Sweatshops

I have work to do. I should do the work I have to do. But -

A few minutes ago a friend and I got into a discussion about sweatshops and it was pretty much amazing. I'll give you the SparkNotes version:

When many people hear the word sweatshops, they immediately consider it something horrific, an enterprise that should be abolished.

I disagree.

Hear me out.

As an institution, there is absolutely nothing wrong with sweatshops; the problem lies in the way this institution is executed.

A sweatshop is nothing more than a place of employment. For many, working in a sweatshop guarantees clothing on their back and food on their table. Yes, by our standards the wages earned are horrific, but let me say this again, by our standards.

Let us not forget that the United States is a nation in which we, for the most part, demand, comparatively, the most expensive things. Our cheapest items are, by the standards of others, things they have to save for years to purchase.

Yes I agree that often times people who work in such establishments are mistreated, but it is not the establishment itself that is at fault, it is the manner in which it is run.

Some propose going in to shut down sweatshops, liberating the poor workers from the hellholes they were subjected to.

I disagree.

Rather than taking away the only source of income that many have, improve how they are operated.

Think about it:

You shut down sweatshops, where are people supposed to work?

Oh the US will save them? Give them our jobs? Then, what happens to our citizens? When will the cycle end? How can you attempt to save others when your own people are struggling as well?

This is in no way me saying to screw the world and turn our back on those in need, merely me saying to think things through before you speak on it.

People often try to rush in and fix a "problem" without sitting down and thinking about the source of the issue and the effects - both long term and short - of their hypothesized "solution."

So yes. This was supposed to be a SparkNotes version. ...it wasn't.

But in summary, I do not disagree with sweatshops. That name alone brings forth negativity. All such an establishment is is a place of employment. For all intents and purposes, a corporate office could be considered a sweatshop - you go, work for a set amount of hours, get paid, return home, and do the same thing the next day. The problem, once again, is not the institution, but the way that it is executed. Rather than take away peoples' jobs and livelihood, take the time to make the necessary reforms.

The end.