One hates to be a carping social critic, but it’s really not admirable that Banksy spray painted a portrait of Steve Jobs, founder of Apple, on a bridge in the “Jungle” refugee camp in Calais. Banksy said of the work, “We’re often led to believe migration is a drain on the country’s resources, but Steve Jobs was the son of a Syrian migrant.” Boy, does that miss the point of things.
Jobs’ birth father was indeed a Syrian Muslim who came to the US for college studies. But so what!? People of any national or ethnic background, given opportunity, can make significant contributions in every field. Banksy went on, saying “…Apple is the world’s most profitable company; it pays over $7 billion a year in taxes & it only exists because they allowed in a young man from Homs.”
A touching tribute to a man who made Apple “the world’s most profitable company” by using sweatshops & exploiting child labor in China. His success was not based on Syrian ancestry but capitalist profiteering off of children.
We really need to use better sense in choosing heroes.
(Photo is Banksy portrait of Jobs at Calais)