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by Originami 1426 days ago
If not working in a mine, these children will be working subsistence agriculture, which is equally as back-braking.

The underlying problem is an excess of manual labor in Africa, caused by excessive birth rates. Take fertility rates down to sub-replacement like they are in the rest of the world, and mining will just be automated.
2 comments
PeterStuer 1426 days ago
Did you ever consider that in "sub-replacement" populations they still send poor people down the mines, as that is way cheaper than robots?

Never mind the perpetual political destabilization of that region because our oligarch owned nations want the natural treasures buried beneath that African soil for cheap. It's their own fault for having babies. Djeez.

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throwaway0a5e 1426 days ago
> Did you ever consider that in "sub-replacement" populations they still send poor people down the mines, as that is way cheaper than robots?

As long as the poor guy can choose to work something better wages and working conditions will reflect this (or the mine will shut down). See Europe after the black death.

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PeterStuer 1426 days ago
That is what they call a "big if
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throwaway0a5e 1426 days ago
No. It's not. It's basic supply and demand. You see this every time there's supply side constraints on labor. Usually they're geographic and short lived but big ones sometimes happen too.
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giraffe_lady 1426 days ago
> The underlying problem is an excess of manual labor in Africa,

In what fucking world holy shit. Good lord, seriously. Labor IS PEOPLE. There is no such thing as an excess person.

The underlying problem is an economic system that allows/depends on the exploitation of vulnerable and precarious labor. If you're going to justify this then grow a spine and do it, don't deflect it back on the people being hurt the most saying they should cull themselves for our moral convenience.

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Ekaros 1426 days ago
Excess labour supply doesn't necessarily mean excess people...

Just that there might not be enough resources to meet the needs of population. Such as food and water. Thus purchasers of labour will get away by providing minimum. If there weren't such big excess supply they would need to provide more or provide better conditions.

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