Stephen Downes

As we all stare at the spectacle of the richest country in history complaining that 'everyone is taking advantage of them' it's worth pondering why the 'U.S.-made iPhone' is pure fantasy. "I am also baffled when I see Walmart selling a pair of jeans for less than $20. The only way this is possible is at a huge human cost." Not that anyone in the U.S. gov ernment is worried about that cost. "Workers' rights are not what U.S. tariffs are ultimately about. But the exploitation is ours. We, the richest countries in the world, go into developing nations and extract from their people and environment the products we want for the incredibly generous lifestyle we have." China is finally pushing back a bit against this exploitation, so Apple (and others) are just moving to India, and the beat goes on.