guillty of living the good life

[jazkiljok]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17066353/

in this article, a man in holland wants to be jailed for eating chocolate- he's seeking a sentence so he can bring awareness to the chocolate industry's purchasing of cocoa beans from the ivory coast which is acussed of using child slave labor.

shouldn't we not by this logic be held accountable for our indulgences in drinking coffee, the gas we put in our cars, in every purchase of some cheap walmart appliance, even the clothes we buy from almost every major brand?

is it not apparent that we live in a world (the Western world to be specific) where the things we buy and pleasures we enjoy are not in some part provided by the poverty and corruption of third world nations?

child labor, near servitude conditions for adults, pennies daily pay, no med, no protection etc.. it all contributes to the low costs of products that we buy daily.

we may critizise the corporations that exploit labor and natural resources-- but they don't exist without demand for the products they provide. and the demand is ever there and rarely anyone complains (unless you're a smarmy tv host like kathy lee gifford-- then we can have outrage).

my basic question-- is there anyway to live in our world and not contribute to the crimes of our lifestyles?

 

[bydand]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17066353/my basic question-- is there anyway to live in our world and not contribute to the crimes of our lifestyles?

Yeah, but we are about 150 years too late.

Maybe it would be doable (is that even a word?) if somebody had a bit larger income than mine. As it stands though, as much as I would want to be able to support the companies that really do try to be a good "neighbor", I just can't afford to pay much, much more for the same (and in some cases lower) quality in similer products. Is that a PC statement to make? Probably not, and I expect to hear some suggestions about actually saying it , but that doesn't change the simple fiscal reality I have to maintain to keep the Ruffians in clothes, food, heat, shoes, and plan for college educations for them.

I do try to buy as much locally from Mom & Pop stores and farms, but the big ticket items, I have to go with the best return on investment, weather it was made by an skilled highly paid individual, or a 12 year old in a 3rd world country. Harsh, but true.

 

[CoryKS]

One wonders what would happen if, all at once, we repented our "crimes" and stopped buying those goods and services which were provided by "child labor, near servitude conditions for adults, pennies daily pay, no med, no protection etc". One supposes that their lives, however miserable they might be now, would become far worse without those pennies coming in. But that's a small price to pay for feeling morally superior, I suppose.