We should also consider that if these people who work in sweat shops didn't have these jobs, they wouldn't have any sort of income at all. So by purchasing the goods they make, we keep them employed but at the same time, we (or well, the people they work for) are kind of screwing them over. It's like what's the more ethical thing to do? Force companies to pay them higher wages (in which case they'd probably just move back to the U.S.), or keep paying them low wages so they can earn a little money rather than no money?

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Given a choice between a child being in school or working in a sweatshop, it's better for the child to be in school. But given a choice between the child not having a reliable source of food and money or getting paid meager wages in a sweatshop, the kid's better off working.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Definitely. And not to condone companies for paying slave wages but for all we know, these wages might be considered a lot of money in their country.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Oh and people aren't dumb. They know they are getting screwed when they have to work 70 hours a week of grueling labor and even then struggle to provide their families the bare necessities. Just because a wage is "typical" for a society doesn't make it adequate. The people are simply forced to accept it because they have no other choice

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Valid point, and one I have thought of as well. The problem is that the whole global capitalistic system favors the already developed countries, and thus the less developed ones become desperate and lower human rights standards so that foreign investors will come in. It's a "race to the bottom" for poor countries to attract foreign corporations, but this will not ever allow the local economy to benefit, but will only prolong suffering of workers and keep the country dependent on the exploitative actions of the mega-rich. What really needs to happen is international trade policy which opens up the "free" market to developing economies. Many of these economies rely almost entirely on agriculture, but with high tariffs and government subsidies in nations like the U.S., crops and produce from African farms, for example, will never enter the American market. I think that third world governance needs to demand of the international economy a better way of bringing in capital than essentially selling out its own citizens. The blame thus falls on both international agencies, greedy powerful corporations, and governments who are unwilling to look out for their own people.

by Anonymous 12 years ago