Radium Girls & the Failure of Unregulated Capitalism

[@Meromorphic]

Hope you guys enjoy this one! Very different from my normal stuff. I'll be going back to Unpacking videos and other such after this! One small correction: Mae Keane was an employee of Waterbury Clock Co. in Connecticut, not Radium Dial. (Of course only realized the error after uploading 😢)

[@Oig-ln7ep]

It is downright criminal that this video doesn’t have more views. This is absolutely incredible.

[@Meromorphic]

@@Oig-ln7ep thank you friend!

[@feathersfororphans]

Christ. Can the algorithm show this man some love already?

[@Meromorphic]

Appreciate it my friend. It'll happen. I believe. Lol

[@fisher123fisher]

Unregulated capitalism = worker exploitation

[@MosquitoValentineNH]

As opposed to state-owned collective farms and factories.. worker’s paradise! 🙄👌‼️

[@gregoryallen0001]

see the thing is we donNt HAVE unregulated capitalism, nor do we have FREE MARKET capitalism; those are, imo, why workers are exploited

[@fisher123fisher]

@@gregoryallen0001 what do we have then? 🤔

[@asherfeinstein6942]

And now that’s about to skyrocket!

[@mOOOp42]

Wow just wow. As a guy who works and complains about too much regulation in the USA this video was a nice refresher as to why these policies exist in the first place. Thank you, I needed this and I'm always amazed that our world just barely holds on to society with small checks and balances like this.

[@thewandering01]

Every regulation is written in blood. None of them is adopted just for fun. It's because things were so bad (and went on so long), that the regulations were made despite the will of the wealthy and corporations.

[@weylinwebber4180]

Bro I had a guy put rat poison in the air quality tester while I was working at Tesla in a week later and the technician told me all the results were stellar. That is when your soul gets litmus test and unfortunately many seem to fail while telling themselves they're doing the best they can. They are all evil and they are all complicit unfortunately.

[@Sandvichman.]

i take it you're a completely average, working class person? how do you come to any of these conclusions, especially as someone who BENEFITS from regulation? do you know what the early 1900s looked like? i just dont get it

[@weylinwebber4180]

@@Sandvichman. Sir coming from the standpoint of a child who grew up in a conservative military family and then spent three years at the hell hole called Tesla Fremont stamping,. The simple answer is that it's cultural. You have guys who complain but then they act like being put underneath these conditions also makes them tough. The same guy is that constantly bitch and moan about not making enough money will still stop you from causing too much trouble because they feel their job is at risk. Dude I just confronted my supervisor for my time there telling him about sexual assault and drug dealing and the fucker told me he already knew about it but couldn't do anything. Which of course he already knew about it I told him in 2017 but I don't think he gave enough of a shit to even remember that. Put all that together and you get some terrified hardworking people because they literally believe their lives depend on it. And from that perspective it does. Please let me know if you have any questions.

[@Sandvichman.]

@@weylinwebber4180 i think you described it perfectly

[@thequeenofcringe1585]

The fact that lip pointing was a practice is insane to me. You don’t put paint in your mouth no matter what’s in it. Just get a brush better suited for the job. A thin brush with short bristles is much more effective for painting small things.

[@carborundorum]

Lip pointing was outlawed in Europe. Instead of brushes, glass applicators were used. USRC switched to glass but the painters couldn't work as fast or as precisely, so they switched back to brushes because they were paid by the piece.

[@theodorixjohnson4336]

This is one of the first horror stories we are taught as occupational health and safety engineers this triangle shirtwaist, Chernobyl and Bhopal and my god I hope I never allow something this horrific to ever happen

[@Tiger74147]

I haven't heard of Bhopal. I should look that up. ...then again, maybe I've had enough gloomy reading for a lifetime haha.

[@fisher123fisher]

@@Tiger74147 there was a phosphene? gas leak in the union carbide factory. It killed hundreds around the town

[@paulahurley]

Add DuPont to that list…it’s terrifying how many workers are sacrificed in the pursuit of power and wealth.

[@mirnacudiczgela1963]

Valuing the dollar over human life is evil enough for me. Period.

[@gregoryallen0001]

THE LOVE OF MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL they say

[@asherfeinstein6942]

That is why we’re cooked

[@jacobweeks777]

Woah Mero, you can't just show up with that luscious mane all of a sudden

[@Meromorphic]

😅🤣 Sorry man, I'll put a blur and NSFW tag on it.

[@crimsonlancer8610]

2mm . ?2😮

[@rogelioestrada4530]

I was in a play about this story and it was really eye-opening to read about the messed up stuff these companies were doing to these girls. I really love how you covered this topic and the empathy you showed to the victims of these companies

[@Meromorphic]

Hey thank you so much! I'd definitely like to see this play!

[@wowimsatan2802]

I was also in this play!! Who were you? I was Roeder (super emotionally intense)

[@rogelioestrada4530]

@wowimsatan2802 It was years ago but I was one of the board ppl and also the factory manager telling the girls off about the rags

[@wowimsatan2802]

@@rogelioestrada4530 thats fun!!! its such an emotionally heavy production and its so hard to put yourself into the role of the people who knew they were causing such evil

[@Tom-bs3zh]

Still, after all this, hardly anybody got the hint, as Eben Byers' doctor prescribed him Radithor (radium water) for a broken arm in 1927. He died jawless in 1932.

[@inz1]

This is quite literally the best content you’ve ever put out. Bravo. Encore.

[@kathymueller639]

It is really incredible!

[@kathymueller639]

BRILLIANT History is so incredibly important! I have learned so much today, and thank you for your dedication to gathering FACTS😊

[@chrispylee1019]

So, thanks to this video, I found out my grandma grew up in the same town all of this happened. Crazy.

[@Meromorphic]

Oh damn! You should ask her about it!

[@Mari-pq4zy]

I was so jazzed to see the radium girls of Ottawa mentioned. I live there, a few blocks away from a statue that memorializes the women and their story.

[@ArsenicArtist]

I'm currently in my final year of high school, and I've chosen to have my English summative be about this video essay. It is truly the most detailed video I've seen on the subject, you did an amazing job!

[@Meromorphic]

Aww this is so freaking cool!! I actually teach HS Math and Physics for my day job. Hit me up at the email in my profile or on insta if you have any questions, and good luck!

[@ArsenicArtist]

@@Meromorphic Thank you, I'll be sure to email you with any questions I may have! Have a wonderful day/night

[@ArsenicArtist]

​@Meromorphic a very late update: my English summative got an A+! I held a class discussion about this topic and about this video essay. Again, you did a wonderful job on it 👏 probably the best researched video I've ever seen on the topic

[@neplvr]

Woaahhh KZbin recommendations are really good

[@Meromorphic]

Oh hell yeah! Good to hear it's being recommended!

[@amyjones2501]

And then, the Supreme Court repeals the Chevron Act...

[@gregoryallen0001]

new OZEMPIC CEREAL coming soon

[@beannathrach2417]

A further obscenity is the liability of an offender can depend on their knowledge. If you can show you didn't know about the danger, you might be able to evade. So businesses don't want to know about dangers they create because they can't be sued for dangers they don't know about.

[@coloronmyarm]

Good job man. I know you worked on this one for a while. Keep up the good content

[@Meromorphic]

Thanks brother. Love ya buddy

[@youtubeuniversity3638]

0:30 Personally my take's "'Broken As Intended' Is Not Self-Contradictory".

[@lemonlordminecraft]

Damn, this is a crazy piece of history and I'm glad you jumped out of your usual stuff to pen it. I clicked on this after watching another one of your videos and was initially going to click off of it because, quite frankly, I was in the mood for more cartoon unpacking but I am so glad I stayed. Bravo, my good sir, bravo. Wish this had gotten the attention it deserved 💔 all the other videos covering this are not nearly as in-depth

[@Meromorphic]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate it. Hopefully one day the algorithm will deign to shine it's light on it. Lol

[@enerioffutt1881]

A fascinating book on this, seen from the girls and women's perspective is The Radium Girl: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women by Kate Moore. Not only does it talk about the Radium Girls, and later their lawsuits, it also talks about how the company never did much to help the girls, or even clean up what they had done.

[@MeghanBean]

It’s so scary we’re the same species… barbarians in business suits

[@hope.world.mp3845]

I always wonder what outlandish things we’re doing right now that are extremely dangerous that’ll be talked about in the future and I think about it ALL the time

[@Abrahamwaffle]

I cannot tell you how shocked i was when i saw the view count after finishing the video, holy shit this deserves so much more

[@honey-bagder3451]

Thus far in, this documentary is way better than the movie.

[@Meromorphic]

Thanks. I meant to say in there somewhere that I do not recommend the movie. It's pretty bad. But honestly, I just forgot. 😅

[@three_iii9198]

What a painful listen, my heart breaks for the girls 😢 you did an amazing job with the video tho! Awesome work, keep ot up 😄👍

[@lavalamp1]

this is insanity that all this happened right after one another and it still went on this long

[@Meromorphic]

Yuuup. ☹️

[@wowimsatan2802]

I had the privilege to play Arthur Roeder in my high school's production of Radium Girls a few years back and it was one of the most emotionally intense roles I had ever done, especially learning the history of the true events. I can't even begin to imagine how horrific it would be to live through these events.

[@lorasmith9380]

This is one of the best and most informative videos I have ever watched. I loved the presentation! Well done, thank you!

[@kelsoistired]

I own one of the clocks produced by radium dial for westclox and I'm always filled with anger and sadness when I think about its history for too long

[@greekandbulgariangamertv8633]

That an interesting topic if you ask me also think some times of how many stuff that we today say are bad for our health back in the day they think it was perfectly healthy or at least not that could cause a health related illness it makes me wonder what staff do we day use today that in the future will find that it is actually bad for us in the end of the day we are not that different with the 20s we are both parts of history that that will one day become the past and in the future people will call as stupid

[@gregoryallen0001]

#margarine

[@weylinwebber4180]

Hey morphic, really really well done quality video about how those are the top are always protected against the cataclysm that they've create and it brought into an uncomfortable realization that while working at Tesla they were basically doing the exact same thing and yeah about every month a guy would lose a leg or lose a hands lucky if they didn't get electrocuted or had something just straight up to crush them. Biggest problem was getting respirators for the aluminum dust and we had one guy who just decided nah I don't need it and would sit with his face at part lay level and then come back up looking like he was huffing spray paint. I expect a lot of my compatriates at that factory now have shortened lifespans. And actually my dad ended up dying as results of the harassment that he faced at the Sparks Reno factory at the age of 47 so I guess that's my data point right there. Anyways good job man let me know if you want to work on something about Tesla together.

[@ykMMD]

Wow, what a video. The content, montage and visuals are incredible. Thank you for this!

[@Meromorphic]

Thanks so much! It really means a lot reading comments like these

[@MeghanBean]

I have to believe in a hell

[@abbygarrett154]

Insane story and sick edit!!! Thanks for sharing.

[@Meromorphic]

Thanks home slice!

[@JDogVids]

Wtf bro this video needs way more recognition and you deserve way more subscribers, this is such a high quality video and I can tell you put alot of work into it, im subbed and glad I found this channel!

[@alexispartee4086]

The picture of Catherine Donahue is actually Grace Fryer. I just finished reading Radium Girls. This was a great follow-up to the book!

[@LlamaLlamaMamaJamaac]

I’m not far into the video, but around 2:37 the “tooth and jaw necrosis results in needing repeated extractions” picture, pretty sure that’s Catherine Donahue…. that was taken at the moment when she learned her prognosis in the courtroom

[@alexispartee4086]

@@LlamaLlamaMamaJamaac yeah that is definitely Catherine Donahue. The part of the book that covers her slow death is so heartbreaking. Her husband was a real one-of-a-kind guy. The picture I was referring to is the one at 41:12 which I only know because that one is in the book as well.

[@MosesLeadzy]

The vibes i get from this video oddly resemble a potato. I don’t know what or why or anything, it just gives me potato vibes. So yes, communism = 🥔 in my book.

[@MosesLeadzy]

shoot i ment capitalism not communism

[@LOVEWORMZZ]

bro, ty for this, I've read SO MUCH about the radium girls and so many video essays on here skip the part where they STEAL THEIR FUCKING BONES thanks for not leaving that CRITICAL detail out, excellent work!

[@Eainai]

How in the actual ass did a well-written, accurate, beautifully animated, extremely informative documentary get so few likes? I'd give more than one like if I could, but since I cannot, I hope you'll accept my subscription.

[@JessicaTesch-po7hd]

Dude you executed this exquisitely!!! Enjoyed so much!!!!

[@nintendbro3275]

This seems really appropriate with the whole chevron case rn 😳😂

[@HamboogyYT]

Based Meromorphic

[@YasugoLiehu]

25:46 Could you imagine his reaction? “Heh heh! Alright, alright, let's see how _high_ my levels are. He heh ha haaaah … … … oh… o-oh…”

[@larshogan1275]

Momma Mero!!

[@Meromorphic]

Shut up! My name change was supposed to be a secret

[@randomartz8417]

I love playing video games to your videos. Keep it up!

[@xardiesn.o.o.b4971]

Oh new video to spam watch at work thanks

[@Meromorphic]

Of course. Happy to help 🤣

[@xardiesn.o.o.b4971]

@@Meromorphic I've watched the moral oral videos more times than I'd like to admit look forward to any video you upload

[@martin90000]

Awesome documentary, I really like your approach and angle. A bit long, but worth it :-) KZbin needs more content creators like this, fewer like SSSniperWolf lol!

[@Phreias]

everday the hammer and sickle looks more tempting to pick up

[@lucasbroto7928]

I am in complete disbelief with the girls situation

[@RowieSundog]

I can't believe you have so few subscribers n views your videos are so well made!!

[@luizferrarezzi]

no one wants to hear it but the people in power are treating climate change and covid with the same care

[@Gnomageddon]

I grew up in Waterbury CT, they NEVER TOLD US about this messed up thing.....man.....i'm shocked.

[@Meromorphic]

Honestly not surprising. I grew up in one of the last towns in America to desegregate. They hung an effigy of a black schoolchild from the High School. Never heard a peep about it until I left the town for college and started looking into it. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mansfield_school_desegregation_incident

[@Lexxxxiii]

Hi. i love this video, and am saddened to see it is not being reccomended more. Comment, comment, i am commenting to boost engagement

[@joeport1570]

Recently saw a play about Radium Girls, was fantastic and extremely brutal.

[@1234567890sunshine]

How were the people who wore the watches affected? Did everyone wearing the watches also get poisoned?

[@Meromorphic]

Great question. I didn't come across any data on the subject, but if anything, they probably had burns on their skin and were at a higher risk for cancer. However, they weren't constantly injesting material. They had a single, trace amount of radium on their person. Alpha and beta decay would have been negated by the bottom of the watch and skin. So they'd still be getting a higher than background radiation pretty constantly, but probably not enough to be life threatening outside strange cases.

[@MarcUK]

Wearing the watches was perfectly safe. The danger would come later on for anyone that had to open them up to do repairs/maintenance and not know the coatings were radioactive. Worst case is that the majority of those watches made are probably in landfill now.

[@ArsenicArtist]

I don't belive so! My grandfather owned one when I was a child, and he lived to 93 with no complications. The watches were safe unless you opened them to conduct repairs and came into direct contact with the paint

[@conniethomas4753]

Blimey those poor girls.

[@asherfeinstein6942]

This could not be more relevant than right now! (Except maybe in the future).

[@riki4644]

underrated

[@hexoskeleton]

A bit late to this one but Oof, ouch hate to hear it.

[@Meromorphic]

Lmao. Only 100 or so years, but can't fault ya

[@zuppkaa]

good video but on thing that pissed me off that you didn't say full name of Maria Skłodowska-Curie. Her maiden name was very important to her so excluding it is disrespectful

[@Skokapus]

oh cool i did this play a couple months ago

[@genx7417]

Calling US Radium evil is not simplistic it's 100% accurate 😑

[@Meromorphic]

Except that isn't what I said. I said attributing their actions to pure evil is simplistic. The doesn't mean it *wasn't* evil, it just misses the point entirely.

[@kathymueller639]

Thanks! BRILLIANT

[@Meromorphic]

Holy crap. Thank you!

[@danstevens6515]

We have plenty of jobs now that are legal and ruin people’s lives, too

[@Meromorphic]

Yup. Unfortunately why this story is still relevant.

[@Cheng-jq6fc]

#RADITHOR was also terrifying case..

[@bksellers64]

The similarities between this and the mRNA vaccines is uncanny.

[@youtubeuniversity3638]

Subscriptioned did.

[@동동동-x9b]

I think it mainly just means we didn't know about how dagerous radium was, I don't think a communist utopia would have known about the dangers of radium before... knowing about dangers of radium.

[@Meromorphic]

Except, ya know, they DID know, as was proven in court. They knew, and yet did nothing. Less than nothing, even. **Tell me you didn't watch the video without telling me you didn't watch the video.**

[@Vextonomy]

O