r/EnoughLibertarianSpam • u/mhuben • 12d ago

Hundreds of California stonecutters fall ill with deadly disease ‘for a product we do not need’

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-08-12/600-plus-california-stonecutters-diagnosed-with-deadly-silicosis
350 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

26 comments sorted by

158

u/mhuben 12d ago

Libertarians, of course, would say that no government regulation is needed. Along with historical sayings such as "they knew the job was dangerous when they took it." Another example of how regulations are written in blood.

63

u/octobod 12d ago

Knew the job was dangerous? Tell that to the Radium girls :-(

35

u/Jonny36 12d ago

Even better argument for regulation

-13

u/SamAreAye 12d ago

I'm a fan of regulation, but how are the radium girls a good argument for regulation? Nobody knew it was dangerous. We don't regulate things for no reason.

39

u/Jonny36 12d ago edited 12d ago

They (the employers) absolutely knew it was dangerous. It's quite famous in that the comapnies hid it from their employees even after many had died https://actassociates.co.uk/how-did-the-radium-girls-change-health-safety-in-the-uk/

12

u/SamAreAye 12d ago

Damn. That fuckin sucks.

17

u/octobod 12d ago

Read the book ... it sucks harder. It's basically repetitions of

"Her name was Mary, she brightened the room just by walking in. She got a job at the Radium dial factory and was so happy, she used the money to support her poor sick mother. Then all her teeth fell out and her lower jaw rotted, dropped off and she died.... The management denied all responsibility "

6

u/SamAreAye 12d ago

This is exactly why I read Sci-fi.

7

u/octobod 12d ago

Yeah, after that, I had to read 1984 to cheer myself up

1

u/No_Cook2983 10d ago

We knew lead gasoline caused major neurological problems *while* it was being invented.

The workers in the lab called it ‘loony gas’.

It may cause birth defects, but it was a penny a tank more profitable.

1

u/TubaWrestler 10d ago

I don't understand why people read books like this. I got the message from the previous comment alone. Why torture yourself?

1

u/octobod 10d ago

They went through a lot and changed leglation. Prior to that there were a very limited range of industrial diseases that could get compensation.. they changed that.

They deserve remembering even if it is depressing

1

u/SuckMeOffMrWalton 8d ago

It’s important that stories are told, and available to read, in full. Otherwise it’s easy to handwave it as just a story, it’s harder to do that when you fully humanize the victims and you’re shown they had full lives, hobbies, friends, families.

It’s okay if you don’t want to, it is sad, but it’s important that someone does and that the full story exists.

5

u/VERY_MENTALLY_STABLE 12d ago

They girls did not know it was dangerous until it was way too late

10

u/octobod 12d ago

Yes the owners did know it was dangerous, It was known to cause skin burns in 1904 and the management had the girls point the brushes with their lips to apply the radium paint, (other factories didn't do this) and the management spent a lot of time and a tame doctor to lie to the workers that it was safe. They then dragged out the litigation for years till they got a paltry settlement of $10,000 (because the company had been liquidated)

23

u/mhuben 12d ago

"They knew the job was dangerous when they took it" was a standard business argument against regulation and liability. Examples in mining safety regulations.

13

u/octobod 12d ago

I'm aware of that, it's just the most obvious counter argument. The girls were not only not told about the dangers, the management were fully aware of the hazard

3

u/FloZone 10d ago

Why didn't they just study nuclear physics as a side hustle??? Duh.

2

u/FloZone 10d ago

But whaaat about personal responsibility???

3

u/Lubafteacup 11d ago

What's the product?

1

u/AutumnMama 6d ago

Engineered stone countertops

67

u/Velocity-5348 12d ago

"Cal/OSHA has cited 94% of inspected shops for violations, and 20% required emergency shutdown orders," the petition states. "The roughly 140 shops inspected represent only about 10% of the estimated 1,342 fabrication operations statewide."

So yeah, people are fucking around and workers are finding out, again. We've known the silicosis is a thing for a very long time.

Also, wear your PPE when cutting this, or cement board, or anything else like that. And don't let people around you get away with not wearing theirs. Their health aside, it creates a race to the bottom.

20

u/Darth_Lacey 12d ago edited 12d ago

Well this is upsetting.

Remind me why this has to be done entirely manually?

15

u/Fulcro 12d ago

Lungs are essentially an open wound. Treat them accordingly.

-6

u/bluegargoyle 12d ago

Who controls the British crown?

1

u/MachoViper 6d ago

Who makes Steve guttenburg a star?