Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Flames in 07
And I believe in skipping through meadows full of daisys and rainbows.
|
As do I.
Quote:
|
In many areas these sweatshops are top tier unskilled work and the workers clearly prefer to be there than anywhere else.
|
The slaves stayed with their masters. Doesn't mean slavery was right.
Quote:
If it is simply an issue of pay I don't think anyone here can judge so negatively without:
* comparing to their COST of living
* comparing to their alternatives
|
How about QUALITY of living as well?
Quote:
|
what is one person's slavery is another persons opportunity. And large 'sweatshops' are a step up for an awful economy looking for anyway to be productive. It sucks, but I don't know of any other way to practically improve the lifestyle of unskilled labourers in 3rd world countries. We can ship them bags of money, but that would be short term help, we can't wave a magic wand and make them all educated doctors ... so I guess I don't know what you are up in arms about.
|
It's not about shipping them bags of free money. It's about paying these people a wage that allows them to send their children to school, feed their families and build a future.
Quote:
|
...construct 3rd world economies such that there is no demand for this type of labour.
|
Again, that is not what this is about. It's about ensuring that those that make Nikes make more than 1% of the retail price so that their kids DO have the opportunity to become doctors.
Quote:
|
And i'd also be curious about what pimping and drug dealing has to do with anything.
|
That supply/demand capitalism cannot be the only moral yardstick.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
I found these wonderful shoes made out of 100% recycled materials about a decade ago. But I found that they were being made in China, so I wrote to the company stating that I couldn't understand why they were making their shoes in a country with such a poor human rights record. They responded saying that if they made their products in the U.S., Canada or any other developed country it would mean bumping their price for shoes from $80 to $110. At $110 they wouldn't be able to compete with other manufacturers that were using sweatshop labour.
In other words, in a system that is all about maximizing profit or die, you can't afford to be an ethical company.