tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8290973459084131413.post8939786638888224967..comments2024-03-23T06:42:28.774+08:00Comments on the view from fanling: maid in hong kongDennis Hodgsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09409579380626581592noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8290973459084131413.post-90316895945444338942011-10-24T09:52:28.232+08:002011-10-24T09:52:28.232+08:00I wholeheartedly disagree with Stella. This thinki...I wholeheartedly disagree with Stella. This thinking that "that's life, that's how it works and there's nothing anyone can do about it" is either hypocritical or cowardly. If nothing could ever change, there would still be slavery. Every time slavery was abolished in a country, slaver owners could really not imagine how it's possible to survive in life without slaves. Gwailo Without a Maidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8290973459084131413.post-86779235209695868092011-10-12T22:38:14.787+08:002011-10-12T22:38:14.787+08:00Apology accepted Stella. I can’t say that there is...Apology accepted Stella. I can’t say that there is <i>no</i> child labour in China, but it certainly isn’t widespread. Of course, this doesn’t mean that there is no exploitation, because there is.<br /><br />However, if you want a real horror story, you should check out my latest post, <a href="http://dennishodgson.blogspot.com/2011/10/heart-of-darkness.html" rel="nofollow">Heart of Darkness</a>.Dennis Hodgsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09409579380626581592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8290973459084131413.post-77061642667158841682011-10-12T08:26:45.981+08:002011-10-12T08:26:45.981+08:00I'm really sorry that you took my comment as a...I'm really sorry that you took my comment as an insult, it wasn't my intention and I didn't even mean you or your family. <br />Actually, it is very simple: by "decent-by-British-standards salary” I meant the amount that a Brit would expect to be paid if he/she decided to work as a domestic helper in Hong Kong.<br /><br />I don't doubt your wife's family treated the Stellahttp://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8290973459084131413.post-6305491526739790902011-10-11T10:01:42.654+08:002011-10-11T10:01:42.654+08:00Thanks for your reply Stella, although I do think ...Thanks for your reply Stella, although I do think that your analysis is overly simplistic. For a start, paying a “decent-by-British-standards salary” is inappropriate: food, clothing and public transport are all considerably cheaper in Hong Kong than they are in Britain. Only housing is more expensive, and domestic helpers have food and accommodation provided on top of their salaries. “Imagine Dennis Hodgsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09409579380626581592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8290973459084131413.post-78525844610205754942011-10-11T08:19:46.597+08:002011-10-11T08:19:46.597+08:00Which means that if your wife's family had had...Which means that if your wife's family had had to pay these "domestic helpers" a decent-by-British-standards salary, they would have probably had to look after their mother themselves. <br />Can we actually imagine living on their salary?<br /><br />On the other hand, if the third world countries have the same standard of living as the western world, contamination will almost Stellahttp://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8290973459084131413.post-2844917374729379672011-10-09T15:08:23.966+08:002011-10-09T15:08:23.966+08:00It isn't just ‘greedy businessmen’ who employ ...It isn't just ‘greedy businessmen’ who employ these women Sarah. Many are employed privately by ordinary families to look after their elderly relatives (Hong Kong has a good healthcare system for acute cases, but chronic cases are left to fend for themselves). My wife’s family employed two domestic helpers for more than ten years to look after her mother after she had suffered a stroke.Dennis Hodgsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09409579380626581592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8290973459084131413.post-71975147968546400632011-10-09T03:22:27.475+08:002011-10-09T03:22:27.475+08:00No big surprise here. The Western World's pro...No big surprise here. The Western World's prosperity (and that of the rich in general) is based on cheap labour -- if the "servants" were paid decent salaries, the prices would soar because the greedy businessmen would sooner slit their throats than sacrifice their profit growth rate, and we couldn't afford a lot of basic things, which would in turn result in a reduction in Stellahttp://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.com