Re:Poor journalism. Again. And again. And again. (Score 1)

Sounds trite, but accidents like these are inevitable consequences of our civilization. Its our nature as human beings to maximize our effectiveness while minimizing our use of resources.


Well then, how about murder with malice aforethought? In Hawk's Nest, W. Va. in the early 1930's, more than 1000 workers died from silicosis- a degenerative lung condition caused by the inhalation of silica dust and associated with mining and sandblasting. They were digging a tunnel to to supply water to a Union Carbide hydroelectric plant. The executives and engineers knew about the dangers of silicosis, and took measures to protect themselves, but they didn't tell the workers or provide them with protective gear. They forbid the company doctors from telling the men what the real problem was, and had them prescribe placebos. Inevitable? Hardly.

The exact number of dead will never be known, since many of those who died were buried in unmarked and mass graves. To quote one UC executive who testified before Congress in '35, "I knew I was going to kill those n******, but I didn't know it was going to be this soon." Silicosis normally kills people over 20-30 years. At Hawk's Nest, people were dropping dead after a year or less of exposure. Since Hawk's Nest, the affected industries have banded together several times to bury the issue, adn for the most part have succeeded, even though an OSHA survey indicates that the condition is rampant, but is usually either concealed or misdiagnosed. Now tell me- how big a step is it from concealing the fact that someone's current job is going to kill them in relatively short order (because that's the most efficient use of resources), to simply killing someone outright because they're an impediment?*

Its your responsibility as a buyer to thuroughly research your choices before putting your name on the dotted line and putting your money on the table.


This leads into one of the big problems with capitalism- information. It's damn near impossible to get all the information that you really need to make a truly informed decision. It doesn't help that at least $10 billion (by one estimate) is spent in the US on public relations. This is just in the US, and dosen't even account for more blatant mechanisms for manipulating public opinions (like advertising). This isn't money spent on informing people so they can make a rational, informed decision. This is money spent manipulating perceptions, working off of our instincts, and shading the truth so that people will buy a certain product or service. Honestly- I couldn't get all the information I'd like about the cereal I eat for breakfast if I tried.

*-I haven't heard of the specific incident involving Silkwood, but I wouldn't be inclined to dismiss it out of hand, either.