Robber barons

In Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, where Foxconn set up shop, residents in a community compound near a Foxconn plant have been complaining of acrid smell from the facility since 2009.

Ironically, for years electronics companies have been hailed by some local authorities as "clean."

In the United States much of outpouring of feelings about Apple founder and guru Steve Jobs centers on the belief that, unlike the robber barons on Wall Street, he made "tangible" things.

But when it comes to profits, like the Gucci luxury label, the intangible things are more valuable.

In 2009, the Apple's 18,000 employees made a profit of US$9 billion, while Foxconn's half million Chinese made only US$120 million.

Does Foxconn complain?

Just as Foxconn can move its plants to inland provinces where labor costs are lower, Apple can outsource its dirty work to other Asian countries thirsty for growth.

Through globalization one can always outsource the dirty job to other countries, and then assume the moral high ground.

The dream that keeps every supplier like Foxconn upbeat about their future is the hope that one day they would grow to be an Apple.

By accusing these sweatshops of inhuman working conditions, China's detractors forget these conditions are essentially dictated by the brand owners, in complicity with consumers.