Here is an excerpt from an article written last year. The author says it better than I could. To read to full article, click on "The Devil's Bargain" link on the right.
From: The Devil's Bargain: Sweatshops and the American Scheme
We, the American consumer, have perfected the art of indulgence and avoidance. As Rosenblatt observes, “We in the wealthy West, living and dining off the fruits of their labor, can honestly say we are unaware of the devil’s bargain we bought into. Or that if we do know, the problem is simply too great to comprehend and beyond our means to do anything about, save changing our lifestyles entirely. Best, in other words, not to think about it.”
However, we must think about it. And in thinking about it, at some point we must realize that there is a moral dimension to our buying habits. As long as we are willing to buy, buy, buy at lower and lower prices without a care for how those goods were produced or where they came from, corporations will continue to seek out cheap labor, which invariably goes hand in hand with inhumane working conditions.
Thus, change must start with you. For starters, you can check out the National Labor Committee’s website, www.nlcnet.org, for a list of companies with questionable ties to sweatshops and cheap labor. If you’re not willing to stop doing business with those companies, then you can at least urge them to change their practices.
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