I don't know about the Nike case, but part of my job requires me to visit factories in China, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Phillipines, Pakistan, and now just recently Vietnam.
Some we own, some we don't.
I can tell you this, as a person who visits these sites 3 to 4 times a year:
1.) The jobs our factories offer these areas are highly sought after and do improve the people's lives.
2.) I learned a while back, you cannot take our very HIGH work and other standards and instantly transpose them onto these people and their cultures.
3.) People who have never visited these places, and who have never done so on a regular basis, seem to have the "most informed" opinions.
4.) "Most" US owned or partnership factories do have and live by higher standards then the factories owned by the local governments or businessmen. The corporate oversight insures this is the case, or it is so with the companies I have worked for.
5.) It is naive to think we can tell government owned facilities how to run their businesses.
6.) With the companies that we sell to, our factories and vendors are required to submit to surprise inspections.
7.) The good factories do provide good wages (for the regional area) and good working conditions and good housing. You know why? Because its good business.
Karnak, Have you ever been to any of these places and visit the factories regularly?? I have and do. And when I see violations, I pull my business. But I do not pretend to think that my values are the same as theirs.
Toad is also correct, that whole farmer scenerio is bust. Land is simply not available to them to own, AND they would rather work at a factory then toil behind an ox in a field. I've seen this with my own eyes!
So maybe we should have John Deere just donate tractors all over the world to these people because farming with an ox is cruel and cannot be allowed. And believe me, they work in the fields at 10 yrs old. At least at a factory you have a chance to monitor and catch any of these abuses.
Cobra
