Tim Culpan, Bloomberg:
The problem with Mike Daisey’s lies is that they’ve painted a picture of the Evil Empire, a place devoid of any happiness or humanity. A dark, Dickensian scene of horror and tears. They also make anyone who tries to tell a fuller, more balanced account look like an Apple or Foxconn apologist because your mind is already full of the “knowledge” of how bad it is there.
To the public, a story about a 19-year-old shrugging her shoulders and claiming work is not so bad just can’t stand up against a 12-year-old working the iPad factory lines. The naïve and youthful smile of a kid having found his first girlfriend at a Foxconn work party pales in comparison to a crippled old man holding an iPad for the first time. Compared to the lies, the truth just doesn’t make good theater.
Worth the read. Culpan clearly summarizes the harm that Mike Daisey has caused. Instead of meaningful dialogue about real issues, the public has been seeded with fantasy. Even when people discover that their beliefs are rooted in lies, they will continue to grasp at the premise of those feelings in order to preserve their pride. In short, Daisey poisoned the well.