer A to B, and we prevent them from taking option A, isn't that making things worse for them, rather than better?"
I think that Pete already gave a good answer, but I'd like to add this...
Why should those people have to choose between those choices? If this is the way it's supposed to be, how come they didn't die out before we had so much waste? The point is that we created, or at least help to sustain this situation because it's better for us, and not for them. Simply because we *need* workforces with low demands for dirty jobs like this.
Be it malfeasance (nice word, never used it before) or not, it surely is intentional. Such things don't happen by themselves. But the reason is money, as usual. It's about waste products that cannot be recycled in a 'economic viable' way, and our companies are expected to reduce costs so they can our keep prices low, not? But if you prefer to call it development aid, go ahead.
Jester "Just from a strictly game theory point of view, if they prefer A to B, and we prevent them from taking option A, isn't that making things worse for them, rather than better?"
I think that Pete already gave a good answer, but I'd like to add this...
Why should those people have to choose between those choices? If this is the way it's supposed to be, how come they didn't die out before we had so much waste? The point is that we created, or at least help to sustain this situation because it's better for us, and not for them. Simply because we *need* workforces with low demands for dirty jobs like this.