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L_Cranston_Shadow OP t1_j6iv2l8 wrote

Reply to comment by ZealousidealClub4119 in J&J’s Talc Bankruptcy Case Thrown Out by Appeals Court by L_Cranston_Shadow

Yes, and they aren't the first to try it, by any means. The asbestos companies did it successfully. To my knowledge, they are the first ones to try it and have it be publicly slapped down though.

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ZealousidealClub4119 t1_j6iwdel wrote

Yeah, we in Australia only had one huge asbestos co. In the '90s, James Hardie set up an underfunded compensation fund and re-incorporated in The Netherlands.

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L_Cranston_Shadow OP t1_j6j668v wrote

Yeah, what is up with your mineral companies in general. It very much seems to harken back to the empire and the scramble for Africa wherein countries grabbed huge chunk of "empty" (as in empty of white Europeans) land, then handed out charters to businessmen to exploit huge parts and sectors of it. The most well known one is the Congo, but I think South Africa and Australia were essentially settled under similar systems (albeit with a bonded labor force in large parts of Australia).

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ZealousidealClub4119 t1_j6j86ci wrote

Mining didn't come in until much, much later. Australia was built off the sheep's back, it's said, forgetting about the genocides and land theft as colonisers always do.

The scramble is ongoing, here and elsewhere, with Aussie mining companies fighting, in courts or with mercenaries, local people from West Australia to DRC to get their big holes dug.

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L_Cranston_Shadow OP t1_j6lia8l wrote

If the world ever goes full Mad Max though, you can stock up on guns, ammo, food, and water, and Coober Pedy will make a great trading post.

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ZuluPapa t1_j6kvw2b wrote

I wanna say DuPont did it as well when they split off Chemours for PFOS/PFOA related issues.

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