No, it's not better for them to starve, it's better to find the humane middle ground. Goods could still be provided to Amerikkka at a fair price without making people in other countries work sometimes 19 hour days at 17 cents per hour. Sure these people need the money, which is exactly why large corporations are manipulating them. They see financial opportunity in the poverty of others. What's the answer? Fair Trade.


I recently heard that Nike and The Gap have hired impartial inspectors to observe and report working conditions in the sweatshops that they buy from. Sure it's a small step and I still wouldn't buy their products but it's far more than Wal-Mart is doing, which seems to be one of the largest evil empire in regard to sweatshop conditions (among other things).

I do my best to shop at locally owned shops when I can, trying to boycott large corporate chains.

I don't eat fast food, not only because of the lack of nutrients and vegitarian options, but because of the corporate factor as well.

I don't drink coffee, so Starbucks really isn't an issue for me.

I also boycott industries that I think lead to the abuse of animals, factory farms, horse racing, dog racing, circuses, zoos, etc.

I'm always finding out one thing or another that affects my purchasing, like when Coca-Cola bought Odwalla, or I found out something bad about Haggen Daas Ice Cream. (I can't even remember what the hell that was now, but I don't eat Haggen Daas anymore!) Or, I'll learn facts about chemicals contained in or animals tested on and that will turn me off of a product. I try to be as informed as I can, but it's forever a learning process.

I don't have all the answers to the worlds problems and I eat meat as well as shop at Walmart, drink coke, eat fast food occasionally (once or twice a month), go to Starbucks because it's convenient & a gay social group I visit with once in a while meets there. I drive a Honda Element. Sometimes I even leave the water running while brushing my teeth. : ( That said, a really good book I read b4 is DEAD MEAT by Sue Coe. If your interested in a good DVD watch the Corporation or Supersize This. Books = The Ecology of Commerce, Nickle & Dimed. That's one good thing about living in America right now though. Even though it seems like we cannot affect change that much, just having all the information available if we're inclined to look at it is incredible. Just knowing things can help prepare us mentally for whatever comes our way. In the mean time if the cool belt I want is 6 dollars at Walmart but 22 for the same one at Mervyns, guess where I'll be getting it?! My Dickies pants are 17 at Walmart. The same pants are 35 at Mervyns. That's more than double. If I buy them at Walmart I can spend the other 17 bux on condoms & lube, cheese puffs, peanuts, & blank cd's so I can "rip off the artists". I don't see it as ripping off the artist either because I'm such a music lover there's not enough money to buy everything I like. If I burn a cd if I like it enough I will eventually buy it. In the mean time my burned copy is circulating amongst friends and they go buy it if they like it. When I used to DJ people would ask me what something I was playing, from a burnt cd, was and would go buy it. Burnt cd's can actually help get more people interested in stuff to go buy it. James Hetfield needs to look at the big picture. If Metallicas latest efforts didnt suck so much they would be having to whine like little bitches on their pathetic dvd Some Kind of Monster they made to just make extra money as well. It's interesting just because it's them and I will always like them but I cannot believe they stooped to making something that is just like all these other "reality tv shows I despise! : )
Later

(ahaha.. just noticed original post was Mar 2005)