I just came to post this. I was going to use a different title that highlights a different point of view on this absolutely horrendous video, videotaped stealthily.

Romney's blindness to the lies being told him is astounding. His ability to go from describing horrendous working conditions, working for a "pittance" to ACCEPTANCE that his profits generated from those conditions are okay because people are willing to go to work under those conditions is mind-boggling.

Self delusion in the name of profits.

This man cannot be president. Please.

*doublepromote

Double-Promoting this video and sending it back into the queue for one more try; last queued Saturday, August 25th, 2012 6:59pm PDT - doublepromote requested by bareboards2.

Also -- it probably cost $15,000$50,000 to get that shot (those tables aren't cheap!).

Please share this video far and wide to turn his fund raising profits into votes for Obama.

Honestly the barbwire and fences are to keep people from coming into the factory to work for FREE. And no one should question living in horrid conditions of 12 bunk beds and one bathroom for 100s, squalid dorms housing 20,000 worker slaves young women that only get to leave the factory one a year... I'm sure they are all 18 to 22 there Mr. Rmoney.

*dead

This video has been declared non-functional; embed code must be fixed within 2 days or it will be sent to the dead pool - declared dead by volumptuous.

Account is "terminated."

Sounds fricking ominous, if I were into conspiracy theories.

Here's a backup embed:



I don't want to wait two days to fix this myself.

*backup=[...snipped...]

Added alternate embed code for this video - backup requested by jonny.

Replaced video embed code with backup #5782 (supplied by member jonny) - embed replaced by member jonny.

*notdead

This dead video has been deemed functional; it must have been accidentally declared dead - declared notdead by jonny.

Ooooh, I think maybe a server took this video. So no lining of Rmoney's pockets! I feel better.

Wow. Just wow. I can't help but imagine Romney as a visitor to the Russian goulags or the concentration camps. "The Germans told me they take the poor Jews off the streets and out of the ghettos and give them warm beds and clean showers in their very own holiday camps!"

I wonder if these slave-factories are staffed with women to help them earn money to get married, or to have slaves physically less strong than their overseers. No sexism intended.

oh willard, you so crazy (rich)

As in Thailand with the sex worker industry, the families send the daughters off to the cities to make money to send back home. The men stay in their home provinces to work on the farm. They mostly save up enough for extra oxes or other farm animals, maybe work for a year or two, and then GTFO. Some may choose to stay in the city and keep working, but for the most part they hate their new lives and run back home ASAP.

>> ^oOPonyOo:

I wonder if these slave-factories are staffed with women to help them earn money to get married, or to have slaves physically less strong than their overseers. No sexism intended.

*promote

Promoting this video back to the front page; last published Sunday, August 26th, 2012 3:42pm PDT - promote requested by volumptuous.

Everything he said matches the reality in China. I don't know about the particular factory he was talking about but that is how poor people are in China.

And?

He owns the factory. He has the ability to increase the wages from "a pittance". He has the ability to improve the living and working conditions.

I keep thinking about Henry Ford, who pissed off his fellow wealthy factory-owning cohorts, when he paid his workers much much more than the other guys did. He started the middle class because he wanted to create demand for his products.

Granted, this is just a clip. Maybe the next thing he said was -- we raised the wages. We reduced the number of people in a room. We improved the workers' situation and left some profit over there in China.

I'm betting he didn't.



>> ^swedishfriend:

Everything he said matches the reality in China. I don't know about the particular factory he was talking about but that is how poor people are in China.

>> ^joedirt:

Honestly the barbwire and fences are to keep people from coming into the factory to work for FREE. And no one should question living in horrid conditions of 12 bunk beds and one bathroom for 100s, squalid dorms housing 20,000 worker slaves young women that only get to leave the factory one a year... I'm sure they are all 18 to 22 there Mr. Rmoney.


They start working and then demand compensation. Seems like a reasonable strategy if you and your family are starving. I guess you don't realize just how poor people are in China. I don't think things should be this bad in the factories but it is still an improvement over their regular lives which should tell you something about how terrible the wealthy government in China treats its poor.

oh, and none of what he said sounded like bragging.

Mitt Romney is a douche but that makes me sad. It doesn't make me want to be a douche too.

The point of the video isn't the plight of Chinese factory workers. The point is that a person who is running for POTUS has an ugly and detailed history of closing down factories in the USA, forcing tens of thousands of Americans into unemployment, buying slave-labor factories in China and shipping all of the work over there.

That is the exact opposite to his claim of "knowing how to create jobs, my friends."
>> ^swedishfriend:

They start working and then demand compensation. Seems like a reasonable strategy if you and your family are starving. I guess you don't realize just how poor people are in China. I don't think things should be this bad in the factories but it is still an improvement over their regular lives which should tell you something about how terrible the wealthy government in China treats its poor.

>> ^volumptuous:
That is the exact opposite to his claim of "knowing how to create jobs, my friends."


Clearly he knows how to create jobs in China.

In any case, I have to say I'm willing to believe people really do desperately want to work in that factory, or others like it. That's not a particularly uplifting thought, in fact I think it's maybe even worse than if the factory was holding the workers in by force. That people want to work in sweatshops is an indication of a society with deep, deep problems.

I'm not defending Romney, by the way. Treating workers badly because they can't afford to demand better is abuse just the same as treating them badly because they're slaves. I'm just not sure the claim about his credulity is backed up by the video.

That and fairness is why I wrote what I wrote. I agree that his lowness as a person and his hypocrisy should be the focus which is why I tried to steer people away from ignorant douchiness. There is real meat in the video and I was trying to remove some of the gristle from the conversation so to speak.
>> ^volumptuous:

The point of the video isn't the plight of Chinese factory workers. The point is that a person who is running for POTUS has an ugly and detailed history of closing down factories in the USA, forcing tens of thousands of Americans into unemployment, buying slave-labor factories in China and shipping all of the work over there.
That is the exact opposite to his claim of "knowing how to create jobs, my friends."
>> ^swedishfriend:
They start working and then demand compensation. Seems like a reasonable strategy if you and your family are starving. I guess you don't realize just how poor people are in China. I don't think things should be this bad in the factories but it is still an improvement over their regular lives which should tell you something about how terrible the wealthy government in China treats its poor.

I agree he is scum. I was just being fair. Otherwise I would be scum too.
>> ^bareboards2:

And?
He owns the factory. He has the ability to increase the wages from "a pittance". He has the ability to improve the living and working conditions.
I keep thinking about Henry Ford, who pissed off his fellow wealthy factory-owning cohorts, when he paid his workers much much more than the other guys did. He started the middle class because he wanted to create demand for his products.
Granted, this is just a clip. Maybe the next thing he said was -- we raised the wages. We reduced the number of people in a room. We improved the workers' situation and left some profit over there in China.
I'm betting he didn't.

>> ^swedishfriend:
Everything he said matches the reality in China. I don't know about the particular factory he was talking about but that is how poor people are in China.

I have boundless love for everyone and every thing. I will speak out against unfairness even if the target is a horribly messed up person. I also don't like taking sides since I see the flaws in people and understand why they act like they act no matter how horrible I feel those actions are. At most I will take the side of love, fairness and truth. A side far too seldom championed.

Interesting tidbit: I recently was given a bag of the candy called Rollos bought at a local Target store. It was made in England. It had real sugar, real cocoa, but didn't cost any more per ounce than candy made in the USA that use cheaper ingredients, cheaper labor and doesn't have to be imported from Europe. I am sure Cadbury in England still makes a good profit on these bags that are imported into the USA so why the shitty wages and cheap ingredients here in the USA? I say this points to a difference in morality of corporations here in the US vs those in Europe. It isn't black and white of course but there is obviously some difference on a gradient.

This is the same for Swedish candy I bought at Ikea. Less or the same cost per ounce as Mars or Hershey chocolate even though labor and ingredients are more expensive in Sweden plus the product has to be imported (IKEA also adds 30-50% of profit on these chocolate bars, not sure how much my local Target or grocery store adds to their cost). What is sold as premium candy here is the quality of regular candy in Sweden. Why?

Greed at the cost of your customers is never a good idea for long term health of your company so I guess people at the top of these corporations are more greedy than smart. Not the kind of person that should be in charge of thousands of people's livelihoods.

Also interesting that a culture that is so hot for religion is less moral than a culture where churches are near empty. Makes sense to me. Organizations relying on getting people to stop thinking critically cannot be good for promoting morality after all.

>> ^swedishfriend:

I have boundless love for everyone and every thing. I will speak out against unfairness even if the target is a horribly messed up person. I also don't like taking sides since I see the flaws in people and understand why they act like they act no matter how horrible I feel those actions are. At most I will take the side of love, fairness and truth. A side far too seldom championed.


I think that is admirable, swedishfriend. Here you are following Gods second greatest commandment, which is to love thy neighbor as yourself. This is fundamentally, to see every person as worthy of love and respect. This can be a very unpopular position because of the unforgiveness in peoples hearts. However, hatred, bitterness and unforgiveness for people is like poison that you pour for someone else, but you drink it. These are heavy burdens and destructive to the psyche. Time doesn't heal all wounds, in fact often it makes it worse, but forgiveness is a healing balm which brings a measure of peace to a troubled heart. Forgiveness is an essential component to unconditional love. Unconditional love is sacrificial. Jesus said that man had no greater love than this, that he would be willing to lay down his life for his friends. Do you agree?

I don't think there is any way to judge this comment unless we find out what Romney did with the factory after he bought it. I don't think he was bragging, and from what I've heard and read, his description of the fierce competition for jobs in China is accurate.

>> ^shinyblurry:

I don't think there is any way to judge this comment unless we find out what Romney did with the factory after he bought it. I don't think he was bragging, and from what I've heard and read, his description of the fierce competition for jobs in China is accurate.


First off, you're previous comment, minus all the godly stuff, was quite beautiful and is how I strive to live my life - minus the godly stuff

In regards to Romney's comment -- from my vantage point it sounds more like he was expressing surprised relief that the slave labor factor he had just purchased was actually staffed by willing slave laborers rather than forced slave laborers and this somehow alleviates what ever remote feeling of guilt he might have had. It gave the appearance that either way he was going to work these poor women to the bone, it just made it easier on him now that he knew they were semi willing participants. Obviously this is all conjecture but I'm hard pressed to hear and sympathy or remorse in his voice, it was much more akin to "Did you know these mother fuckers actually WANT to work like this? So in reality we're doing good and turning a profit!" His voice has far more interest in that fact than disgust which is kinda the tipping point for me.

I try to remind myself that this can potentially happen to anyone. He was raised and has lived far away from what would be considered a working mans life and it is hard to feel empathy for someone if you are not able to relate to them or have never been taught it. I think it's pretty evident from his lifestyle that this holds true for him. He's not a bad person because he's evil, but because he's incredibly ignorant.

@enon, I don't think he's ignorant. I think he's just a callous son-of-a-bitch.

Especially unpopular among religious people. It is NOT admirable. It isn't a choice. I just feel that way and so does almost everyone else, they just don't realize it. Most people especially in the USA are taught to hide their emotions, to ignore and to bury so they never learn how to use those feelings intelligently. They get scared for no good reason or when they hurt they attack instead of cry, etc. How much time does the average American spend letting their feelings flow and thinking about what the trigger was or how to react to them vs. the amount of time they spend learning to walk and talk and the cultural stuff while remaining basically emotional infants for their whole lives. No matter how logical and rational you try to be your feelings and emotions will always color the conclusion you come to or the course of action you take so you better get to know yourself better or be at a serious disadvantage and a liability to others.>> ^shinyblurry:

>> ^swedishfriend:
I have boundless love for everyone and every thing. I will speak out against unfairness even if the target is a horribly messed up person. I also don't like taking sides since I see the flaws in people and understand why they act like they act no matter how horrible I feel those actions are. At most I will take the side of love, fairness and truth. A side far too seldom championed.

I think that is admirable, swedishfriend. Here you are following Gods second greatest commandment, which is to love thy neighbor as yourself. This is fundamentally, to see every person as worthy of love and respect. This can be a very unpopular position because of the unforgiveness in peoples hearts. However, hatred, bitterness and unforgiveness for people is like poison that you pour for someone else, but you drink it. These are heavy burdens and destructive to the psyche. Time doesn't heal all wounds, in fact often it makes it worse, but forgiveness is a healing balm which brings a measure of peace to a troubled heart. Forgiveness is an essential component to unconditional love. Unconditional love is sacrificial. Jesus said that man had no greater love than this, that he would be willing to lay down his life for his friends. Do you agree?

Yeah that is it exactly. He was telling himself and others that they really aren't bad guys because the workers want to be there. This shows that he does have empathy and does care. If he didn't care he wouldn't need to comfort himself like that. He is just really good at burying his empathetic feelings and making excuses to himself so that he will feel less bad about it. I am sure we can all relate to some degree. Everyone uses these tactics. We simply cannot help all the people in pain that we come across in our everyday lives. He has done it for so long, so much and regarding such serious situations that even desperately unfair conditions like these aren't enough to make him act properly. Not a good choice for a leader of anything.

>> ^enon:

>> ^shinyblurry:
I don't think there is any way to judge this comment unless we find out what Romney did with the factory after he bought it. I don't think he was bragging, and from what I've heard and read, his description of the fierce competition for jobs in China is accurate.

First off, you're previous comment, minus all the godly stuff, was quite beautiful and is how I strive to live my life - minus the godly stuff
In regards to Romney's comment -- from my vantage point it sounds more like he was expressing surprised relief that the slave labor factor he had just purchased was actually staffed by willing slave laborers rather than forced slave laborers and this somehow alleviates what ever remote feeling of guilt he might have had. It gave the appearance that either way he was going to work these poor women to the bone, it just made it easier on him now that he knew they were semi willing participants. Obviously this is all conjecture but I'm hard pressed to hear and sympathy or remorse in his voice, it was much more akin to "Did you know these mother fuckers actually WANT to work like this? So in reality we're doing good and turning a profit!" His voice has far more interest in that fact than disgust which is kinda the tipping point for me.
I try to remind myself that this can potentially happen to anyone. He was raised and has lived far away from what would be considered a working mans life and it is hard to feel empathy for someone if you are not able to relate to them or have never been taught it. I think it's pretty evident from his lifestyle that this holds true for him. He's not a bad person because he's evil, but because he's incredibly ignorant.

>> ^swedishfriend:

Interesting tidbit: I recently was given a bag of the candy called Rollos bought at a local Target store. It was made in England. It had real sugar, real cocoa, but didn't cost any more per ounce than candy made in the USA that use cheaper ingredients, cheaper labor and doesn't have to be imported from Europe. I am sure Cadbury in England still makes a good profit on these bags that are imported into the USA so why the shitty wages and cheap ingredients here in the USA? I say this points to a difference in morality of corporations here in the US vs those in Europe. It isn't black and white of course but there is obviously some difference on a gradient.
This is the same for Swedish candy I bought at Ikea. Less or the same cost per ounce as Mars or Hershey chocolate even though labor and ingredients are more expensive in Sweden plus the product has to be imported (IKEA also adds 30-50% of profit on these chocolate bars, not sure how much my local Target or grocery store adds to their cost). What is sold as premium candy here is the quality of regular candy in Sweden. Why?
Greed at the cost of your customers is never a good idea for long term health of your company so I guess people at the top of these corporations are more greedy than smart. Not the kind of person that should be in charge of thousands of people's livelihoods.
Also interesting that a culture that is so hot for religion is less moral than a culture where churches are near empty. Makes sense to me. Organizations relying on getting people to stop thinking critically cannot be good for promoting morality after all.


Rolos are made by Nestle, just FYI. A global and far richer company than Cadbury's. But I'm positive your point still stands!

*promote

Promoting this video back to the front page; last published Monday, August 27th, 2012 10:53am PDT - promote requested by volumptuous.

Just in: New insider video of Romney overseeing aquisition of a new company:

>> ^swedishfriend:

Yeah that is it exactly. He was telling himself and others that they really aren't bad guys because the workers want to be there. This shows that he does have empathy and does care. If he didn't care he wouldn't need to comfort himself like that. He is just really good at burying his empathetic feelings and making excuses to himself so that he will feel less bad about it. I am sure we can all relate to some degree. Everyone uses these tactics. We simply cannot help all the people in pain that we come across in our everyday lives. He has done it for so long, so much and regarding such serious situations that even desperately unfair conditions like these aren't enough to make him act properly. Not a good choice for a leader of anything.
>> ^enon:
>> ^shinyblurry:
I don't think there is any way to judge this comment unless we find out what Romney did with the factory after he bought it. I don't think he was bragging, and from what I've heard and read, his description of the fierce competition for jobs in China is accurate.

First off, you're previous comment, minus all the godly stuff, was quite beautiful and is how I strive to live my life - minus the godly stuff
In regards to Romney's comment -- from my vantage point it sounds more like he was expressing surprised relief that the slave labor factor he had just purchased was actually staffed by willing slave laborers rather than forced slave laborers and this somehow alleviates what ever remote feeling of guilt he might have had. It gave the appearance that either way he was going to work these poor women to the bone, it just made it easier on him now that he knew they were semi willing participants. Obviously this is all conjecture but I'm hard pressed to hear and sympathy or remorse in his voice, it was much more akin to "Did you know these mother fuckers actually WANT to work like this? So in reality we're doing good and turning a profit!" His voice has far more interest in that fact than disgust which is kinda the tipping point for me.
I try to remind myself that this can potentially happen to anyone. He was raised and has lived far away from what would be considered a working mans life and it is hard to feel empathy for someone if you are not able to relate to them or have never been taught it. I think it's pretty evident from his lifestyle that this holds true for him. He's not a bad person because he's evil, but because he's incredibly ignorant.



Seriously? You think his attempts to paint himself in a better light shows he has empathy?

No. It shows he realizes just how fucking sociopathic his behavior is, and he's trying to sell a "nicer, warmer" image of himself to his audience. He flat out does not care...he'd be just as willing to bleed those women dry, and profit from their blood. Because he's better than they are...they're just peons, and don't count for a thing, just like all of us. We're not him, so we don't count.

Thinking in such absolutes has never led to anything good. It is a matter of degrees. The serial killer kills because that extreme of a thing is what it takes to feel anything. Without emotions you become passive. I am right about what I wrote. With some introspection on your end you will realize it too. Denying the dark side of yourself will force it to be expressed, which the tone of your comment clearly shows.

>> ^Stormsinger:

>> ^swedishfriend:
Yeah that is it exactly. He was telling himself and others that they really aren't bad guys because the workers want to be there. This shows that he does have empathy and does care. If he didn't care he wouldn't need to comfort himself like that. He is just really good at burying his empathetic feelings and making excuses to himself so that he will feel less bad about it. I am sure we can all relate to some degree. Everyone uses these tactics. We simply cannot help all the people in pain that we come across in our everyday lives. He has done it for so long, so much and regarding such serious situations that even desperately unfair conditions like these aren't enough to make him act properly. Not a good choice for a leader of anything.
>> ^enon:
>> ^shinyblurry:
I don't think there is any way to judge this comment unless we find out what Romney did with the factory after he bought it. I don't think he was bragging, and from what I've heard and read, his description of the fierce competition for jobs in China is accurate.

First off, you're previous comment, minus all the godly stuff, was quite beautiful and is how I strive to live my life - minus the godly stuff
In regards to Romney's comment -- from my vantage point it sounds more like he was expressing surprised relief that the slave labor factor he had just purchased was actually staffed by willing slave laborers rather than forced slave laborers and this somehow alleviates what ever remote feeling of guilt he might have had. It gave the appearance that either way he was going to work these poor women to the bone, it just made it easier on him now that he knew they were semi willing participants. Obviously this is all conjecture but I'm hard pressed to hear and sympathy or remorse in his voice, it was much more akin to "Did you know these mother fuckers actually WANT to work like this? So in reality we're doing good and turning a profit!" His voice has far more interest in that fact than disgust which is kinda the tipping point for me.
I try to remind myself that this can potentially happen to anyone. He was raised and has lived far away from what would be considered a working mans life and it is hard to feel empathy for someone if you are not able to relate to them or have never been taught it. I think it's pretty evident from his lifestyle that this holds true for him. He's not a bad person because he's evil, but because he's incredibly ignorant.


Seriously? You think his attempts to paint himself in a better light shows he has empathy?
No. It shows he realizes just how fucking sociopathic his behavior is, and he's trying to sell a "nicer, warmer" image of himself to his audience. He flat out does not care...he'd be just as willing to bleed those women dry, and profit from their blood. Because he's better than they are...they're just peons, and don't count for a thing, just like all of us. We're not him, so we don't count.

Wow! All that, and a mind reader too? You're awesome!

It takes a particularly high level of arrogance to tell someone you've never met, and haven't spent any significant amount of time interacting with, what they're actually thinking and how it's different from what they say they're thinking.

But sure...you're right, and everyone who disagrees with you is on the dark side. Whatever...>> ^swedishfriend:

Thinking in such absolutes has never led to anything good. It is a matter of degrees. The serial killer kills because that extreme of a thing is what it takes to feel anything. Without emotions you become passive. I am right about what I wrote. With some introspection on your end you will realize it too. Denying the dark side of yourself will force it to be expressed, which the tone of your comment clearly shows.
>> ^Stormsinger:
>> ^swedishfriend:
Yeah that is it exactly. He was telling himself and others that they really aren't bad guys because the workers want to be there. This shows that he does have empathy and does care. If he didn't care he wouldn't need to comfort himself like that. He is just really good at burying his empathetic feelings and making excuses to himself so that he will feel less bad about it. I am sure we can all relate to some degree. Everyone uses these tactics. We simply cannot help all the people in pain that we come across in our everyday lives. He has done it for so long, so much and regarding such serious situations that even desperately unfair conditions like these aren't enough to make him act properly. Not a good choice for a leader of anything.
>> ^enon:
>> ^shinyblurry:
I don't think there is any way to judge this comment unless we find out what Romney did with the factory after he bought it. I don't think he was bragging, and from what I've heard and read, his description of the fierce competition for jobs in China is accurate.

First off, you're previous comment, minus all the godly stuff, was quite beautiful and is how I strive to live my life - minus the godly stuff
In regards to Romney's comment -- from my vantage point it sounds more like he was expressing surprised relief that the slave labor factor he had just purchased was actually staffed by willing slave laborers rather than forced slave laborers and this somehow alleviates what ever remote feeling of guilt he might have had. It gave the appearance that either way he was going to work these poor women to the bone, it just made it easier on him now that he knew they were semi willing participants. Obviously this is all conjecture but I'm hard pressed to hear and sympathy or remorse in his voice, it was much more akin to "Did you know these mother fuckers actually WANT to work like this? So in reality we're doing good and turning a profit!" His voice has far more interest in that fact than disgust which is kinda the tipping point for me.
I try to remind myself that this can potentially happen to anyone. He was raised and has lived far away from what would be considered a working mans life and it is hard to feel empathy for someone if you are not able to relate to them or have never been taught it. I think it's pretty evident from his lifestyle that this holds true for him. He's not a bad person because he's evil, but because he's incredibly ignorant.


Seriously? You think his attempts to paint himself in a better light shows he has empathy?
No. It shows he realizes just how fucking sociopathic his behavior is, and he's trying to sell a "nicer, warmer" image of himself to his audience. He flat out does not care...he'd be just as willing to bleed those women dry, and profit from their blood. Because he's better than they are...they're just peons, and don't count for a thing, just like all of us. We're not him, so we don't count.

2 more comments have been lost in the ether at this killed duplicate.