conspiracy theory!

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Originally posted by Frenchie There's nothing wrong with diamonds.

I guess that makes sense, as long as you think there was nothing wrong with northerners buying cotton grown with southern slave labor before the U.S. Civil War.

No matter who you are , you're going to find something wrong with something in life.

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Originally posted by Frenchie No matter who you are , you're going to find something wrong with something in life.

I think that makes awfully light of something that is a really bad situation. Somebody might complain when one of his french fries falls on the ground, sure, but pointing out situations like this is hardly comparable.

Welp, ok.

Right. Diamonds from anywhere else are "ok" so long as they aren't from De Beers. So among the other 40% of the diamonds that are "ok" how many of those sellers have likewise signed on to the Kimberly Act to limit the trade in conflict diamonds much like De Beers has?

Most of De Beers diamonds come from South Africa and Botswana ... both countries that don't trade in conflict diamonds and benefit quite lucratively from their relationships with De Beers and actually funnel that money down to the people in social programs. Botswana boasts one of the highest income per capita in Africa where education and health care are provided by the state. Its only national industry is diamond production.

I don't understand the animosity towards companies like De Beers. It's not faciliating the exploitation of 3rd world workers more than any other major company (boycott Chinese goods why don't you) ... it's a monopoly of a luxury good so who the hell cares (boycott oil why don't you)? Let people buy diamonds if they want. Yea it's not necessarily true market value, but than that's their choice if they want to pay inflated prices for a piece of rock.

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Most of the new discoveries are not happening in countries that trade in conflict diamonds anyway (Canada? Russia?).

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Let people buy diamonds if they want. Yea it's not necessarily true market value, but than that's their choice if they want to pay inflated prices for a piece of rock.

Sure. Might as well point out how the cultural attachment to them is a Madison Avenue-created sham while I'm at it, though.

I don't have a problem with diamond production at all, and it's great that countries like Botswana are making money off of it, but I think it's worthwhile to point out the labor conditions and the reasons diamond prices are so high and diamonds are popularly considered "valuable."

And how on earth is oil a "monopoly?"

Diamonds, clothes, shoes....have shitty labor conditions.

Yeah, and two of those are necessary. Guess which one had most of the demand created for it out of thin air by ad agencies.

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Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles Most of the new discoveries are not happening in countries that trade in conflict diamonds anyway (Canada? Russia?).

And De Beers is actually engaging in consulations with Canada to develop their diamond mining. Yea it's a retarded monopoly but it's actaully shrewd marketing imo ... I don't think industrial demand is driving prices up, it would appear to be largely driven by the public perception of their worth. Kudos to De Beers for playing on the stupidity of the masses. If this were a commodity that had some significant utilitarian value, I might be upset. But it's a freaking rock on your finger. Good for de beers. Logic should dictate less demand.

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Sure. Might as well point out how the cultural attachment to them is a Madison Avenue-created sham while I'm at it, though.

Dumb people deserve to have their money taken from them.

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