> I suspect quite a few folks in the mines, factories, shipping, and retail chain that gets those "two happy parties" connected aren't so happy.

Okay, if you're going to make such a claim and trust in it, then can I presume you have answers to these two questions?

1. In a world without Apple, what would these people be doing that would make them happier?

2. What exactly is stopping them from doing that now?

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ceejayoz 6 hours ago | parent | next [-]

> What exactly is stopping them from doing that now?

I think the rise of China demonstrates they're certainly trying.

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esarbe 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

1. Not being forced to work in the cobalt mines, I suspect.

2. Economic coercion. The people are forced by the capitalist system - that was shaped by capitalist interests - to participate in a system they don't have any say in. They cannot even opt out.

	▲	csallen 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		1. You didn't answer the question. You said what they wouldn't be doing. What would they be doing that would be making them happier? 2. You didn't answer this question either. What specifically is stopping them from opting out? Who is putting a gun to their head and saying they can't live a hunter-gatherer lifestyle or be a subsistence farmer? The answer is nothing. People are largely making these choices themselves, because they're better options, for reasons that are obvious to anyone who's read a bit of history.