LovePrevails Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 GAP made 1.38 billion dollars last year. John Pilger does documentary: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3WbztsqScw&feature=player_embedded#! I haven't watched all they do talk about Indonesia's state debts ad how they have been raped by other states but it's not directly put in those terms it does lay blame with IMF and Worldbank what do those on the economic right say? as these are usually facts presented by the left as against capitalism What do you say to people that say "Tiger woods shouldn't have the freedom to be paid more by Nike for endorsing them than almost the entire workforce making Nike put together?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon Buck _BB_ Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 I have no problem with people arguing against capitalism but slave labor isn't an argument against capitalism. Nor is government collusion with corporations. Nor are arguments against the banking industry. Capitalism is a child selling lemonade from a table in his front yard. It is a mechanic repairing your car. And, it is Nike paying some sports celebrity a billion dollars for an ad campaign. Nothing wrong with any of those things. As for slave labor, it's wrong not because it is labor... it's wrong because it's slavery. But you don't end slave labor by vilifying capitalism... any more than you end diabetes by vilifying eating. Also, I'm highly skeptical of documentaries which claim slave labor. Are these people actually being forced to work or are they simply being taken advantage of? Don't misunderstand... there is a serious ethical problem with taking advantage of people but to conflate low wages with slavery is a tenuous position. I haven't looked at the video you linked but I have to wonder.... are these people being paid such low wages because the Indonesian government, like China, has prohibited collective bargaining? If so, who is actually hurting these people... GAP or the Indonesian government? Also, what are the alternatives to working for those wages? Begging, theft or starvation? I would support a boycott of GAP if they are indeed taking advantage of people but I can't abide the notion that capitalism is the reason they're doing so and I couldn't support any government action such as trade sanctions against Indonesia or the Indonesian government fining the company, because it wouldn't help those who're being harmed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Horton Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 I have no problem with people arguing against capitalism but slave labor isn't an argument against capitalism. Nor is government collusion with corporations. Nor are arguments against the banking industry. Capitalism is a child selling lemonade from a table in his front yard. It is a mechanic repairing your car. And, it is Nike paying some sports celebrity a billion dollars for an ad campaign. Nothing wrong with any of those things. As for slave labor, it's wrong not because it is labor... it's wrong because it's slavery. But you don't end slave labor by vilifying capitalism... any more than you end diabetes by vilifying eating. Also, I'm highly skeptical of documentaries which claim slave labor. Are these people actually being forced to work or are they simply being taken advantage of? Don't misunderstand... there is a serious ethical problem with taking advantage of people but to conflate low wages with slavery is a tenuous position. I haven't looked at the video you linked but I have to wonder.... are these people being paid such low wages because the Indonesian government, like China, has prohibited collective bargaining? If so, who is actually hurting these people... GAP or the Indonesian government? Also, what are the alternatives to working for those wages? Begging, theft or starvation? I would support a boycott of GAP if they are indeed taking advantage of people but I can't abide the notion that capitalism is the reason they're doing so and I couldn't support any government action such as trade sanctions against Indonesia or the Indonesian government fining the company, because it wouldn't help those who're being harmed. a agree with the sentiment of this. Good points, indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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