After reading the article about child labor and sweatshops, it really made me think about the things that I buy and where they come from. I know there are things that I have that definately came from China, Taiwan, Pakistan, and other countries known for having child labor and horrible sweatshops. It really made me think about the people behind the product and wonder what I could do to help the situation. I don't know that there is a lot that I can to do help, but I also think that if people in the United States started paying more attention to the facts about child labor making the products we buy, people might be less apt to buy them. In turn, perhaps the child labor industry would go down???

I also found this link about workers in other countries who are forced to work in terrible conditions for next to nothing every day.

http://www.nlcnet.org/

As long as the majority of the consumers are more concerned about the price on the tag rather than the information hidden away on the tag about the country of origion, this will continue to be a problem. Unless enough consumers feel strongly enough about the issue to be willing to pay the 10% or 20% higher price there will continue to be entire communities and even states to take the hit for losing jobs and entire industries.

I think for some its not that they choose to buy products because they are cheaper, its because they have too!

I think that child labor and just general low wages are sickening, but at the same time, if we were to stop buying the products would that cure the problem? Would the age to work raise and the wages be increased or would the children and low wage workers conditions just worsen?

linda

I felt that it was sad how much money these people make for assembling the products. They are giving time and effort for these products, which we take for granted. I have never thought about the faces behind the clothes, toys, and other material things. I definitely have never thought about children doing the labor. I thought some children could get an education, instead of working. Guess not! I would like to inform the people of how valuable their work is to Americans. Not very valuable. This article was an eye-opener to me.

Its sorta of a catch twenty-two lol. On one hand people want cheap products and they are willing to buy them from whichever country is giving them the best deal. On the other hand people want products that are of good quality and come form the USA, but they do not want to pay a higher price for them. If America could start producing more of its own products and put higher tariffs on imported goods; we could decrease the amount of products that consumers buy that are produced in sweatshops.