arioch36
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 3589
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 Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2004 1:58 pm Post subject: |
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Now i don't like sweat shops. I think the Nikes should be held to higher standards, but then there is market place economics. Wall Mart is a bigger problem in China, because they don't own the factories, they just buy the goods. It is the Chinese who are ruthless to the Chinese. Why? SO they can buy their fancy cars.
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Actually the argument is that they're not investing in the countries, they're taking advantage of them.
I understand the argument that a salary in Vietnam can't be commensurate with that in the U.S. But nor should people be working 10 hour days for pennies.
Investment means schools, public works, infrastructure and debt relief.
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When a place like Nike (here in Henan Dupont)) builds a plant, they are doing all the above, much more then the local company. Ask a local person where he wants to work ..the Shineway factory (Henan China) , or it's partner the Dupont factory, they will say the DUpont factory. A road is built, the idea of continuing education is introduced, and they pay a far greater proportion of their due tax then the local company.
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| The extremely rich of the world- and that includes countries- make money OFF of the extremely poor. Hence factories in Mexico with abominable working conditions, hence cities destroyed by industrial pollution, hence many other ugly realities that people like to turn their heads from. |
I disagree with this. It is more a cultural thing that allows pollution. Pollution is waste, good companies don't waste. Here in China there is more pollution. Because they want to make money? No, because they are state run factories and don't need money, thus no investment in new equipment that is more effecient. Would I like a law that says everything that comes into the US has to be buillt at a factory that has certain standards? Sure. But is is just as often the common person who refuses to spend money making things better. It is cultural. Waste no want not is not a universal concept. And the average American consumer is not willing to pay a few more cents for a product that is built cleaner. We are willing to spend a few more cents on a product that has a picture of Micaheal Jordan. Should we blame this on the rich?
Back to Leeroy's article, I teach in Henan, China...100 million people, pretty poor. Rich foreign charitable organizations come in and do more good then harm. They are training the poor for welfare. They are reinforcing the pattern of corruption. In their mind, what difference if the local offical takes 5/6 of the money that should have gone to the local orphanage. What is left over is sufficent to take care of the orphanage. They don't see that they are reinforcing the pattern of power that these local officals have over the people. Now the local officials can say...you better do what we want, or the next foreigner to come...we will give his money to someone else.
All the time there is plenty of money even in poor Henan to take care of any problem. But they don't have the culture of taking care of problems.
PS If a group like the Sierra club, so concerend with the environment, would take a tenth of their money that they spend on lobbying, and use it for building better factories or water plants in a place like Henan or Mexico, the world would be a better place. But they are only interested in creating their little peace of heaven on earth, not truly about global environment or health standards |
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