Child labour

[Deleted]

Hi, im doing a research for a project in school! My project is about the giant swedish clothes company ''HM''.
In 2007 media discovered HM buys cotton from a supplier who in their turn buy cotton from a company who uses child labour, HM responded that they don't know what their suppliers supplier do but will look deeper into it. This became a very big thing all around the world and my question is simply,

Even though you MIGHT know a company somewhere in the making of clothes from collecting cotton -> the product, uses child labour would you still buy it?

Sorry for my english, it's not my mothertongue, thanks in advance for your answers!

[Deleted]

Of course I would, perhaps even more knowing it's produced by children. In countries where child labor is a thing the alternative is usually worse. Just because you remove the job from the child doesn't mean it will stop needing money. The kid will just be forced to seek other venues, such as prostitution. Child labor really is the lesser evil in these countries.

[DEATHETERNAL]

When it is either work or starve, I'm glad they can find work.

[Shinra1]

I'm shocked and disgusted by people who voted for "I don't care" or I'd feel bad about it but still would buy the goods. Some people are truly monsters.

It's funny to see people justifying their immoral and dubious greedy habits of buying cheap goods by deluding themselves with the notion that they are providing work for desperate people.


You're praying on people's weaknesses and you know it.


"Lesser of two evils" Please you're being ridiculous.

[Deleted]

I would still buy it. I would be lying if I said I didn't value my own wallet more.

[Shinra1]

I would still buy it. I would be lying if I said I didn't value my own wallet more.

That's so evil.


How can you sleep at night?

[NoRest4Wicked]

That's so evil.


How can you sleep at night?

I sleep on a pillow stuffed with the cash I save buying cheap clothing.

[Shinra1]

I sleep on a pillow stuffed with the cash I save buying cheap clothing.

[Deleted]

Child Labour by itself isn't good but in some countries entire families are dependent on it.

The laternatives are possibly worse, like prostetution or even the selling of the children themselves.

[phitness]

I buy stuff on the internet VS local because it's cheaper and I'd buy something made by child labor as long as it's equal in quality to the more expensive option. I'm on a fixed budget so the whole buy USA thing doesn't work for me when it costs me more $.

[GarGar]

This is perfect.

I say I wouldn't, and with something like clothing where there's a million and one options, I'd go somewhere else. But boy do I like my Apple products. It's not child labor, but still morally questionable working conditions.

[Arrashi]

It's not like not buying them will help those kids in any way (arguably it will make things worse) so doesn't really matter.

[zealo]

Might sound evil but it wouldn't stop me from buying it, the child labour involved with it have already happened once its on the shelf and if I don't do it someone else is bound to pick that product up and walk to the cashier anyhow and pay for it.

Its easy to say you wouldn't but I wonder how many that actually would care enough to enforce such a policy constantly when it actually comes to it.

[Xargoth6634]

I dunno, kind of the same deal with Walmart who has extremely sketchy production practices overseas and treats their US workers like shit. (Was amused to see a commercial during football yesterday bragging about how they wanted to hire 100k military vets in the next x years, and was like "Why the fuck would they want to work for you?) I don't want to shop there, but as a brokeass college student I don't really have a whole lot of choice. Still don't feel good about it though.

[Deleted]

I'm shocked and disgusted by people who voted for "I don't care" or I'd feel bad about it but still would buy the goods. Some people are truly monsters.

It's funny to see people justifying their immoral and dubious greedy habits of buying cheap goods by deluding themselves with the notion that they are providing work for desperate people.


You're praying on people's weaknesses and you know it.


"Lesser of two evils" Please you're being ridiculous.

What are the alternatives then? What other, less evil, activity will provide food on the table for these children and their families? You know what's scary? Your best intentions are putting kids on the street to starve, be rented to pedophiles or worse, sold into a lifetime of slavery. And the worst part is that you and others like you are absolutely convinced you're doing a good thing for these kids. I wonder who is delusional here.

[Shinra1]

This is perfect.

Thanks I've been saving this gif. :O

[Deleted]

Thanks for alot of the answers guys, they vary alot and are very intresting, just keep going, im sitting here working on my schoolproject taking your opinions into a count! (Don't forget the poll)!
Thanks again!

[Shinra1]

What are the alternatives then? What other, less evil, activity will provide food on the table for these children and their families? You know what's scary? Your best intentions are putting kids on the street to starve, be rented to pedophiles or worse, sold into a lifetime of slavery. And the worst part is that you and others like you are absolutely convinced you're doing a good thing for these kids. I wonder who is delusional here.

I think it's convenient to pretend to care for the welfare of the poor families that benefit from child labour as it aligns with your pocket. The alternative is for the big companies and providers to pay families a fair wage. Child labour is the not the answer, yes it may the lesser of two evils however children should not be responsible to their families to such an extent. The parents should be taking care of their children enough so the children do not have to work. Children should be free to do what they will until adulthood, when they fend for themselves. They should not be forced to take on a mature role at such a young age. The low wage is not the only issue with child labour it's also the fact that children are mistreated and put into horrendous working conditions where they risk their lives everyday working for more than 18 hours a day.

[tj119]

I think it's convenient to pretend to care for the welfare of the poor families that benefit from child labour as it aligns with your pocket. The alternative is for the big companies and providers to pay families a fair wage. Child labour is the not the answer, yes it may the lesser of two evils however children should not be responsible to their families to such an extent. The parents should be taking care of their children enough so the children do not have to work. Children should be free to do what they will until adulthood, when they fend for themselves. They should not be forced to take on a mature role at such a young age. The low wage is not the only issue with child labour it's also the fact that children are mistreated and put into horrendous working conditions where they risk their lives everyday working for more than 18 hours a day.

Nice fairy tale land you dream of living in. These people are inpoor countries where their governments clearly don't give a shit, keeping these kids working beats starving or other awful things that could happen.

[Revi]

Say we all stop buying anything that involved child labor... The children don't do child labor anymore, great, our conscious is clean. If our conscious is clean, it doesn't matter that those kids either prostitute themselves, become criminals or starve to death, right? Isn't this the our logic?

I don't support using child labor, but the side that pretends shutting the factories down is better is just as bad.

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I think it's convenient to pretend to care for the welfare of the poor families that benefit from child labour as it aligns with your pocket. The alternative is for the big companies and providers to pay families a fair wage. Child labour is the not the answer, yes it may the lesser of two evils however children should not be responsible to their families to such an extent. The parents should be taking care of their children enough so the children do not have to work. Children should be free to do what they will until adulthood, when they fend for themselves. They should not be forced to take on a mature role at such a young age. The low wage is not the only issue with child labour it's also the fact that children are mistreated and put into horrendous working conditions where they risk their lives everyday working for more than 18 hours a day.

Unfortunately what "should be" has no bearing on reality.