Hey Charles, do you have room for 2 in that asbestos suit? I quite agree with your point. I suspect that many if not most of the folks who work in sweat shops and such do so because it is the best of the bleak alternatives that they have in their circumstances. If we boycott and the business close leaving them with no jobs available are they better off, I fear not. So what then can we do to help?<br>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Apr 15, 2010 at 11:56 AM, Charles Shapiro <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:hooterpincher@gmail.com">hooterpincher@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">
Oh boy. I'll wear asbestos for this.<br>
<br>
You did catch that the young man narrating his terrible story was<br>
supporting his entire family with this job, right?<br>
<br>
I know that I can choose not to work overtime, but if I don't work<br>
overtime, then I am stuck with only 770 RMB [$112.67 per month] in<br>
base wages. This is not nearly enough to support a family. My<br>
parents are farmers without jobs. They also do not have pensions. I<br>
also need to worry about getting married which requires a lot of<br>
money.<br>
<br>
What do you suppose they will do if we self-righteously boycott the<br>
factory and it closes? It basically sucks to be poor, especially in a<br>
poor society. This is not news. I agree that these workers are<br>
exploited. I agree that Microsoft is helping to facilitate a cruel and<br>
unjust work environment. But what alternatives do these people have?<br>
<br>
<br>
-- CHS<br>
<div><div></div><div class="h5"><br>
On Thu, Apr 15, 2010 at 11:31 AM, Michael Trausch <<a href="mailto:mike@trausch.us">mike@trausch.us</a>> wrote:<br>
> On Thu, 2010-04-15 at 11:17 -0400, Jim Kinney wrote:<br>
>> My point in the post was not to discuss the labor laws (or total lack)<br>
>> in China, but that Microsoft (and the list of others in the article)<br>
>> have profited handsomely from business actions that most of us as<br>
>> parents would object strenuously to.<br>
><br>
> I think the biggest impact that it will have is none. That said, as my<br>
> newly-added signature indicates, I'm hopeful that that isn't the case.<br>
><br>
> But most people don't really care. They'll buy clothing, furniture,<br>
> cars, computers, and general other stuff regardless of the conditions<br>
> that the aforementioned items were made in. Most people perceive<br>
> Microsoft software as being necessary for business (my clients do, too,<br>
> despite my efforts to convince them otherwise) and therefore, they'll<br>
> justify the purchase and use of the software as a necessary evil of the<br>
> world. That turns the children into something like martyrs, and makes<br>
> it all better, I guess.<br>
><br>
> It's disgusting, IMHO.<br>
><br>
> --- Mike<br>
><br>
> --<br>
> Even if their crude and anticompetitive business practices don't make<br>
> you think about using their software, their use of sweatshops and child<br>
> labor should: boycott Microsoft like you would any other amoral child<br>
> abuser: <a href="http://is.gd/btW8m" target="_blank">http://is.gd/btW8m</a><br>
><br>
><br>
> _______________________________________________<br>
> Ale mailing list<br>
> <a href="mailto:Ale@ale.org">Ale@ale.org</a><br>
> <a href="http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale" target="_blank">http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale</a><br>
> See JOBS, ANNOUNCE and SCHOOLS lists at<br>
> <a href="http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo" target="_blank">http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo</a><br>
><br>
<br>
_______________________________________________<br>
Ale mailing list<br>
<a href="mailto:Ale@ale.org">Ale@ale.org</a><br>
<a href="http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale" target="_blank">http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale</a><br>
See JOBS, ANNOUNCE and SCHOOLS lists at<br>
<a href="http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo" target="_blank">http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo</a><br>
</div></div></blockquote></div><br><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>