We don’t much about what happened, but Reuters is reporting that a “riot” broke out in a Foxconn factory in the northern Chinese city of Taiyuan. Foxconn is a Taiwanese company that produces most of the components for Apple’s iPhone. The company has been plagued by reports of subhuman working conditions for a number of years, and it seems as if this outbreak is associated with the working conditions. There is a global movement to boycott Apple products because of the poor working conditions–globalization works in many different ways. Nonetheless, Apple has just sold 5 million new iPhone 5s.
The Chinese-Japanese confrontation over the Diaoyu/Senkaku islands has led to calls in both countries for boycotts of the other. Foreign Policy ran a post on how each country would be affected by such boycotts. It seems as if there could be serious consequences; but it also seems as if there are ways around such boycotts if the will to do so is present.
Take a break: Here’s a link to the National Geographic Photography contest. Needless to say, these won’t be on the quiz. But enjoy the beauty of the world.
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