Sure, but can we really speak of “choice” for those who have no other options? Again: your argument can be used to defend any form of slavery, as long as slaves became slaves “out of choice”. If otherwise they wouldn’t have survived, what kind of choice is that?! Imagine the alternative: there is consumers-driven pressure on companies to introduce serious control of working conditions. As a result, current sweatshops eventually become much safer for work. It’s a long-term win-win scenario.
I think on balance there’s a strong chance you’re right, but there IS a lose-lose outcome, where the consumer pressure drives the companies to fire all their sweatshop employees and move to a place where they can get people from a different, less needy origin (that maybe has different labour laws, or in some other ways pacifies many of the consumer activists).
Sure, but can we really speak of “choice” for those who have no other options? Again: your argument can be used to defend any form of slavery, as long as slaves became slaves “out of choice”. If otherwise they wouldn’t have survived, what kind of choice is that?! Imagine the alternative: there is consumers-driven pressure on companies to introduce serious control of working conditions. As a result, current sweatshops eventually become much safer for work. It’s a long-term win-win scenario.
I think on balance there’s a strong chance you’re right, but there IS a lose-lose outcome, where the consumer pressure drives the companies to fire all their sweatshop employees and move to a place where they can get people from a different, less needy origin (that maybe has different labour laws, or in some other ways pacifies many of the consumer activists).