Sweatshops

[Nickademus]

I remember a few years back when people finally became aware of sweatshops and the horrors of what goes on there. Everyone was adament that we shouldn't buy things made in sweatshops. BUt noe people are beginning to realize that even if people are only being payed $.20 US that's better than nothing. by not buying the products we are depriving sweatshop workers what little liveliehood they have. And i have to say i agree.

But then the question is ... what can we do? how can we change the situation? how can we make our voices hear other than rallies etc.

Now I must say this ...I am against the use of violence. So please, no posts suggesting any type of violence.

Thoughts?

[STI]

that's better than nothing

In saying this, you're implying that, without the benevolent western corporations 'helping them' and 'creating jobs', the third world countries would simply starve.

This can be discounted rather quickly, though. All these nations existed before the sweatshops showed up. They didn't live on nothing. It follows that the nation has the resources to support the population, but simply have them stolen by rich westerners.

Anyway, buying non- sweatshop clothes is the way to go. If you're really interested, visit a city with a Free Trade Zone and try to organize the workforce.

[Nickademus]

i'm not sure i agree with you there. true the societies did exist prior to the corpratization of the world but have you tried living a life without that affect? many of these places have to rely on such organizations to get anywhere in life now. getting back to the old way of life is next to impossible. its easy to say that because it was this way once we can go back to that way. however, that's not the reality i see.

[dark fairy]

It's hard to say "oh what can we do"... it's hard because we can not buy the clothes,one,we can protest and stuff,two, or both that's the first thing that come to mind but unless the people actually working there do something as well. i mean it is true some countries depend on this inorder for their to be an economy, sice the exporting and all that... it's hard but those are the things i've been doing and spreading the word. since i live in the u.$. i can prety much say what i want... but it's hard because people won't stop buying this stuff!

[Nickademus]

but do you think the majority of society know about it? i don't! i think a lot of people are still very ignorant about it all. hell .... how many people have no idea that the majority of goods from china are made by prisoners of consciounce?

i think educating people is a big step, but there has to be something more. ... there has to be someway that we can raise our voices strong ... then people will raise their heads and listen. but how?

[Hiero]

I think the best thing is groups supporting third world revolution and people in 1st world countries trying to stop free trade and all the rest.

[SittingBull47]

Originally posted by [email protected] 25 2004, 06:14 AM

Now I must say this ...I am against the use of violence. So please, no posts suggesting any type of violence.

I'm with you man. If people were to use violence as a means of solving this particualar problem we would do more harm than good.

[dark fairy]

violence is the cause and solution to all our problems!-j\k... :P

[Eastside Revolt]

Other than socialism, which might entail violence.....

We could force corporations by law, to use their profits from the sweatshops to further stimulate the economy in those countries. Maybe even have qoutas for amounts (of profit) going towards agriculture, reforestation, and industry.

Ofcourse this would (just like boycotting them) cause these corporations to get out of that area of the economy, and these nations would still gain nothing :( .

so yeah... I second your question.

Without a forced planning of the wealth of our countries (in the west), how can we claim, and therfore act with responsibility in regards to foreign labour markets?

I'm stumped.

[Yazman]

There can be no real change without conflict.

[Hegemonicretribution]

I am puzzled by the belief that you agree with the improved standards of living since semi-westernisation. Although possibly true to some extent, by going down this line you are agreeing with a capitalist ideology. Surely when the profits all rise so will there standard of living, and to be fair it is true but only to a little extent.

The problem is that anything to do with imprving their standard of living is simply putting them at risk from losing the investment that tyhey have now become dependent on. As soon as wages rise, there is temptation to move somewhere cheaper, and the worst-off nations are always loking for help, reghardless what labour laws they have to ignore.

I would say that although boycotting will not harm a company significantly enough to cause change, it is a valuable tool. The one thing it does create is a talking-point. That is your peers are likely to question your change, and as long as you don't hammer facts home to them, they will become more aware of the sweatshop situation.

This leaves you with a need for new goods, by strengthening fair-trade movements more workers in the third world will receive a decent wage and benifit from real investment in their areas. Even the some of the largest chains are coming round to this fact. In the U.K. nearly all supermarkets off fairtrade options, it is entering schools, even Starbucks...of course these are just little things to do while we all work out what we are fighting for and how to do it ;)

[Raisa]

Originally posted by SittingBull47+Mar 29 2004, 03:08 PM--> (SittingBull47 @ Mar 29 2004, 03:08 PM)
[email protected] 25 2004, 06:14 AM

Now I must say this ...I am against the use of violence. So please, no posts suggesting any type of violence.

I'm with you man. If people were to use violence as a means of solving this particualar problem we would do more harm than good. [/b]

The thing about violence is, a real lot of people dont understand the things going on in the world.
People like you and I would go to the Anti-Globalization rally and try to make our vioces heard, and violence breaks out ...(which can alot of times be attibuted to hysterical police actions)....
The news paper writes about it and the next day, the average family is at their breakfast table and the capitalist conference is on the front page. They read about the CEOs who are showing benevolence to the third world by "giving them opportunites" and such....and then they see a picture of the demonstration and they dont understand why some one would protest at these people who are trying to "do good." All they see is the violence. They think crazy assumptions for a good second and then turn to the funnies to read Charlie Brown. Like if we dont like the third world, or we dont like "freedom" blah blah blah...
While you really would like to throw a rock at those guys when their on their way into their conferences maybe.....the news already does a pretty horrible job talking about the people's side of the story. People dont see whats wrong with the FTAA or the GAP or any of that stuff as it is. And when they do, horribly enough, alot of people are unsure what is wrong with it.
For one thing, we have to be educational where we are not already, becasue for every one of us in the streets is at least ten apatheic people who dont understand what we are there for and think we are crazy. For every one of us who knows what the otherside of the story is in that biased news paper, there is twenty who will only care for a second.
We know the seriousness of this third world exploitation, and we need to let people know.