4 ms·

I think there is at least one solution that works: Regulation. But large corporations are generally adverse to government meddling in their business (for reas

I think there is at least one solution that works: Regulation. But large corporations are generally adverse to government meddling in their business (for reasons that make sense from their point of view). Said corporations usually have some form of investment into the pockets of people drafting those laws and/or have ways to pressure governments into not putting them in place (threats of layoffs, threats of indirect economic disadvantages against similar corporations in other areas of the world). Back to square one for us consumers if we cannot count on elected officials to control the behavior of their biggest manufacturing champions, we either accept that there are children in developing countries working so that we can get fancy toys in conditions that we'd rather not thing about or we stop playing into the game altogether. But then again I am part of that problem and I realize that nothing is that easy and black and white. Those are complicated issues.

pizza234 11y ago
In the void, regulation (assuming you talk about the producing countries) simply won't work. If suddenly, a given country would, say, increase minimum wage and mandate safety conditions, it would increase the risk of losing market share. That's just how it works - only a small fraction of the production/consumption chain gives weight to the sources of the goods. Of course, that doesn't imply that regulation doesn't work; I'm saying that by itself, it's not going to work.
- tw04 11y ago
  It needs to happen at the consumer's country. We should have laws banning import of any goods or services from countries that don't have a decent living wage and mandated safety conditions. Of course the price of goods will increase, and then the rubber will meet the road. Do we care more about our "things", or people half way around the world being *pulled out of squalor?
  - monochromatic 11y ago
    And when you say "pulled out of squalor," you really mean "put out of a job."

pizza234 11y ago

In the void, regulation (assuming you talk about the producing countries) simply won't work. If suddenly, a given country would, say, increase minimum wage and mandate safety conditions, it would increase the risk of losing market share. That's just how it works - only a small fraction of the production/consumption chain gives weight to the sources of the goods. Of course, that doesn't imply that regulation doesn't work; I'm saying that by itself, it's not going to work.

tw04 11y ago
It needs to happen at the consumer's country. We should have laws banning import of any goods or services from countries that don't have a decent living wage and mandated safety conditions. Of course the price of goods will increase, and then the rubber will meet the road. Do we care more about our "things", or people half way around the world being *pulled out of squalor?
- monochromatic 11y ago
  And when you say "pulled out of squalor," you really mean "put out of a job."