Comments on: What Part of Rampant Consumerism do People Not Get? http://www.diversity.net.nz/what-part-of-rampant-consumerism-do-people-not-get/2008/12/16/ Commentary and Analysis for User-Centered Technology Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:02:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Juha http://www.diversity.net.nz/what-part-of-rampant-consumerism-do-people-not-get/2008/12/16/comment-page-1/#comment-15859 Juha Mon, 15 Dec 2008 21:37:33 +0000 http://diversity.net.nz/what-part-of-rampant-consumerism-do-people-not-get/2008/12/16/#comment-15859 Yes indeed. When we buy cheap Chinese-made goods and sports shoes made in Vietnam and Indonesia, how much do we know about the conditions under which they're made? Next to nothing. The factories don't have to be awful slave camps, but there has been enough stories to make me think most are; besides, if they weren't, the goods wouldn't be as cheap as they are. The worst thing is that the cheap and harshly exploited labour is getting stiffed hard in the present financial crisis. Chinese manufacturers for instance weren't able to hike their prices despite increasing costs and wages going up because the big US and European buyers refused to pay more. They have no fat in these lean times when orders aren't coming in. As a result, workers are being laid off as factories close down. There's no social security net for them either. Maybe that whole labour rights movement thing wasn't such a bad idea after all? Yes indeed. When we buy cheap Chinese-made goods and sports shoes made in Vietnam and Indonesia, how much do we know about the conditions under which they’re made? Next to nothing. The factories don’t have to be awful slave camps, but there has been enough stories to make me think most are; besides, if they weren’t, the goods wouldn’t be as cheap as they are.

The worst thing is that the cheap and harshly exploited labour is getting stiffed hard in the present financial crisis. Chinese manufacturers for instance weren’t able to hike their prices despite increasing costs and wages going up because the big US and European buyers refused to pay more. They have no fat in these lean times when orders aren’t coming in. As a result, workers are being laid off as factories close down. There’s no social security net for them either.

Maybe that whole labour rights movement thing wasn’t such a bad idea after all?

]]> By: Dave5 http://www.diversity.net.nz/what-part-of-rampant-consumerism-do-people-not-get/2008/12/16/comment-page-1/#comment-15858 Dave5 Mon, 15 Dec 2008 21:31:13 +0000 http://diversity.net.nz/what-part-of-rampant-consumerism-do-people-not-get/2008/12/16/#comment-15858 I was asked a few days ago why I didn't want to use low cost labour... or build a business on it. I said I had ethical issues with it... but wasn't able to articulate why. This article shows how you can set yourself up for a fall, long-term, if you don't think about these things very carefully. It's not as cut and dry... but it's one of those slippery slope games. I was asked a few days ago why I didn’t want to use low cost labour… or build a business on it. I said I had ethical issues with it… but wasn’t able to articulate why. This article shows how you can set yourself up for a fall, long-term, if you don’t think about these things very carefully.

It’s not as cut and dry… but it’s one of those slippery slope games.

]]>