Over 100 people were infected in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and the drug was also sold in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Japan and Argentina. In 1997 Bayer paid out $660 million in order to settle cases with over 6,000 people. 6. ExxonMobil People like oil companies even less than Big Pharma, so it’s no surprise they’re on this list. But just how bad can they get?
Well, how about detention, torture and killings? By running a natural gas extraction facility in Aceh [ah-cheh], Indonesia, ExxonMobil put themselves in the middle of a conflict between the local Acehnese’ wish for independence and the militaristic government. But of course, ExxonMobil were on the government’s side. In 1998 they were accused of supplying bulldozers and machinery to dig mass graves. In order to ‘protect’ themselves from the local campaigners, ExxonMobil started paying soldiers to work as their private security. What was known as “Exxon’s Army” resulted in a lawsuit filed by 11 civilians who claim Exxon were paying the Indonesian military $6 million a year to conduct torture and extrajudicial killings. The case is still in progress. 5. Walmart Did you know that 111 Walmart employees were killed in a fire in unsafe conditions in 2012? Maybe you knew that Walmart employs underage people? Or that Walmart pays off officials to keep all of this secret? Well, it’s all true, with the caveat that these ‘employees’ actually work in overseas factories where over 50% of Walmart stock comes from. The factory that burned down was in Bangladesh and children that provide labor actually make up the majority of international workers. In Thailand it was reported by the Guardian in 2014 that slaves were forced to work for years under threat of extreme violence. The production of Walmart’s shrimp was at the center of the debacle, with the investigation describing “large numbers of men bought and sold like animals and held against their will on fishing boats”. Those who managed to escape the boats told of 20-hour shifts and execution style killings. Bear that in mind next time you’re making some gumbo. 4. Coca-Cola It’s no secret that sugary drinks are bad for you, but what Coca-Cola does keep quiet are the shady practices behind the production of the world’s favorite soft drink. Investigative journalist Michael Blanding uncovered the “water wars” raging in India between local communities and Coca-Cola bottling plants, as well as a contamination of Indian Coke by pesticides. Blanding talks of at least three towns where water reserves have dried up shortly after Coca-Cola plants have opened - water that is not only used for drinking, but also for raising food crops. Successful campaigning managed to get a plant in Kerala closed down in an unprecedented event. Today, Coca-Cola claims to be harvesting rainwater instead of depleting reserves, but Blanding says droughts make this impractical, so it amounts to lip service. Coca-Cola’s position in India is strong and doesn’t look to be changing any time soon. 3. Nestlé A report authored in 1974 by Mike Muller was called ‘The Baby Killer’ and spoke of the horrors infants were experiencing in the less economically developed countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America. Babies were dying of malnutrition and diseases that were entirely avoidable. Why? Their mothers were using infant formula rather than breast milk, and Nestlé was behind this. The report talked of sales reps who were dressed up as nurses and sent into maternity wards to give out free baby formula. The International Baby Food Action Network claimed that the formula interfered with lactating, so when mothers left hospital they could no longer breastfeed. Nestlé then started charging for the formula, but mothers couldn’t afford it and so their children went hungry. Furthermore, the formula had to be mixed with water and served in a feeding bottle, both of which could be easily contaminated and cause deadly infections. As a result of these deaths, a global movement boycotting Nestlé took hold and the company’s image has never really recovered.
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AuthorBen Wilson is author of Edu Blog, where primarily we will discuss famous books and their authors. Ben studied at Stanford University. He is a teacher of History in High School. Ben also writes book review for ThePaperGuide Platform. ArchivesCategories |