Chinasmack is quickly becoming one of my new favorite blogs. The authors take popular posts and translate them into English (incidentally, if you are learning Chinese, it’s an amazing way to get good quality translations of colloquial language). A recent post describes child labor in Wuhan factories:

Everyday he puts covers on over a thousand mop sticks. Annual salary is 5000 yuan. Born November 1993. He already been working for a year.

The most interesting parts are usually the comments to the original post (also translated):

I think this is good. If these young kids don’t have work, they can only wander in society, to steal and to rob, kill and commit crimes. This would only be a life of regret. Earning some money can at least give them some hope, can help support the family, and they won’t be drifting on the streets, its not a bad thing. I came from the countrysides and am a migrant worker. All you white collars live a full life, don’t understand the sufferings of the poor. If you guys have the wherewithal/ability/heart, then go open a factory to give these kids better jobs. Too bad you guys don’t have that wherewithal/ability/heart, and only know how to complain here, the eventual outcome is these factories being closed down, these kids drift on the streets, and don’t have to work 15 hours a day, then you are content. They are now hungry, have no face to return home to their families, and you guys are now happy. They walk down the path of crime, then you’ll start blaming. These things are all the doing of you bored people, everyday talk about human rights, but actually forcing these kids into a dead end. Wake up people, do something practical.