What are the ethics of clearance sales? As the economy spirals closer and closer to the drain, is it okay for me to go in and buy £150’s worth of stuff for £30 because they have to clear it? It doesn’t feel like it can be right. Even if I’m sympathetic. The only exonerating factor is that with the next roll of the dice I might just as well be next.
Poverty and inequality never go away. It’s like trying to flatten out bubbles under cellophane; they just pop up elsewhere. We’ve grown so pampered that the sight of it offends us, so we export it to sweatshops in countries without labour laws. The logic of that makes me want to scream.
How can it possibly be okay to be rich?
December 15th, 2008 - 9:45 pm
I completely agree with your thoughts, ever since coming back from Africa last year, I have been finding such things very difficult.
BTW – everytime I see your blog title, just have to sing ‘Amen’.
December 16th, 2008 - 7:35 am
Your post echoes how I feel right now – a bargain is one thing, but passing Woollies the other day, the word “feeding frenzy” came into my mind as my son asked why I didn’t do my shopping there and get some really really cheap Christmas presents. But it doesn’t feel that it would be right.
December 18th, 2008 - 10:48 pm
True enough. Apparently it’s the mechanics of capitalism and the markets will eventually force production prices so low that everyone will get cheap stuff and live in Utopia. Promoting thrift and a notion of basic sufficiency seems to be like trying to catch a piece of wind. But we’re with you, Comrade McGovern. Every bally one of us!
December 20th, 2008 - 8:41 pm
I daresay there are half a billion starving or close to it in the world right now. I’m not comfortable with any economic theory which wouldn’t sound credible if it was broadcast over their villages from tannoys strapped to helicopters. “Don’t worry! The markets will eventually force production prices really low!” doesn’t really cut it.
Nobody should have more than they need while others have less than enough.
December 30th, 2008 - 4:11 pm
Don’t know if you saw the Panorama episode about Primark and child labor in India. What was most depressing of all was the fact that Primark took away the contracts immediately– now those kids who were forced into child labor in order to help their family eat don’t have that income anymore. How that is helping the problem is beyond me. There need to be better paying jobs for the adults so that their children don’t need to work!
December 30th, 2008 - 10:04 pm
Yeah. Unions wouldn’t hurt either. If you’re feeling like consuming something you might take a look here: http://www.nosweatapparel.com/shop.htm
I hasten to add that you can buy that stuff in shops here. I made a strategic error and had my baseball boots sent from abroad, which eliminated my good karma by blowing up the rainforest. Or something. I assume it gets blown up. Or made into guns or used to hassle The Kids or something. Yeah.