Firestone chief fires back
What will you be thinking about during the halftime show? Discuss today's Blowback.
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I spent a year in Ghana in the mid-90s, studying with Liberian students at the Univ of Ghana & aiding Liberian refugees at a nearby camp. Liberians have always had a very different version of the Firestone Fairytale that Adomitis is committed to spinning. Firestone's continued production during the war greased the wheels of violence that plagued Liberia. Are we to believe that this same ruthless company is doing the work of Mother Teresa today? I guess its Adomitis' delusions of grandeur that help him sleep at night. But thanks to the ILRF and journalists like Zirin, the truth about Firestone's crimes can come out.
Michele Bollinger @ 7:28 AM PST, Jan 31, 2008
Dr. Adomitis, I am in Liberia right now and can say that the Firestone 'plantation' is an ecological nightmare, the workers look miserable and you are trying to divest yourself of your housing and education responsibitiies by 'out-sourcing' these thigs to no doubt greedy and corrupt 'local' business people. Firestone has been raping Liberia for a hundred years. You are asking, 'why stop now'?
jemenfou @ 6:33 AM PST, Jan 31, 2008
Adomitis also fails to address the problem that many children do not have the proper identification to get access to services because they were not issued ID cards during the long civil war. Finally, it is unfair to compare Firestone workers' wages to the general wage because Liberia is just emerging from dictatorship and civil war, so obviously the economy is suffering and wages are not high. However, Firestone's profits ARE high and if they can spend over $10 million on the SuperBowl halftime show, they can pay the people who make the rubber that keeps their business running more than $3.19 an hour.
Tim @ 6:33 AM PST, Jan 31, 2008
Adomitis continually fails to acknowledge that the production quota system on the plantation means that rubber tappers MUST bring their children and wives to work so that they can meet their quota and receive full pay. It is unfair to penalize the worker who is forced to bring their child to work when the company's policies make it inevitable. You can read the affidavits of some child laborers on the plantation explaining how they are encouraged to work here: http://www.stopfirestone.org/Affidavits2008.pdf Check out the health effects of Firestone's pollution by viewing this photoessay: http://www.oeilpublic.com/diaporama.php?r=254&p=8
Tim @ 6:33 AM PST, Jan 31, 2008