The High-Tech Trashing Of Asi Documentary Analysis

The e-waste brings money but also brings problems to the developing countries. In the documentary “Exporting Harm: The High-Tech Trashing of Asia”, the environment of a village named Guiyu in China was seen severely contaminated and people living in that village faced with deadly health problems. Workers in Guiyu do not have any skills and equipment to handle and process the e-waste. They simply use their hands to take out the copper and silicon, dilute the mercury and scrap down the lead. Displayer, wires and electronic parts were discarded everywhere and waited for burning. They can’t breathe the air, drink the water and the blood of children is laced with death. When asked why they choose to work in such a condition, the workers answered that they have no choice and they either live with poverty or they live with poison. In another report “iPhone Made in China” truth found among workers who suffer from disease in a bad working condition is quite surprising. They said they had lung infections and their

hands were burned sometimes but they are willing to keep doing this job because money is good and they need the money. It makes me wonder why those people have to make a choice between poverty and poison and treat money way more important than their own health? Why the government cannot provide them with a better life and better working conditions? The globalization help generate great profits in the developed countries but how about those developing countries who are the supplier of the raw materials of the electronic products they consume and the receptors of they e-waste they abandoned?
Globalization connects the world together but it also enlarges the gap between developed countries and developing countries.

The rich become even richer while the poor stay in the poor condition. The global trade of minerals like coltan leads to disorder and bloody conflicts in Congo while helping CEOs earn millions of money. The e-waste of US, instead of being processed properly in its own state, is sneakily transported to China due to its unenforced and inadequate law of protecting its workers and its cheap price of labor. Is the purpose of globalization simply to make money or instead bring the world up together?

I argue that developing countries and developed countries should share at least the benefit. I suggest that government should set and carry out policies to protect the workers and environment in those areas. I advocate that people are treated fairly and conflicts should be avoided in today’s world. That’s what globalization should bring to the

world.