defending your dinner

In this article by the New York Times, writer Ariel Kaminer touches on the topic of meat ethics - that is, whether or not eating meat ethical.

Image by Russell Bell

I've never been a crazed meat lover, but vegetarian lifestyle has also never appealed to me since that would mean giving up the beloved Dutch's burger or Buffalo Bros chicken fingers. I guess it's fair to say I've never questioned the ethics of meat eating before reading this article.

Although I have the utmost respect for all those who are vegetarian or vegan, I do believe that the omnivorous lifestyle is the most balanced for humans. I would hope production of these meats would meet ethical standards - that the animals have lived in comfortable conditions & have been fed healthy produce during their growth (unfortunately this is generally not the case).

I believe humans survive best with meats in their diets, but do acknowledge that there are valid substitutes for us omnivores. Perhaps consumption of meat is part of the natural order...that's some food for thought.

a worm in the apple

Apple has been under much scrutiny, specifically within this past year, with the discovery of its use of sweatshops in China. The workers found in these shops are paid minimal wages & are placed in hazardous working conditions; these harsh working environments would never be condoned within the U.S.

The article In China, Human Costs are built into an iPad describes the inhumane treatment these Chinese workers face in order to produce various Apple products, as well as other brand items. The utilization of sweatshops unfortunately shows how the company values production and income over human rights.

I must admit, I am a big fan of all Apple products - their simple and clean design of products is so attractive - but I feel greatly unsettled that a human life could have possibly been at risk during the production of my iPhone or Macbook.

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, is currently visiting China to address the issues listed above -  but a company based on ethical principals should have never had this problem from the beginning.

According to Tim Cook, these are Apple's core values (found here):

• We believe that we're on the face of the Earth to make great products.
• We believe in the simple, not the complex.
• We believe that we need to own & control the primary technologies behind the products we make.
• We participate only in markets where we can make a significant contribution.
• We believe in saying no to thousands of projects so that we can really focus on the few that are truly important and meaningful to us.
• We believe in deep collaboration & cross-pollination of our groups, which allow us to innovate in a way that others cannot.
• We don't settle for anything less than excellence in every group in the company, & we have self-honesty to admit to when we're wrong & the courage to change.

The values are in line with the recent occurrences in China; it seems as though Apple has minimal focus on the human-interest perspective within its mission statement.

the clash of values & an open market of communication

In November of 2010, a blog from TechCrunch brought to light a controversial e-book Amazon held in stock: The Pedophile's guide to Love and Pleasure.

Found on Google images

Many bloggers, news reporters and consumers then purchased the e-book to read the content...and learned that the reading was as vile as predicted. After many complaints from almost all audiences, Amazon released a statement.

Amazon believes it is censorship not to sell certain books simply because we or others believe their message is objectionable. Amazon does not support or promote hatred or criminal acts, however, we do support the right of every individual to make their own purchasing decisions.

 Later within the day, Amazon suddenly removed the e-book from their site, without any explanation.

Although Amazon claims to see a free market of ideas and communication as a primary goal, does it not analyze its values as well? The general consensus globally deems pedophilia as immoral. By associating with the illegal act, Amazon tarnished its image. The company did not consider the majority's opinion, including stakeholders such as children, parents and families. Amazon seems to be out of touch with its audience and needs to put more effort into its public relations field, as the company is operating with "technological pulses."