Tuesday 14 June 2011

The Merit of Child Labour


Child labour, let’s talk about it.  It’s bad, I know, but I think I will play devil`s advocate for a while.  Some big corporation rolls into a poverty stricken country.  They set up a factory and start hiring.  Perfect, the cheapest labour comes from children and better yet they have nothing better to do.  We offer a kid a job and pay him a few cents a day, maybe even feed him while he is on the job.  We take the burden off the family and help the kid bring in a little money each day. 

So it still sounds horrible does it? Well let’s take a look at the alternatives at least your kid could become a prostitute or drug mule.  They might get paid more for that.  Hell, they could stay at home and sit around for sixteen hours a day while they’re not sleeping or go out to beg on an empty stomach.  Oh wait, everyone in your town is just as poor and hungry as you are.  Everyone is trying to catch a break, but your currency is so devalued compared to the US dollar if you had those five American pennies you could buy a loaf of bread.  Doesn’t sound so bad now does it.

Eventually your standard of living has increased and it no longer becomes affordable for Nike to make their shoes in your town.  Too bad, but you had a good run.  So off Nike goes to the next town to bring up the standard of living there. 

7 comments:

  1. a controversial subject... followed :) routine help

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  2. Your points are valid, doesn't change the fact it's a shit life. But as you said, probably a shitter life without it? I do think the companies that hire these people should pay them more though, not like they can't afford it.

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  3. Uh. Wow. Not sure what to think about this post.

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  4. I don't see how the standard of living would increase. These child workers aren't getting any education. An increase in acceptance of child labor would just drive birth rates and black market slavery up. It doesn't make these places better and move on, the second the workers start organizing and demanding wages above poverty level they up and move to the next third world country to exploit.

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  5. The problem is that the kid dosen't have the opportunity to choose. When someone, no matter how old is pushed to do something he shouldn't be doing that's the first step to slavery

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  6. Hey! Those kids make some DAMN good sneakers! =P

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  7. I'm liking this blog more and more with every post, keep it up!

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