Based superstructure: apple sweatshop economics

Pretty good example of Apple’s race to the bottom in terms of semi-legal-seemingly-nice-guy-global-gangsta sweatshop economics.

Apple typically asks suppliers to specify how much every part costs, how many workers are needed and the size of their salaries. Executives want to know every financial detail. Afterward, Apple calculates how much it will pay for a part. Most suppliers are allowed only the slimmest of profits.

So suppliers often try to cut corners, replace expensive chemicals with less costly alternatives, or push their employees to work faster and longer, according to people at those companies.

via Apple’s iPad and the Human Costs for Workers in China – NYTimes.com.